How I Got Into Waterloo Biomedical Engineering 2020 |Grades + AIF + Interview + Adjustment Factors|

[@cheesypizzajokes]

Hey man! Just wanted to come back to this vid to thank you! I was also applying for biomedical engineering at UWaterloo last year, and now I'm in my 1A term. Much appreciated, and I hope we can link one day. Cheers

[@athavang5]

Hey Aaren, congratulations on getting accepted into BME! Hope first year is going well and yeah, I'm down of meeting someday.

[@salmanpremji9494]

Great vid man! I'm a freshman in Ontario and I aspire to get into the Electrical Engineering program so thanks for giving me some of the info I need to hopefully get in.

[@xanderhayhoe5776]

trust me you don't wanna do EE at waterloo

[@skii_two]

why not? @@xanderhayhoe5776

[@aashirmeeran8627]

Thanks man, that was very helpful. I wish you luck in your studies.

[@mike85776]

Thanks man for the info, good luck with engineering!

[@joshuarebello6465]

just got accepted into waterloo for civil, wanted to come back to the vid I watched countless times in the past year which really helped!

[@athavang5]

Congratulations on your acceptance! Great to hear that the video helped!

[@user-ob5cw1pg9b]

What was your average???

[@nidhis1289]

i’m applying to chem eng this year. thank you so much, this was very helpful!! :)

[@naveedurrehman9393]

Athavan thank you for such amazing information!

[@roopambhakta1181]

3:51 the music went good with the line.

[@selviarora3093]

thank you so much, this was a highly informative video!!

[@oscarmegregor1291]

Hi! My name is Fredrick and I'm a big fan. I've watched almost all of your videos, and I wanted to ask you something. I'm in Gr 11 and I've been thinking about going to university and getting a good degree like engineering or something. I like to build things related to that like electric bikes and websites, so I feel like it would be a good choice, but I'm worried about my grades. I'm at like a 85% average and I'm worried because I feel like I'd need above a 95% average in order to get in, so I was just wondering if you have any tips on how I could start getting better grades.

[@athavang5]

Hello Fredrick, Great to hear you’re interested in engineering! Based on your interests, I feel as if software or electrical engineering would be more suited for you. But nonetheless, I could definitely try answering your questions. Just to let you know, for engineering they also tend to look at your Grade 12 grades as well so you have an opportunity to still improve your grades up to 90% or higher in the near future. As for tips to get better grades, it all depends on the subject. For math, it mainly comes down to solving more practice problems from a textbook or any other resources that are provided to you. Practicing difficult problems especially could help you learn from your own mistakes in order to fix them and improve your ability to solve more problems. For the sciences (physics, chemistry, etc.), I would recommend watching more video tutorials on KZbin that explain concepts in subjects such as chemistry and physics in better detail. I would recommend watching videos from The Organic Chemistry Tutor and Khan Academy. By understanding the concepts more, it leads to a better understanding of the topic you are trying to learn. What also could help is creating flashcards of certain definitions that can help with your understanding of certain units in science. You could either make them online or handwrite them depending on what you prefer. Hopefully that helps!

[@jonathan_kim]

Thanks so much for the video

[@gabe5076]

thanks athavan

[@parker5323]

So they only look at the 6 classes you show or do they look at all class grades for 11th and 12th grade.

[@athavang5]

For some programs, Grade 11 marks can help for early admission, but I am unsure for engineering specifically. For Grade 12, they do look at 6 classes, in which all of them being university or mixed. (if you would like to do engineering)

[@lissetteperez5145]

Excellent video, help me a lot.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@aryamoghaddam529]

Awesome video, Just one question doesn't Waterloo allow two entry options for engineering? if so what was your alternate choice for waterloo engineering?

[@athavang5]

Yes they do my alternate choice was computer engineering

[@templars44]

Would not doing biology grade 11 and 12 put me at disadvantage in the progam materials? Do they offer an introductory biology course for that?

[@athavang5]

In the second year of the biomedical engineering program, there is an Engineering Biology course. If I recall, I believe they go through a fair amount of biology from high school. It would be better to take bio in high school beforehand but it's not the end of the world if you don't take it. Hope that helps!

[@Sap_per]

Do you recommend Early Admission? Like I got pre good marks for Grade 11 but english dragged me down a bit. Other than that my marks are really good. I'm trying to apply to Software engineering and which university doesn't really matter, but should I do early admission or wait til regular admission so I can get a better english mark. I've heard that if you apply for early admission and it doesn't work out, it goes straight to regular. What do you think I should do?

[@athavang5]

I personally have never applied via early admission but I think applying via early admission should not be a problem especially since you go into regular admissions if you don’t get in early (like you said).

[@Sap_per]

@@athavang5 so would that mean that the universities will check my updated marks that I receive in grade 12. Or just view the same marks again like they did during early admission. Thats the reason why I’m hesitant since it wont make that big of a diff then no?

[@athavang5]

In all honestly, I’m not sure about that part. In Canadian universities, there aren’t really early admissions. There’s only one deadline for applications for Canadian university programs. From what I recall, early admission only really occurs if you meet all the requirements to apply early in which they will accept people early. Otherwise, applicants have to wait until April or May to hear on whether they got accepted. Hence, you should just try to get that better English mark and apply before the deadline. It doesn’t matter whether you get in early or not as long as you maximize your chances of getting in via your grades, extracurriculars, etc. My bad for confusing you before.

[@Sap_per]

@@athavang5 No problem man. Thanks alot

[@LKjustahandle]

Ditch the music. The adjustment is only done by W. Engineering Fac. and the majority of applicants receive no adjustment for HS average (as per dean of admissions blog).

[@ajinkyabhosale1632]

Hey! I'm a grade 12 high school student looking to apply for Waterloo CS and SE. I'm currently in the process of completing my AIF and I don't have any connections with Waterloo students. Is it possible that you could go over my AIF question 1?

[@tanzimfh]

Do you know if they simply admit the highest overall scores or if someone with a lower score can be admitted if, eg, their extracurriculars are very impressive? I don't have many extracurriculars, and I'd like to know whether that will only affect my AIF score. Also, this is the first video I've seen where they actually have insight into admission. I'm much less worried now after seeing my school's adjustment factor. Thank you.

[@af2954]

most people that apply to waterloo etc have extremely high averages so they look at ECs to find the better students. i know a few people that got accepted with low 90s because their ECs were top notch, but if you dont have any ECs, id recommend really aiming for 95%+ avg

[@tanzimfh]

@@af2954 i did that and got rejected from everything with a 99.17 avg lol

[@Danstry]

@@tanzimfh your adj factor mustve been like 20 or something

[@himanshugohil]

Indian student i can st 12 55% so I can apply biomedical engeneer in Waterloo university???????????

[@olansato]

HI Athavan, are you happy with Waterloo BME? Are you starting to regret picking such a narrow field by any chance? Your comment would be much appreciated. thanks

[@athavang5]

Hi Olga, I’m pretty happy being in BME. Our cohort’s smaller compared to most others so I have really great relationships with everyone. I don’t regret picking BME since I have still learned a variety of skills associated with software and programming in my classes. And I’m interested in going into a field associated with designing medical and/or sport equipment.

[@maozhu5946]

Did you mention your schools adjustment factor so we can compare?

[@Grind_or_Die]

I currently attend st robert chs and the score is 14.2 just below any other high school in Ontario. Is this helpful for me to get to waterloo or is it considered a bad score?

[@athavang5]

Yes. Since your school's adjustment factor is lower than the "other" category, I believe that it is an advantage for you compared to most schools. But I would still encourage you to focus on your AIF and interview as that can boost your overall score for Waterloo admissions' consideration.

[@fionaxie2440]

In the circumstances section, do you know if we only write about things relating in grade 11-12 or can you write about things that happened in 9 and 10 as well?

[@athavang5]

I apologize for this, but I'm a bit confused about what you meant by circumstances, did you mean extra-curricular activities and awards?

[@fionaxie2440]

Sure but also things like family issues (ex. Parents went through divorce) or personal health issues and stuff like that?

[@athavang5]

In terms of things involving family and personal health issues, there is a section on the AIF that allows you to talk about anything that has not been asked by the application. (you are limited to 900 characters) There, you could talk about your circumstances. Also, talking about circumstances that occurred in grades 9 and 10 are okay to talk about as well. I hope that helps.

[@shakjivraj8139]

Thanks for the video! It was very informative. I just wanted to know how you applied for your job at Spirit of Math.

[@athavang5]

Glad the video helped! From what I remember, I studied at Spirit of Math Schools for a fair share of years and I think that they offered it to any high school student who studied there. When I first applied, I received an application that had questions asking about your strengths, your reason for becoming an assistant teacher, your time and day preferences, etc. Then I believe they just choose the best candidates that are available. Hope that helps.

[@overtronwindows]

I love how hard the schooling is in Canada and how crummy the job market and pay are where you can never buy a house even after graduating from waterloo. Thank god I live in america.

[@michellesteen1439]

Do you think you can still get in without any awards? I have done extra-curriculars but I have not gotten any awards.

[@athavang5]

Yes, I believe that is fine. If you do not have any awards, that won’t be a deciding factor on whether you get admitted or not. Extra-curriculars alone prove that you can manage your time well outside of school.

[@p.a5961]

This video is very helpful for me 😭, I was about to just rush through my AIF but luckily stumbled across this. Thank you very much

[@lookatcurryman7861]

yo just a quick question, for the AIF, do you recommend putting awards and extracurriculars that you got ONLY in your highschool career or can u put some stuff before that like in middle school for example

[@athavang5]

For the AIF, I believe that you could put any awards and extracurriculars from the past 5 years. Hence, I believe you can put awards and activities that have you done in 8th grade but it’s mainly for high school activities and awards.

[@lookatcurryman7861]

@@athavang5 Thank you! One last thing brother, what do u think is the hardest course out of the 5 required so ik what to expect :)

[@athavang5]

@@lookatcurryman7861 In my opinion, I would say the hardest was grade 12 physics

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

how many extracurriculars have you been a part of in total from grade 9 till grade 12?

[@athavang5]

Probably about 4 or 5 extracurriculars.

[@davidhood9712]

My school’s adjustment factor is 23.5. Excuse me while I go cry in a corner. 😭

[@ayeshakhan9811]

I just had advanced functions and i did so poorly on it, will that make waterloo not accept me

[@athavang5]

If you could maintain higher averages in other subjects, (english, chemistry, calculus and vectors, etc.) and your AIF and interview go well, you could increase your chances of getting admitted.

[@bryce8975]

@ 9:36 you mention an elementary school award. I got a similar type of award, would you recommend I include it in my AIF as well?

[@athavang5]

When I was doing the AIF, I put my elementary school award on the activities list since I received it 4 years before my application. If you are to put an elementary school award, I would most likely put one that occurred 4 years from the application deadline.

[@bryce8975]

@@athavang5 Thanks for your insightful comment!

[@niharikasrivatsa2026]

Please talk about how SHAD helped in your application. I also went to SHAD

[@athavang5]

I will try making a video on SHAD hopefully soon.

[@athavang5]

ArcticZombie SHAD was a great experience for me. However, I am unsure about how to land internships after SHAD.

[@mohammedishaq7933]

Hi, I got 98.4% in class 12 and I have extracarricular like karate black belt part time tutor etc. Can I get cs admission at uwaterloo ?

[@chosenone182]

did you apply to american universities?

[@athavang5]

I did actually! I got accepted into schools like UMichigan - Ann Arbor. But I chose Waterloo since I would have paid international student fees if I went to an American school.

[@chosenone182]

@@athavang5 Nice! Did you take SAT or ACT and if, what did you get? My freshman year my average was 84 and this year its going to be around 92. Do you think I can still get into UMichigan-Ann Arbor, like what will my g11 and g12 marks need to be... Thanks.

[@athavang5]

I took the SAT and I ended up getting a 1450 (out of 1600). In terms of getting into UMichigan Ann Arbor, I applied to UMichigan with the same grades I mentioned in my Waterloo video (around 94% average in grades 11 and 12) but other factors were taken into account such as the Common Application essay. I guess aim to get a mid-90’s average for grades 11 and 12 to boost your chances but again, keep in mind other factors such as extracurriculars and essay responses play a role in whether you get into these American universities. 
 Hopefully that helps and apologies for the very late reply.@@chosenone182

[@chosenone182]

@@athavang5 Thank you!! And finally, what were your grade in 9 and 10?

[@athavang5]

They were above a 90% average if I recall.

[@aryamoghaddam529]

What was your adjustment factor?

[@athavang5]

My school was in the 'Other category' (labelled as any other Ontario school) It had an adjustment factor of 16.3.

[@daisypell5664]

Please reply sir please 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 Hi sir what is the fees of engineering at Waterloo for international students ?? Pls reply pls

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

does taking ib or ap give you any preference in the admission process? I'm debating whether I should stick with academic or not and I need help.

[@athavang5]

If you take IB or AP, (from what I heard) you would most likely be competing with other applicants who have done IB or AP. However, I'm not 100% on that statement, so I found this link that could hopefully answer your question fully. Hope that helps. profbillanderson.com/2014/09/04/is-ib-worth-it/

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

Thank you

[@ArcticZombie]

It does not

[@mike85776]

Does your english mark play a big role in getting in. What do you think is the minimum english mark?

[@athavang5]

English does play a major role in getting in. However, I’m not sure what would be the minimum English mark for admissions. I found a link that has threads talking about Waterloo admissions. Hope this helps. theroadtoengineering.com/2020/05/13/frequently-asked-blog-questions/comment-page-1/#comments

[@mike85776]

@@athavang5 Thanks!

[@coolkid9206]

What’s do u reckon is a solid average for mechatronics?

[@athavang5]

This link shows the probability of you getting into every engineering program at Waterloo based off your average: uwaterloo.ca/engineering/undergraduate-students/application-process/admission-averages Hope this helps!

[@johnkang6088]

How much will it lessen my chance if I dont take waterloo contests?

[@athavang5]

I would say not taking Waterloo contests such as the math contest is not going to lessen your chances of being accepted in engineering. For math programs, it would be helpful to do a Waterloo math contest to show your abilities in math.

[@danahamawi7310]

thank u !!

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

How much were your final exams worth in high school?

[@athavang5]

From what I remember, my exams were worth from a range of 10% to 25%.

[@BilalShaikh-tj4nh]

Good job

[@athavang5]

Thank you!

[@sebastianmarmorato]

great vid

[@jasonross569]

do u have any tips on how you did so good in calculus?

[@athavang5]

I'm not sure if you meant high school or university calculus, but I'll try my best to explain both hopefully. In general, the reason as to how I got good grades in calculus was primarily due to a lot of practice. Calculus involves doing a lot of derivatives, which result in a lot of problems to solve as a result. I would suggest trying to do a lot of textbook or online problems to help improve your knowledge on some concepts that you have difficult on. You should also try writing up good notes about certain concepts. I know calculus does not have a lot of terms to memorize, but trying to write down certain examples or getting images of concepts can help improve your understanding of something in calculus. Also, going through videos on Khan Academy helps as well. Hope this helps.

[@BilalShaikh-tj4nh]

Good marks

[@spoidormon7958]

What is physics ed?

[@athavang5]

I think I was trying to say Phys.Ed or physical education.

[@johnsonsworld7296]

Fam, u a god

[@qixinxiao8729]

Is Biology12 and Biology11 mandatory to apply for biomedical engineering? I only have Chemistry 12 and Physics 12

[@athavang5]

No, Biology for grades 11 and 12 are not mandatory courses in order to apply for biomedical engineering at Waterloo. Chemistry and physics are only mandatory for biomedical engineering.

[@qixinxiao8729]

Athavan Gananathan Thanks! How is the math contest important? Is it necessary to have a high score in the contest to enter biomedical engineering at Waterloo?

[@athavang5]

I don’t believe the math contests are a necessity when applying to biomedical engineering. Math contests tend to be important for math-based programs. (e.g. computer science) However, it’s always good to attempt the contests. They could strengthen your application.

[@qixinxiao8729]

Will I not receive an offer if I retake Mandarin12 ? The website states that students are not allowed to retake any required courses (but Mandarin 12 is not included)

[@athavang5]

qixin xiao I’ll be honest I’m not sure whether if you are allowed to retake mandarin 12 or not

[@davidisawesome8149]

Hey man, nice video. I've got a really important question I'm stressed about. Do they look at grade 12 semester 2 midterms? I got a 71 in english in gr 11, and I fear it may drag me down. I know for a fact I can do much better in gr 12, but I've been worried that they only use gr 12 semester 1 and grade 11.

[@athavang5]

Yes, I believe they do look at Grade 12 semester 2 midterms. I also believe that Grade 12 marks play a larger role in admissions than that of Grade 11 marks, especially in engineering.

[@samanshabani4471]

Respect

[@mohammedelshrief2687]

I met you yesterday (last guy out)

[@blacksnow3716]

Because you are indian bro

[@oxxn111]

what

[@alexzhou4440]

Is it required to take high school biology in order to be eligible for waterloo biomedical engineering program? Thanxs

[@athavang5]

No, it is not required to take high school biology to be eligible for the biomedical engineering program at Waterloo.