Are the requirements for Co-op much more stringent?

[Briggs]

I'm considering doing U of W's computer co-op program (or some other university depending on whether I get accepted or not.) According to one of my parents' friends' kids, the requirement for a co-op course is much higher than that of a regular course simply because there's much more competition and there aren't many spaces. The lower bound for the admission average might be as high as 95%, she said.

Is this true? I'm reading that admission requirements for the CompSci/Math department at Waterloo is in "the low 80's". My average is currently in "the high 80's", starting to get near the 90's, so am I at any sort of substantial risk for not getting admitted based on a low average?

(BTW, I apologize profusely for my childish introduction in the introductions thread. I just didn't want to seem like an imitator of Cyril's attitude.)

[Prabhakar Ragde]

Briggs @ Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:08 pm wrote:

I'm considering doing U of W's computer co-op program (or some other university depending on whether I get accepted or not.) According to one of my parents' friends' kids, the requirement for a co-op course is much higher than that of a regular course simply because there's much more competition and there aren't many spaces. The lower bound for the admission average might be as high as 95%, she said.

Is this true? I'm reading that admission requirements for the CompSci/Math department at Waterloo is in "the low 80's". My average is currently in "the high 80's", starting to get near the 90's, so am I at any sort of substantial risk for not getting admitted based on a low average?

Your source is full of it. There are limited spots for international students, but the co-op cutoff for domestic students is typically only a few percent higher than the cutoff for admission. If you can maintain high 80s and even get into the low 90's, you're pretty much assured admission to the co-op program in CS. (Unless they are planning on drastically cutting back due to the recession, but I haven't heard anything along those lines.)

[Briggs]

Actually, now that I think of it, she may have been an international student (If she was, she'd be from China). I'm not sure, though. Thanks for the info, though. I appreciate it a lot.