High School
What were our stats in high school to get us into SYDE?
High School Acceptance Averages
The Acceptance averages were all above 90%, with the average of the averages being 96.1%.
Number of respondents: 59
Specialized Programs
Just under 2/3rd of the class was in an enrichment program in high school.
Number of respondents: 58
Extracurriculars
Not only were we try hards in our classes but also in our extracurriculars!
Number of respondents: 60
Part-time Jobs in High School
Just over half of us had a part time job in high school with an average of 10 hours of work per week.
Number of respondents: 61
Number of respondents: 38
When did you know that SYDE was your future?
87% of us knew that we wanted SYDE from the get go and most of us got accepted in march!
Number of respondents: 60
Number of respondents: 61
If you didn't choose SYDE what program were you considering?
How Stressed were we in Grade 12 vs in 1A
Most of us were more stressed in grade 12, we can only go up from here! Right?
Number of respondents: 61
Does high school prepare for SYDE?
Preparation for university definitely depended on which high school you went to and how hard you tried.
Number of respondents: 61
What's one piece of advice you would give to prospective SYDE applicants (something you wish you knew before applying/accepting SYDE)
Research the program and make sure you know what you’re walking into. SYDE is what you make it to be!!
Side projects are more important than getting 2 extra % on your transcript. UW is a bubble, keep your non-STEM friends around so that you stay a well-rounded person.
the mindset you use to learn and chase grades in high school has to transition as you transition to uni. the grading system and requirement is not the same and you're not typically meant to get 95+ in your coursework, that's okay. strive for a more well rounded university experience instead of stressing.
Extracurriculars matter more than grades and try to sell your personality in your interview(for applying), Commit to the clubs you join and try to finish your work as quickly as possible so you have no stress in your extra time (after accepting)
Don't just talk about why you want to do engineering in general, talk about why you wanna do Waterloo Engineering specifically
I took 4u english in summer school and still got accepted, so it's definitely not the end of the world if you took a course in summer/night school. obv better to take all classes in person during the year, but if you can't, UW understands and won't pin it against you.