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Step 2: Application Review

Updated October 13, 2020

We have completed the admission process, including admission interviews, for students seeking admission to Arts Co-op, Business and Economics Co-op, and Science Co-op. We will hold interviews in November for students in Computer Science and Data Science.

This is the second step in a three-step application process. Please ensure you have completed Step 1 before continuing.  

The application review process consists of a review of your grades, your resume and an admission interview.

Once we receive your application and determine if you have met the minimum GPA requirement, you may be granted an admission interview.

Admission Interviews

To qualify for an admission interview in the fall of your second year, your first-year marks must meet the minimum GPA, depending on your program.

Until further notice, all admission interviews take place online, using video conferencing software, as a physical distancing measure in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please arrange to have access to the Internet and to a device with a webcam for your admissions interview. You will find a link here to instructions on using MS Teams for your admission interview.  

Selection of candidates is based on four categories (weighted equally):

  • work experience in the last three years*
  • volunteer service and extracurricular activities in the last three years
  • academic record in your first year at Laurier (GPA)
  • performance during the interview

Note:

We recognize that all recent candidates for admission have been affected by the global pandemic. We compare candidates with each other, not with candidates in previous years.

*We gave consideration to students who were able to secure paid employment, in a safe environment, during the summer of 2020. If you were not, however, able to find employment in summer 2020, we asked you to tell us how you spent your time. We wanted to hear about courses and volunteer work, and about any skills or knowledge you gained and that you could apply to co-op jobs.

Scheduling an Admission Interview:

If you are granted an interview in 2021, we will send a message to your Laurier email with instructions for you to schedule a timeslot for your interview.  You will then receive a confirmation of your appointment time. Please schedule your timeslot within three days of receiving your email message or you will not be guaranteed an interview timeslot. We thank you for your patience, as staff members review hundreds of applications.

Introductory Statement:

You will also receive a link to the introductory statement and a request to upload your resume to Navigator. Please upload your resume and review  and complete the introductory statement at least three business days before your admission interview.

Sequence Form:

If you are in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program, you also need to indicate which sequence of work and study terms you prefer. Please review the BBA Work Sequences Options before you complete the introductory statement so you are prepared to select the best choice for you. You will not be allowed to change your sequence preference choice after we have offered you admission to co-op, so please consider your options carefully.

Admission Decisions:

We announced admission decisions on September 23 for students in arts, science and user design and on October 2 for students in business and economics. We will announced decisions in early January for students in computer science, data science, and applied water science.

Preparing for your Admission Interview:

You will find lots of information in the webinar for your program.

You may also review slides from information sessions for students applying to Business and Economics Co-op, Arts Co-op and Science Co-op, and Computer Science and Data Science Co-op.

You are welcome to search online for other resources that can help you prepare for interviews.

We are not able to conduct mock interviews with students preparing for admission interviews, and neither are staff members in Laurier's Career Centre.

Resume Submission

Please ensure the Co-op Office receives your resume at least three business days before your admission interview is scheduled to take place. For example, if your interview is on a Monday, please complete the introductory statement including uploading your resume by the previous Wednesday. 

Please ensure your resume is in PDF format and follow the sample resume format for your program, below, and provide as much detail as possible in two pages, along with an additional third page that includes your photograph.

Please include:

  • the name and contact information for each employer listed on your resume
  • a statement verifying that the information is accurate
  • a photo of yourself on a third, separate page for our files

We will not interview candidates who do not provide this information on their resume.

To submit your resume, you must complete the introductory statement that will be emailed to you when you schedule your admission interview. You will be asked to upload your resume after you agree to the introductory statement.

If you need to resubmit/change your resume, please email it to coopadmissions@wlu.ca and indicate it is an updated resume submission, your interview date, and full name. 

Please note: The samples at the links below are for use when applying for admission to co-op. If you are admitted to co-op, we will have you follow a different format when applying to co-op positions.

Extenuating Circumstances  

Follow the link below to see the extenuating circumstances we will accept.

We will consider extenuating circumstances that may have an impact on one of the following:

  • your performance during the interview
  • your marks in first year
  • your ability to work
  • your ability to participate in volunteer service and extracurricular activities 

Note:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global effect on the economy and the labour market, and has therefore had an impact on all candidates. For this reason, we will not consider the pandemic as an extenuating circumstance for any individual student.
  • If you became seriously ill with COVID-19, or if you were the primary caregiver for a member of your immediate family (parent, sibling or child) who was ill with COVID-19, you may ask us to consider as an extenuating circumstance the effects of this situation on your marks, work experience, or volunteer or extracurricular activities.

If you would like us to consider your extenuating circumstances during the interview process, please send a request to coopadmissions@wlu.ca at least 48 hour before your interview. Please include:

  • a written explanation, in no more than 500 words, or one page, of your extenuating circumstances and the impact they had on either your interview performance, your marks in first year, your ability to work, or your ability to participate in volunteer service and extracurricular activities. 
  • supporting documentation*
  • included your name and Laurier student number in the subject line of your email.

*See accepted extenuating circumstances, below, for details on supporting documentation.

Admission Decisions, Feedback and Appeals

If you did not receive an offer of admission and wish to receive feedback from interviewers or appeal the decision, please review Notice of Admission Decisions, Feedback and Appeals (updated October 19, 2020) for next steps. (New: You will find a link to a webinar with information about this year's admission process.)