UWaterloo Exchange Process

6 days left? I haven't even unpacked from Ottawa yet...

Just wanted to write a post on the Engineering exchange process at the University of Waterloo (for future exchangees).   The process was actually quite easy and painless, here were the general steps you have to take if you are thinking of going on exchange:

1. Book an appointment with Cindy Howe (exchange co-ordinator in the Engineering Undergrad office) 2 academic terms before your exchange (if you're going in 3B, talk to her during 2B or earlier)
2. Figure out what country you want to go to, check out the Engineering Exchange site for info such as where students have gone, what courses they took, semester schedules, etc.
3. Make sure your average is about 70-75% for the 2 terms previous to your exchange term
4. Figure out your academic plan (if the exchange term fits into your current plan, or you have to move around co-op or stay back a year)
5. Go to the Exchange site and fill out the UW Application form and hand it in during the academic term before you leave (Chat with Cindy and she'll direct you).  You'll also have to hand in the Student Exchange Scholarships Form
6. Get all signatures needed for the application (CECS, PDEng, Undergrad Chair)
7. Find courses that are equivalent to what you're supposed to take in UW during your exchange term, get them approved by the Associate Chair in your program.  They seem pretty relaxed about this though, as in, they're flexible about moving courses around and trying to make things fit so you can go on exchange.
8. Get UW Application form approved by Cindy and the Director of Exchange for your country (and will get approved by the Dean)
9. You will receive instructions for the application form for the host university in your email.  Hand in everything they tell you to (application, scan of passport, application for visa, rez etc)
10. Buy your plane tickets!
11. You'll receive a reply/admission package from the host university about a month before your term starts.  They'll send it to Waterloo and you can either pick it up or they'll send it to you.

I'm not sure if the process is the same for going to other countries but it should be pretty similar.  I actually bought my plane tickets before I got the acceptance package from HKU so I was a little concerned that I would get rejected, but the people at UW reassured me that there's no reason for them to reject my application.  That was probably the most stressful part of the process, not knowing if I was 100% in or not.  Other than that, the forms weren't very hard to fill out and there was always enough time to get everything done - just don't leave it to the last minute!