Q: If I don’t have at least a 90% average, will I be considered for admission?
A: Applicants require an overall university average of at least 75% to be considered for admission. Historically, applicants who have been admitted to the program have had averages of 79% to 92%. Achieving a very high academic average does not guarantee your admission, just as a lower academic average does not necessarily exclude you from being admitted.
Q: Will the Admissions Committee look only at my grades?
A: The Admissions Committee is committed to admitting applicants who are socially and academically well-rounded. Your admission decision is based on both academic performance and non-academic factors, including the Optometry Admissions Test, your autobiographical sketch, your references, and, in some cases, your interview.
Q: How many students are admitted?
A: The School of Optometry admitts 90 students a year. For the past several years, about 46% of students who have applied have been admitted.
Q: My friend has a relative who works at the University of Waterloo. Will her application will be considered over mine?
A: The Admissions Committee does not, under any circumstances, consider age, race, religion, nepotism, family name, gender, or socioeconomic status in their admission decisions.
Q: If I’m not applying from the University of Waterloo am I automatically at a disadvantage?
A: The Admissions Committee does not consider the university of origin (where you’re applying from) in their admission decision nor do they have quotas from other provinces or countries. Your chances are just as good whether you’re applying from a university within or outside of Canada. The Admissions Committee does not give University of Waterloo students preferential treatment over applicants from other universities.
Q: If I start Optometry prerequisites at another university and then transfer to Waterloo will I then have an advantage when I apply to Optometry?
A: Since Waterloo students are not given preferential treatment in the admissions process, transferring to Waterloo in second year will not provide you with a competitive advantage. In addition, if not all of your courses are granted transfer credit, transferring could cost you time and lost coursework.
Q: If I do not get an interview conducted by the Admissions Committee, does that mean I have not been accepted into the program?
A: Unfortunately, applicants who do not receive an interview will no longer be considered for admission. See Interview.
Q: Is it necessary to have all the prerequsite university courses completed when I am applying to the School of Optometry?
A: Yes, you must have all the prerequsite university courses completed with grades appearing on your official transcripts by the end of May in the year you intend to enter. See Completion of Coursework.
