Computer Science Programs

[Dan]

Martin wrote:

My overall final average was 71%, and I got into the advanced classes and an (albet small) scholarship.

See this is why i think u of w is pergidested in there admision proces, my final avage was much higher then that and i acuatly sent in my aidation infomation from......

[Martin]

Hah, that number is a bit misleading. My top 6 average was 87, and I did fairly well on the Euclid. Also, Waterloo really likes my highschool.

[Andy]

i noe someone from massey that got into computer engineering co op wit a 79 avg

[Dan]

From what i can tell U of W has the most unfair and pergidested admsion proces out of any uni in ont. I know for a fact that they are untrufual about the min avgs they publish for the corses and that they give up to 15% avg bounce for private schools. And i supcected that they are chaging admision avgs on some other things that whould get them in alot of shit with the govement if it was true.

[Martin]

Not private schools. All of the more competitive universities (Toronto, McGill, etc.) have lists of schools. As is very obvious, all schools are not created equal, so the university pretty much decides for itself how good a highschool is. They don't admit this, as these favoured schools would become quickly overpopulated, but they do exist.

And, seeing as Ontario's education system is a joke (they now have 'essentials,' anyone in essentials should kill themselves) they have their own ideas of what constitutes fair admission. Waterloo uses the Euclid, the CCC, reference letters, and an Application Information Form. Biased? Sure. But the system works for them. It doesn't mean that everyone who should get in does, and that people who shouldn't get in don't, but they have enough success with it (obviously) that they choose to use it.

It's not a secret; there are no government laws about how you determine admissions, so long as it's not racially/sexually/etc. biased.

[Genesis]

About Waterloo, when you apply, it says that based on your marks, and your AIF, they calculate your admission score. And an AIF can get you up to 12 additional points.

Does anyone know how how many points your marks are worth? Or how exactly your "score" is calculated?

[Dan]

Martin wrote:

...so long as it's not racially/sexually/etc. biased.

But u of w is doing that, lol. I am not going to get more in to it on a public form tho.

Quote:

Does anyone know how how many points your marks are worth? Or how exactly your "score" is calculated?

Well there are 2 awers to that, the truth or the u of w one

If you whont the turth msnm me, if u whont the u of w verson of the truth it should say on there webpage.

[Genesis]

MSNM you eh. Will do. (With what email? Your compsci one?) I wanna learn as much as I can about this.

Although I'm starting to lean more towards the graphic design/advertising/video editing or movie making path. I don't know if I wanna go into engineering anymore.

Although it's still a possibility.

[Martin]

If you like Graphics design, go into computer science.

When they say that they add up to 12 marks, it is 12 marks to your final average. So if your average is 85% and your AIF/reference letter adds 8 points, your waterloo average is 93%.

$25000 scholarships start at combined averages over 100%

[Genesis]

Martin wrote:

If you like Graphics design, go into computer science.

When they say that they add up to 12 marks, it is 12 marks to your final average. So if your average is 85% and your AIF/reference letter adds 8 points, your waterloo average is 93%.

$25000 scholarships start at combined averages over 100%

Mind explaining how graphics design pertains to computer science? (I'm sure it does, I'm just wondering exactly how, and in what forms.)

And thanks for the info.

[Tony]

Genesis wrote:

Mind explaining how graphics design pertains to computer science? (I'm sure it does, I'm just wondering exactly how, and in what forms.)

GUI

hehe, well actually there's quite a bit of to do with graphics. Namely making programs to generate graphics. From ploting vector lines to raytracing textures on a 3D model though multiple reflections and refractions yeah... write your own 3D graphics engine

[Mazer]

Are you actually doing this?

[Tony]

Coutsos wrote:

Are you actually doing this?

no, I'm in engineering... but I was looking into it before

[Martin]

Because graphics design places want people with a firm understanding of how everything works. Yeah, it's great that you can do amazing stuff in 3d Studio Max, but they want you to know what exactly phong shading is, and how the program works.

In fourth year computer science at waterloo, there is a graphics course, which is considered to be one of the three hardest courses in the math faculty (the other two are real time debugging and operating systems).

To summarize, they want to be sure that you can adapt. Technology is ever changing, so they don't want someone who is a master of 3ds max to be useless when 3dsmax becomes obsolete.

[Genesis]

But will you actually learn anything about programs like 3ds Max, and how to use them? Like to make kick ass models and what not. Or just how they work, and how you would go about making your own.