How I Got Into Waterloo Computer Science 2020 (Stats/ECs/Contests/Awards/AIF/Rejection/Scholarship)

[@Skylerlee112]

This man was big brain by fast tracking! Smartest person I met in high school!

[@celinesebastian2565]

u did ALL THAT and u STILL got rejected from SE? that's crazy omg. i didnt realize that waterloo was really that selective and competitive with their applicants

[@Adam-gw8jt]

Hey matthew, it seems that literally everyone that gets accepted to waterloo CS has been coding since they were 2. How can a student who just took CS courses (with high 90s) from school with no side projects have a chance of getting in? On what basis, does the admission officer judge for people like me. Thank you!

[@matthewjiao7233]

Hiya! I assure you that said statement is not the case! It's NOT a requirement to have coded before to get admitted into CS and seldom is the case where people get admitted just because they know 20 languages. Most people who've accepted their offer to CS have at least a little bit of prior experience but that can be said with any university program. In my opinion (everything I'm about to say is my opinion so don't take it too seriously!), the CS courses from high school are very different from the side projects you might do on your own and you should definitely try to get your feet wet just to get a taste industry (this is also incredibly important if you're interested in finding a waterloo co-op job or any job and to my knowledge, first-year courses at waterloo don't seem to prepare us well for this. It feels like a "we've taught you all we know (not really) now go out and find a job even though you're probably not qualified but they'll pay you less so it's okay!" kind of thing). You should take part in a few (or many) hackathons with your friends. These can be great side projects and are also loads of fun (and free food!!!!!)! That said, the CS courses from high school are more than sufficient to allow you to keep up with first-year CS courses (CS 135/145) at waterloo so I think you'll have no problems there. Now onto what you're probably more interested in LOL. Admissions into CS is kind of like a black box because the math faculty doesn't really release exact criteria (for example: everyone with 95+ get's an offer [is not a true implication]). However, as students, we can find heuristics to help us estimate what we need to receive an offer (mind this does change with the applicant pool each year). Generally speaking (and again emphasizing that these are only my thoughts on the matter) your admissions average is most important beyond everything else and every little bit helps (there's no safe % and these days especially with inflated grades in high-school (also university it seems) you really can't afford to not try your best). I think the AIF (waterloo's admissions information form) is second here. You'll need to spend some time to really nail down the "essays". Also on the AIF are extracurriculars which seem to matter a lot too. Admissions average and the main AIF have the greatest weight on admissions. And on the side if you're up to it try to score well on the math/computing contests from the CEMC/waterloo. (these are just my 2 cents but...) contest scores only help if you do very well on them so allocate your time wisely if you do decide to prepare for these. In summary: work hard but don't let your work prevent you from enjoying yourself though! good luck

[@Adam-gw8jt]

@@matthewjiao7233 Wow! Thx for that insane reply, I really learned a lot. My main question is how can I outshine the other applicants with much more knowledge in programming? Cuz now isn't a lot of time for me to suddenly start doing a whole bunch of CS extracurriculars (I'm in Grade 12 rn). Like do I tell them that I am really interested in CS but I don't have much experience? Would that be a drawback, compared to the more experienced applicants? Cuz the reality is that I REALLY am interested in the applications of CS and AI into 3D animations (my dad is a 3D animator for the Disney channel) and I really believe that AI is the way to go for the future of animations. But I don't have any REAL coding experience...

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@Adam-gw8jt I think that's a great idea. Write about what you're passionate about, period. You don't have to "outshine" the applicant pool in terms of coding experience, just shine a different shade. Convey to the person reading your essay that you'll be a great fit at Waterloo!

[@ariannik7439]

@@Adam-gw8jt Hey man! I'm kinda in your shoes rn and I was wondering what happened? ;]

[@kevinwang3735]

Man, how did you get a 97 in English in your school. I’ve seen lots of people who get accepted with 95+ for English. Somehow the highest English score in my school is like 92 or 93

[@reigndrops4090]

Same here, the highest I’ve seen is a 95 because the teacher marked on completion due to covid

[@ayanhassan6390]

@@BilalShaikh-tj4nh What books do you read?!

[@jennytai6226]

Honestly it doesn’t matter that much, I had 83 in English and I got to SE

[@jennytai6226]

@SK - 11RO 816097 Rick Hansen SS my avg was 94, but my school had a really low adjustment factor. I basically did the same thing to the guy in the video, participating in contests, side project, show initiative... So I thought this video was one of the best I have seen, that it aligns with my experience

[@kevinwang3735]

@Jenny Tai u got 10 adjustment factor while we have average 16 lol

[@michaelw7327]

It seems like many of the people that made it into Waterloo cs or any top cs program in a Canadian university started coding out of the womb. But in all seriousness, they've started coding at like 9 or 10, while I'm 16 and have just started. (grade 11 currently), which is...quite discouraging. I only have like a year until most uni applications are due, and that really isn't a lot of time as mastering a language takes TIME. Its quite discouraging to see many of my peers have such a head start, doing so well in CCC, top 25% or top 5% in Waterloo math contests(not good at advanced math btw never did well in any math contest)while I'm only beginning to learn how to code. Does experience matter? Or let's say I really double down and manage to create a couple websites and put it on the application. Will that help? i regret not starting earlier. It would have made such difference in my knowledge. But, its too late now. What do you recommend? Any help would be great

[@matthewjiao7233]

Experience matters, but if you don't communicate that experience well on the AIF it might as well not matter. I think you should code to make smthing you think is cool rather than for the sake of admissions. Getting started now will definitely help if ur interested in doing software I'm the future, no doubt. Also, gr 11 isn't late, ur being too hard on urself!

[@jackbarry8847]

tldr; uni advice, life advice, and some typically withheld tidbits of info. Lol I started coding in first year at loo. I did take ICS3U, but that was with Quick Basic and Visual Basic, so it doesn't necessarily count. You don't need to master a language. You just need to show an interest in computer science and software beyond the scope of academics. For SE, side projects matter a lot more than grades (assuming you have 98+). For CS, grades matter more. SE cutoff is 97. CS cutoff is 94-95. Both will accept students with slightly lower grades if the ECs make up for it. Maybe you sold a project to Microsoft or something. Every kid is doing the Math/CS contests. To make your application stand out you need to appear unique among the rest of the nerds applying. You should play a sport competitively (outside of school or in school). You should have a part-time job. You should have multiple leadership positions in clubs. It'd be best if your school wasn't adjusted academically (only applies to Eng. programs). Being a Canadian citizen also helps for Eng (they have quotas on internationals). More than 50% of the Math faculty is international so they don't care. Most importantly, you need to have excellent communication skills. Amazing verbal and written skills. If your AIF reads horribly or if you come off as pompous or desperate, don't bet on admission. Don't focus your AIF on praising Waterloo (they know they're the best school in Canada for co-op, entrepreneurship, Math, Engineering, CS, several others; it's a fact) Focus on your goals and how SPECIFICALLY Waterloo will help you achieve them. Once you get in, none of this high school stuff will matter. There will be kids who had 98s in high school who are getting 60s in university, or even failing/barely passing their way through their degrees. Your average doesn't really matter (unless you want Bloomberg (74) or Thomson Reuters (80)) beyond your first co-op term. You just need to graduate, and you'll be set for life. Also, experiment with your co-ops. Work in different industries, jobs, tech stacks, etc. Finally, don't underestimate yourself. You may not believe this, (at your age I certainly wouldn't), but you can be ANYTHING you want to be or do/learn ANYTHING you want to do/learn. All it takes is a rock-solid work ethic, knowing/drilling down daily on your specific goals, and believing you are achieving them.

[@nelsonwang2753]

Absolute madlad

[@zoeyzheng4897]

hi matthew im a huge fan pls make more videos thanks!

[@tinlintin]

WOW im your biggest fan :)) you helped me get into uni!

[@jackbarry8847]

SE's cutoff is 97. With the academic adjustment factor, you might've just missed the cutoff. Otherwise, are you a Canadian citizen? Engineering has quotas on the max number of internationals they let in. You seem to have a Californian accent, but I could be wrong. Other speculation: perhaps another sport, a part-time job, or something that sets you apart from the typical applicant would've been helpful, especially considering the hundreds of typical applicants from Markham/Richmond Hill/York Region. P.S. Bayview and St. Robs are feeder schools.

[@nathandault7209]

Im trying to finish my aif and I was wondering if I can add that I'm doing future programs in the summer on ECs as I don't have many ECs other than school clubs I'm trying to start

[@hubertxu2342]

Hi Matthew, I am also from Bayview Secondary so I was just wondering who were your grade 12 teachers for Advanced Functions, Data Management, Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry?

[@anaybaid]

Hey Matthew ! Great speaking to you yesterday !! Will tag you if I've got more questions to ask ! Thanks a lot !!

[@beihaozhou3174]

Hey Matthew, this video clarified a lot of things for me thank you so much! But I still have a question not sure if you know. For the admission of CFM, is it the same with CS and would it have an adjustment factor like engineering?

[@matthewjiao7233]

CFM falls under the faculty of mathematics so I'd like to think cfm has pretty similar admissions criteria. I don't believe there's an adjustment factor.

[@beihaozhou3174]

@@matthewjiao7233 thank you! And one more question, like you said you attached the link of your projects in aif. I also did something like that(completed some machine learning and algorithms courses on Coursera and did some projects during the process) I mentioned it in aif but did not attach the link of certificates and projects. Now I have already submitted aif but do u think it is fine to make an amendment to add these details? (Waterloo recommends only making an amendment when the information is important so I’m not sure if it’s good)

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@beihaozhou3174 I think it's fine, as long as you explain those projects in the AIF it should be good

[@beihaozhou3174]

@@matthewjiao7233 thank you for ur suggestion it helped me a lot! Hope I can have the opportunity to see you at Waterloo this fall:)

[@hg2581]

Hey Matthew! I'm currently in grade 11 outside of ontario(in another province that is) and i was wondering where and if the adjustment factor for each province may be located? Could i just find it on the internet, or do i need to search elsewhere? Thanks!

[@brianbrian4899]

Hi, just a person passing by. I went to a high school outside Ontario, but still got into Waterloo CS. I think location of your school is neglectable, your average matters the most!! If you have high 90’s, it shouldn’t be a problem at all

[@hg2581]

@@brianbrian4899 Oh okay! Thanks for the response!

[@jacklhan9380]

When you gave the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest, what was the syllabus for that test? I have mine next week and I was wondering what the syllabus was for it.

[@k.l.dyellow6463]

What were your Euclid and Senior Math contests score?

[@aryamoghaddam529]

Hey man if you don't mind me asking what was your school? and how do they reduce the average? Like do they compare you with other students who had adjustment factors? And finally does cs use those adjustment factors too or no?

[@matthewjiao7233]

Bayview Secondary School. The engineering faculty will take your admissions average and subtract it by your school's adjustment factor, done to all applicants (the purpose being, some high schools are harder/easier). I don't believe cs has adjustment.

[@aarontai6860]

When does u of Waterloo release computer science offers normally?

[@mehtabcheema7503]

What year did you take the Euclid math contest

[@skyblue4230]

Hey man, thank you for the great video. Do you know if adjustment factors are a practice done only by the engineering faculty?

[@matthewjiao7233]

I believe so

[@badmintonnick]

This man is hugeee

[@hanahfarah5160]

Hey, loved the video. How you get involved in hackathons? I'm really struggling to find some this year

[@matthewjiao7233]

XD you can find hackathons on Devpost! There's basically at least one every week.

[@malika0174]

Even if I think I might get below a 60 in the Euclid, would you still recommend I write it?

[@matthewjiao7233]

Isolated, the effects of writing any of Waterloo's contests are always non-negative. Meaning they CANNOT lower your chances in admissions. However, the price to pay is in sweat/time/energy if you do plan to prepare for these. I think you should do Euclid regardless!

[@harveybi6795]

Hi Matthew, quick question. All my other subjects like physics, pre-calc and chemistry are above 95, but I have an 80 for English, do I still have a chance for Waterloo CS?

[@matthewjiao7233]

yeah! just give it your all

[@vikramchandranarra4385]

What would you suggest to do to get better grades in English?

[@matthewjiao7233]

oh myyy english lolll. English is absolutely subjective. In my experience, if your teacher thinks that you're smart (doesn't have to be in writing it could be math or chemistry etc...), it's much harder for them to critique your writing harshly (because they wont want to...). You don't have to be the earl of oxford to receive a high mark in high school english. Some things I did: studied rhetorical writing for the SATs during the summer of grade 11, expanded my vocabulary by keeping a digital journal, memorized all my 2000 word presentations (in high school at least, I honestly think speech delivery is more important than content. if you're the only one in your class who doesn't read off notes that would be great!, literally no one pays attention to your ISP content, no one not after 30 other people just made it a monotonous reading contest), do all the homework on time in fact do it before it's assigned in fact ask the teacher to assign it LOL (in a course like english, you need to be on the teacher's good side), be respectful in class and show appreciation to stuff that happens.

[@qtreplayz3790]

Hi Matthew, why do you think you didn't get into the SE program. What could you have done better? or what do you advise to people who are trying to get in that program.

[@matthewjiao7233]

find a high school that has a loW adjustment factor and enroll.

[@ArcticZombie]

Adjustment factor plays a huge role in engineering. Going to a school with a 10 adj factor gives you a 5 to 6 point adj factor boost so it goes a very long way.

[@SufficientlyGaming]

Is Waterloo software engineering more competitive than computer science to get in?

[@matthewjiao7233]

I think it depends on your high school, but SE has a smaller cohort so leaning towards "yes"

[@thebackendchild]

So if I scored like a 20% on hypatia should I put it in my application anyways 😂😭

[@matthewjiao7233]

on their site they say that it doesn't hurt ur app and can only be positive or neutral.

[@Mm-xd7ke]

Any tips for math and physics grade 12

[@tomkarunakkal5006]

Damn dis guy smart smart. Any tips for the video interview?

[@matthewjiao7233]

make a list of potential questions and prepare responses for them in a Google doc. You can peek at your notes during the interview this way!

[@tomkarunakkal5006]

@@matthewjiao7233 thanks bro! im out here stressing about my waterloo aif rn

[@adababogadabo5668]

What did you use to make your android app and those encryption projects?

[@matthewjiao7233]

1. Android studio/java 2. plain js

[@adababogadabo5668]

@@matthewjiao7233 if you dont mind me asking what do you use to code? a surface pro? im planning to learn coding and i'd like to know some basic resources that helped you get started. thanks

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@adababogadabo5668 acer swift 3 atm

[@jagjitsingh-zr6bz]

Congrats Matthew I was wondering how do you get really high Mark's and how many hours you studied in a day

[@matthewjiao7233]

It's really not about how many hours you study each day if you don't retain what you're reading. Practice active recall! I think all work considered maybe 7-8 hours a day.

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@BilalShaikh-tj4nh great question! don't just read/re-read text (passive learning), ask yourself the critical questions and spend some time away from the text to really think about what you've just read. this wiki page does a better job explaining than me so I'll forward => en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_recall. good luck :)

[@geniotech9022]

Hey man, did you take IB? If yes was it worth it?

[@geniotech9022]

@Yuvraj Dwivedi Thank you

[@erromaissaeelhilali5121]

where are you from? thank you so much for this video

[@eth782]

What high school did you go

[@reigndrops4090]

Currently I have a 70 in 3u English and 78 in 3u Chem. If my grade 12 marks are put in, will those low grades affect my admission average?

[@matthewjiao7233]

I don't think they'll affect you so long as you have the 4u requirement

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

How many extracurricular did you have in total both major and minor from grade 9 to 12?

[@matthewjiao7233]

Hmm hard to keep track?

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

@@matthewjiao7233 estimate? If u can't remember, how much ecs do u recommend to have before applications?

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@ashwinsanthosh7942 if I recall, I had about 20ish on my AIF (clubs, hackathons, projects, volunteering, etc..). I think you should focus more on depth of ec rather than number.

[@yak654]

What is you advice to getting a +95% overall average for grade 11 and 12 to get in the Waterloo CS program

[@matthewjiao7233]

A good strategy imo is to fast track and take as many 4U courses as you possibly can. I also think taking breadth is important so you don't limit your options.

[@yak654]

@@matthewjiao7233 thanks Matthew for the advice I was already planing to take 4u courses thanks again

[@yak654]

@@matthewjiao7233 By the way do you have any like study advice in general for school

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@yak654 If you study the notes you take, then you'll know that material well. But if you didn't take the best notes to begin with then that's a major limitation. I would make sure to record everything your teacher says that might be important even if you think you'll remember it because when test day comes, you might not!

[@yak654]

@@matthewjiao7233 thanks Matthew I will try to follow your advice to achieve my goal of getting good enough grades to get in to Waterloo’s Cs program

[@aryamoghaddam529]

Did you get into your alternate offer for engineering?

[@matthewjiao7233]

Nope

[@aryamoghaddam529]

@@matthewjiao7233 can I ask what was your alternate choice?

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@aryamoghaddam529 computer engineering. From what Ive heard, SE doesn't do deferrals (less at least)

[@jeffpeng1118]

if this was the requirement for getting into waterloo cs, then no wonder i got rejected...... I am also surprised that u didn't get in software eng.

[@lcv8525]

Hey, I am currently in grade 11 online school and I have no extra curriculars, do you think if I take some extracurricular sin grade 12 will be enough to get accepted into Waterloo??

[@matthewjiao7233]

There's a lot uncertain with admissions so I can't say I'm qualified on chancing. Just do your best, then top that with another 30% energy.

[@nihshanksharma4597]

@@matthewjiao7233 What if your school isn't running any clubs, contests, sports teams etc. Due to the pandemic, will that affect my chances of getting in?

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@nihshanksharma4597 you're compared to the rest of the applicant pool so I'd say if everyone's affected equally then your chances don't drop. That said, you can always work on projects outside of school.

[@nihshanksharma4597]

@@matthewjiao7233 Do grade 11 marks matter or do they only look at 6 grade 12 academic courses?

[@matthewjiao7233]

They matter for early admissions if you don't have the required gr 12 marks yet. They don't matter after early admissions since your gr 12 marks take priority. It's possible for extreme fluctuations in gr 11 to gr 12 marks become a concern. This year though, it may all be different due to covid.

[@pooblock4092]

Ontario schools have such easy grading systems its crazy.

[@bonnyue]

That is so false lol. My school it's so difficult to get high marks it's based on the high school you go to. That's why each school has an adjustment factor because some schools are easier to get 90's than others.

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

Hey, what did you use to create your website?

[@matthewjiao7233]

HTML, CSS, JavaScript

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

@@matthewjiao7233 but what template did you use?

[@matthewjiao7233]

​@@ashwinsanthosh7942 If you're referring to matthewjiao.netlify.app/, I didn't use a template! I'm not a fan of using templates for "personal" websites.

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

@@matthewjiao7233 thank you soo much!

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

@@matthewjiao7233 did you buy a domain name?

[@vikramchandranarra4385]

Just out of curiosity, what did you do for fun?

[@matthewjiao7233]

From what I remember, I always stayed pretty late after school either for clubs or to just be around friends (this meant I got no sleep LOL). List of other fun stuff: math contests, lunch period, most classes, MARVEL MOVIES (

[@ashwinsanthosh7942]

Hey, did you take ib or ap?

[@matthewjiao7233]

nope

[@thegamer1212awsome]

Hey Matthew grade video, I was hoping I can contact you on a couple questions I have if you do not mind. What is the best way to contact you ?

[@matthewjiao7233]

Messenger works!

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@sparetime2335 messenger!

[@matthewjiao7233]

@@sparetime2335 yep

[@eth782]

Are you from bc or Ontario

[@matthewjiao7233]

Ontario

[@rudrakshdhawan5901]

hi Mathew. can 90-95 % marks help me to get in mechatronics (in Waterloo)

[@matthewjiao7233]

It depends on the applicant pool you're competing with. You can look at Waterloo's website where they indicate grade ranges.

[@eth782]

What’s your comc score

[@matthewjiao7233]

54 if I can still remember

[@eth782]

@@matthewjiao7233 that’s solid not bad

[@alanmak2376]

Woo Euclid Club! 🎉

[@invictuz4803]

Good gawd, no wonder Waterloo is a meme. 98 average and still gets rejected. I don't think anyone in my high school got a 98 average.

[@endgamers3502]

Hey Matthew, do you remember what your grade 9 average was?

[@赵智杰-x4t]

awesome

[@makandz]

225%

[@youtubeismycity]

Sex is unnatural. The common mode of sexual intercourse is not even natural. Our genitals are not for pleasure, they are for procreation, and that occurs when two people are very much in love and wanting to reproduce. Nature takes its course when the couple are asleep laying naked and embraced. Procreation occurs by the vagina acting as a vacuum, drawing the flaccid penis inside to a climax and eventually, ejaculation.

[@3e815]

lol, you say doo doo at 2:13

[@matthewjiao7233]

trueee

[@rajveer_bw]

Nice nice nice

[@york9216]

That's crazy You got into Waterloo CS #genius What marks did you get in Physics and Chemistry? PS: I think I saw you in Richmond Hill

[@matthewjiao7233]

Physics: 96, Chemistry: 97, wdym you saw me? please elaborate LOL!

[@vivekfearless8899]

Hey bro i am a student in 11 grade studying in the indian system. I took physcis, chem, english,maths and computers as my major subjects. What else should i do to get into waterloo university if i wanted to take CS as a major there. Like what is it likely to me getting into waterloo if i get above 85% in my 12 grade Pls answer @matthew Jiao

[@vivekfearless8899]

@matthew Jiao

[@matthewjiao7233]

Im not familiar with the system for international applicants, but for Ontario applicants, it seems that cs accepts from the mid to high 90s range.

[@赵智杰-x4t]

keep making KZbin videos

[@MPandaPlaysMinecraft]

i got in cuz 225% xD

[@pieckfinger883]

Which math courses did you take in grade 11?

[@matthewjiao7233]

Advanced functions