----------------------------------- allenh98 Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:41 pm Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- Hello all. First off, I have some questions regarding the AIF for anyone who has knowledge about it I dont have that many extra curriculars, but I have 2 school teams that I'm going to join (table tennis and co-ed volleyball) from feb-april, but I realize that by the time I get on those teams, AIF's will have to be submitted. So should I write that I plan on joining those teams, wait to submit my AIF, or edit my AIF or contact waterloo with updates? Waterloo asks for sort of a chart of the activities, but can I count out of school activities such as drop-in basketball, and playing basketball with a coach but not on a team? On the AIF, there is a part about reading interests. I am really not sure on how to answer that part as I rarely read at all, but I feel that anyone come up with some interesting things, whether they are true or not. Should the reading be about science, or can it be Harry Potter? I have done contests in the past, but I have never bother to check my score. I have done the grade 11 equivilant of Euclid (I believe its hypatia or w/e) and the Sun Life Financial Math contest, but I have no clue where to find my score, as I am not in the top % to be listed on the website. If anyone can answer these questions, it would be greatly appreciated. ----------------------------------- syntax_error Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:13 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- "On the AIF, there is a part about reading interests. I am really not sure on how to answer that part as I rarely read at all, but I feel that anyone come up with some interesting things, whether they are true or not. Should the reading be about science, or can it be Harry Potter?" Put what ever it is that you like to read, or have read in the past and enjoy; the point of the AIF is not to see oh, he reads scientific america we should put him up on the list. No. The AIF is a chance to get to know you more outside the academia world. "I have done contests in the past, but I have never bother to check my score. I have done the grade 11 equivilant of Euclid (I believe its hypatia or w/e) and the Sun Life Financial Math contest, but I have no clue where to find my score, as I am not in the top % to be listed on the website" You should still mention it. I am sure your math department has record that they would look through for your information. I am sure here participation counts. As for your other concern, I really do not have any idea, seeing I have never really seen an AIF from and do not know the details of what timeline the activities should be in. ----------------------------------- endless Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:28 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- what faculty are you applying to? i applied to faculty of math and was not asked about my reading interests. for the activities, if you feel it may set you ahead of others and aren't compromising space for other activities, you should put it down. for the contests, just check off that you wrote the contests and they will be able to look up your score if they want to. my math teacher told me that most of what they look for is your participation. ----------------------------------- Tony Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:41 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- The AIF from the Faculty of Engineering is much more indepth than that from Mathematics. Your interests could (and should) be outside of school. Hobbies, personal projects, etc. You've got to be reading something, as your English seems to be much better than what some other kids post on the forums. It might not be hard-cover books, but there's probably enough forums/blogs/newspapers-left-on-bus-seats to keep your writing from degenerating into an IM inspired cesspool of a language "shorthand". If you scored well in the contests you've mentioned, the results would be posted at http://cemc.math.uwaterloo.ca/contests/past_contests.html . If not, the participation alone also counts. ----------------------------------- allenh98 Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:57 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- Does CS, CE or SE need teacher references? ----------------------------------- endless Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:40 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- CS does, not sure about engineering. ----------------------------------- allenh98 Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:44 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- So when I applied for SE, they said that I can tell them i also wantto be considered for CE and CS, does that mean I should also submit an AIF for those two programs and get a teacher to write me a CS recommendation? Thanks in advance. ----------------------------------- Alexmula Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:19 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- for the aif, should i bother mentioning extracurriculars that i did before highschool? i also won a math contest in grade 6 (1 year before highschool in my native country, which is kind of equivalent to grade 8 here in canada), should i write about this too? ----------------------------------- Prabhakar Ragde Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:41 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- The teacher reference for CS, which is within the Faculty of Mathematics, is from a math teacher, not a CS teacher. --PR ----------------------------------- allenh98 Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:10 am RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- Does my teacher send in the CS reference? The thing is, I'm applying for SE and i would also like to be considered for CS/Ce, so when are those AIFs due and how should i submit my teacher recommendation? ----------------------------------- Prabhakar Ragde Tue Jan 20, 2009 10:55 am RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- Since the UW SE people promised you that you would be considered for the other programs, perhaps you should ask them how you submit the information that the other programs require. They want the AIF within three weeks of your acknowledgement e-mail but March 6 is the absolute deadline. The sooner, the better. --PR edit: fixed date ----------------------------------- smoovee Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:38 pm Re: RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- Does my teacher send in the CS reference? The thing is, I'm applying for SE and i would also like to be considered for CS/Ce, so when are those AIFs due and how should i submit my teacher recommendation? I'm in the same type of situation, but I've also applied to mathematics directly on OUAC and considering CS on the OUAC. Should I send in two AIFs? ----------------------------------- Prabhakar Ragde Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:11 pm RE:Waterloo Application Questions ----------------------------------- CS is in the Faculty of Mathematics, so the same AIF will work for CS and Math programs. SE admissions are done separately, through Engineering.