Step 2: Application Review

If you are a first-year student at Laurier, you may be wondering whether co-op is right for you. Find out by viewing a recording of an online information session about the co-op admission process for your program. You will learn whether you are eligible to apply, when and how to apply, where to find information about the minimum grade point average, and what you can do to prepare for the admission interview.

Note: If the webinar differs from the website, please follow the instructions on the website.

The webinars below prepared students seeking admission in 2021. We will create new webinars in spring for students seeking admission in 2022. 

Arts and Science

If you are a first-year student in Honours Arts or Honours Science, you may view a webinar about applying to Arts Co-op or Science Co-op.  

Business and Economics

If you are a first-year student in Honours Business or Economics, you may view a webinar about applying to Business and Economics Co-op. 

Business Technology Management

If you are a first-year student in Business Technology Management, you may view a webinar about enrolling in BTM Co-op.

Computer Science, Data Science, PEP, Water Science and Environmental Health

If you are a first-year student in Data Science, or Applied Water Science, or a student in first or second year of Computer Science, you may view a webinar about applying to Computer Science Co-op, Data Science Co-op, Water Science Co-op, or PEP.  

Double Degree at Laurier: Business and Computer Science, Business and Financial Mathematics

If you are a first-year student in a double degree program at Laurier, you may view a webinar about enrolling in co-op for BBA/Computer Science or BBA/Financial Mathematics. 

Double Degree at Laurier and Waterloo: Business and Computer Science, Business and Mathematics

If you are a first-year student in a double degree program at Laurier and Waterloo, you may view a webinar about enrolling in co-op for BBA/Computer Science or BBA/Mathematics.  

User Experience Design

If you are a second-year student in UXD, you may view a webinar about applying to UXD Co-op.

Additional Resources:

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.

The interview process for 2021 admission has ended.

If you are granted an interview in 2022, we will send a message to your Laurier email with instructions for you to schedule a time for your interview.

Please schedule your timeslot within three business days of receiving your email message. (If you delay, we cannot guarantee you an interview.)

Once you have scheduled an interview time, you will receive a confirmation of your appointment.

If you are in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program, you must indicate which sequence of work and study terms you prefer.

Review the BBA Work Sequences Options before you complete the introductory statement and form so you are prepared to select the sequence that works best for you. 

We cannot allow you to change your sequence preference choice after we have offered you admission to co-op. Please consider your options carefully.

You will receive a link to the introductory statement and form. In the form, you will be asked to provide details of your employment history. In addition, you will be asked to upload your resume.

At least four business days before your admission interview:

• Review and complete the introductory statement and form.
• Upload your resume to Navigator. 

See what the introductory statement and form looks like for students in your program by viewing one of the next two accordions.

You will receive a link to the Introductory Statement and Form via email. We are providing the contents here so you know what to expect:

Introductory Statement, Business and Economics Co-op

Please be aware this form will time out after one hour of inactivity, so please ensure you are ready to complete the entire form, provide employment history details, and upload your resume.

You will have an opportunity to verify the information you have entered during your admission interview.

Please complete the statement and form only once.

Although we require you to submit a resume and complete the introductory form, we will consider only what you tell us during the interview when evaluating your suitability for admission to co-op.

We urge you to answer each question fully during the interview, and to provide examples from your own experience.

The interview will last no longer than 15 minutes. Your admission interview will take place as an online video call over Microsoft Teams. Please arrange to have access to the Internet and a device with a webcam and microphone. We will provide a link to information on using Microsoft Teams.

The interviewers will evaluate your strength in each of the following four categories:

• 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
• performance during the interview

We give equal weight to each category.

Work Experience

Your interview is your only opportunity to tell us about your work experience, as we use your resume and introductory form for reference only. We will evaluate the work you performed during the last three years. (For most students, this will be from the beginning of grade 11 to the end of Orientation Week in second year at Laurier.)

We want to hear about your duties and assignments in each position. We especially value jobs in offices or professional environments, and supervisory roles or positions with significant responsibility.

When comparing candidates, we give higher standing to students who have worked full-time for the past three summers than to those who have worked less consistently. Please be prepared to confirm the hours and dates worked for each job.

We recognize that all candidates for admission in fall 2021 have been affected by the global pandemic. We will compare you with each other, not with candidates in previous years.

Some students were able to secure paid employment during the summers of 2020 and 2021, and we will assess their experience. If you were not able to find employment at some point in the last two summers, please be prepared to tell us how you used your time. We want to hear about certifications and volunteer work, and about any skills or knowledge you gained and that you could apply to co-op jobs.

Volunteer Service and Extracurricular Activities

We will consider your volunteer service and extracurricular activities at school and in the community in the last three years. (For most students, this will be from the beginning of grade 11 to the end of Orientation Week in second year at Laurier.) Please list your roles and tell us about any significant contributions you made. (We will consider all activities, but please note that we tend to value leadership roles more highly than general membership and we tend to value varsity sports more highly than intramurals.) Your interview is your only opportunity to tell us about your volunteer service and extracurricular activities.

Interview Performance

When evaluating your interview performance, we will consider the quality of all your answers. Your ability to communicate your skills and accomplishments is a key component of the interview. When telling us how you have developed specific skills, please use examples from experiences other than class competitions such as the New Venture project. (It is challenging to stand out when referring to a project required for all BBA students.)

We will also take into account your ability to be concise and stay within the 15 minutes allotted.

At the end of the admission interview we will ask you to tell us anything you wish to add in support of your application. Be sure to tell us about any accomplishments or experience you have not had an opportunity to mention earlier, especially about things that set you apart from other candidates.

Verifying Information:

We expect you to present your skills and experience truth fully and factually. We reserve the right to verify information you provided. Any students who have misrepresented themselves will be ineligible for enrollment in the co-op program. We also reserve the right to review your academic status and history with the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics.

Admission Decisions:

At 1 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021 we will send a message to your Laurier email address to let you know whether we are offering you admission to co-op. If you receive an offer of admission, you will also receive instructions on accepting the offer by the deadline of Monday, October 4, 2021.

I, the Undersigned

• have read the introductory statement.
• verify that the information in my resume, to be submitted below, and in the introductory form is accurate and factual.
• have provided the name and contact information (phone and or email) of my direct supervisor on my resume agree to provide accurate and factual information during my admission interview
• acknowledge I do NOT have permission to record the co-op admission interview by any means

For international students:

At any point in the last three years, was there a time when you were not eligible to work in Canada?

 ___ Yes. I was not eligible to work in Canada for a period of time

 ___ No. I have been eligible to work in Canada the entire time I lived here within the last three years.

Introductory Form

Please provide details about your work experience over the last three years. Please provide this information in reverse chronological order; start with your most recent job and work backwards. Please indicate, when prompted, whether you were paid for each job.

Most recent Job

Employer ________________________________________________

Job Title ________________________________________________

Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year - Example: May 2021 - Sept. 2021) ________________________________________________

Number of hours worked per week ________________________________________________

Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no) ________________________________________________

Previous Job

Employer ________________________________________________

Job Title ________________________________________________

Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year - Example: May 2021 - Sept. 2021) ________________________________________________

Number of hours worked per week ________________________________________________

Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no) ________________________________________________

Job before that, within last three years

Employer ________________________________________________

Job Title ________________________________________________

Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year - Example: May 2021 - Sept. 2021) ________________________________________________

Number of hours worked per week ________________________________________________

Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no) ________________________________________________

Job before that, within last three years

Employer ________________________________________________

Job Title_______________________________________________

Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year - Example: May 2021 - Sept. 2021) ________________________________________________

Number of hours worked per week_______________________________________________

Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no) ________________________________________________

Any Additional Employment information from the past three years. Please follow the same format as above.

You will receive a link to the Introductory Statement and Form via email. We are providing the contents here so you know what to expect:

Introductory Statement, Arts Co-op and Science Co-op

Please be aware this form will time out after one hour of inactivity, so please ensure you are ready to complete the entire form, provide employment history details, and upload your resume.

You will have an opportunity to verify the information you have entered during your admission interview.

Please complete the statement and form only once.

Although we require you to submit a resume and complete the introductory form, we will consider only what you tell us during the interview when evaluating your suitability for admission to co-op.

We urge you to answer each question fully during the interview, and to provide examples from your own experience.

The interview will last no longer than 15 minutes. Your admission interview will take place as an online video call over Microsoft Teams. Please arrange to have access to the Internet and a device with a webcam and microphone. We will include a link to information on using Microsoft Teams.

The interviewer will evaluate your strength in each of the following four categories:

• 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
• performance during the interview

Co-op coordinators give equal weight to each category.

Work Experience

Your interview is your only opportunity to tell us about your work experience, as we use your resume and introductory form for reference only. We will evaluate the work you performed during the last three years. (For most students, this will be from the beginning of grade 11 to the end of Orientation Week in second year at Laurier.)

We want to hear about your duties and assignments in each position. We especially value jobs in offices or professional environments, and supervisory roles or positions with significant responsibility.

When comparing candidates, we give higher standing to students who have worked full-time for the past three summers than to those who have worked less consistently. Please be prepared to confirm the hours and dates you worked for each job.

We recognize that all candidates for admission in fall 2021 have been affected by the global pandemic. We will compare you with each other, not with candidates in previous years.

Some students were able to secure paid employment during the summers of 2020 and 2021, and we will assess their experience.

If you were not able to find employment at some point in the last two summers, please be prepared to tell us how you used your time. We want to hear about certifications and volunteer work, and about any skills or knowledge you gained and that you could apply to co-op jobs.

Volunteer Service and Extracurricular Activities

We will consider your volunteer service and extracurricular activities at school and in the community in the last three years. (For most students, this will be from the beginning of grade 11 to the end of Orientation Week in second year at Laurier.) Please list your roles and tell us about any significant contributions you made. (We will consider all activities, but please note that we tend to value leadership roles more highly than general membership and we tend to value varsity sports more highly than intramurals.) Your interview is your only opportunity to tell us about your volunteer service and extracurricular activities.

Interview Performance

When evaluating your interview performance, we will consider the quality of all your answers. Your ability to communicate your skills and accomplishments is a key component of the interview. 

We will also take into account your ability to be concise and stay within the 15 minutes allotted.

At the end of the admission interview we will ask you to tell us anything you wish to add in support of your application. Be sure to tell us about any accomplishments or experience you have not had an opportunity to mention earlier, especially about things that set you apart from other candidates.

Verifying Information:

We expect you to present your skills and experience truth fully and factually. We reserve the right to verify information you provided. Any students who have misrepresented themselves will be ineligible for enrollment in the co-op program. We also reserve the right to review your academic status and history with your faculty.

Admission Decisions:

At 1 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021 we will send a message to your Laurier email address to let you know whether we are offering you admission to co-op. If you receive an offer of admission, you will also receive instructions on accepting the offer by the deadline of Monday, October 4, 2021.

I, the Undersigned

• have read the introductory statement.
• verify that the information in my resume, to be submitted below, and in the introductory form is accurate and factual.
• have provided the name and contact information (phone and or email) of my direct supervisor on my resume agree to provide accurate and factual information during my admission interview
• acknowledge I do NOT have permission to record the co-op admission interview by any means

For international students:

At any point in the last three years, was there a time when you were not eligible to work in Canada?

 ___ Yes. I was not eligible to work in Canada for a period of time

 ___ No. I have been eligible to work in Canada the entire time I lived here within the last three years.

Additional Information for Applicants from Arts and Science

We help students uncover and apply for positions that interest them by assisting students individually and in workshops. We approve jobs that provide students with the opportunity to develop analytical, communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills, among other skills that employers value. Most positions are not specific to only one discipline but are suitable for students in a range of majors.

Individual Job Search
Although we encourage students in Arts Co-op and Science Co-op to apply to postings on the Navigator database, many will not find work that way. We recommend that you also conduct an individual job search, with the support of your co-op co-ordinator. You will receive information on  searching for work during the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education course, and you will learn how to uncover additional job opportunities by networking with employers.

Co-op students from Arts or Science need to be prepared to invest considerable time and effort in finding a co-op job.

Employment Rates
The summer employment market can be a tough one for co-op students. While we post jobs as early as January, many employers in the public and not-for-profit sectors may not be able to hire until they receive funding in April, May or June. Some of these jobs offer valuable experience but may provide only 10 to 12 weeks of work at minimum wage.

In 2021, 77% of students had secured an approved co-op job by May, with the final employment rate being 99%. In 2020, 42% of students had secured an approved co-op job by May, with the final employment rate being 94%.

Types of Jobs
Although we regularly invite employers to recruit, they may not be seeking students specifically in your major or in the positions you are seeking. We don’t, for example, receive many job postings from physiotherapists, laboratories, hospitals or schools. You will likely see postings for administrative roles in private companies and government offices, along with client services in children's camps and facilities for people with special needs.

Sample jobs and employers, Arts Co-op and Science Co-op:
Therapeutic Fitness Summer Student - Adult therapeutic and recreation facility, Toronto
Recreation and Leisure Support Worker - Assisted Living Centre, Waterloo
Student GIS Technician - Regional government, Waterloo
Historical Teacher/Interpreter - Regional museum, Waterloo
Public Relations Intern, Corporate Communications - Leading provider of laboratory services, Toronto
Office Assistant & Communications Assistant - Provincial government, Toronto
Summer Language Program Monitor - Community college, Toronto
Communications Assistant / National Events Assistant - Non-profit, charitable organization, Kitchener
Research Assistant Positions in Biology, Chemistry and Psychology - Wilfrid Laurier University
Program and Outdoor Skills Program Leader – Summer camps, Haliburton
Junior Finance Assistant - School board, Southwestern Ontario
Investment Finance Co-op - Pension plan provider, Toronto
Software Developer - Municipal Government, Guelph
Junior Web and Mobile Software Developer - Technology company, Waterloo
Laboratory Assistant Co-op - International life sciences laboratory - Waterloo

Introductory Form

Please provide details about your work experience over the last three years. Please provide this information in reverse chronological order; start with your most recent job and work backwards. Please indicate, when prompted, whether you were paid for each job.

Most recent Job

Employer ________________________________________________

Job Title ________________________________________________

Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year - Example: May 2021 - Sept. 2021) ________________________________________________

Number of hours worked per week ________________________________________________

Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no) ________________________________________________

Previous Job

Employer ________________________________________________

Job Title ________________________________________________

Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year - Example: May 2021 - Sept. 2021) ________________________________________________

Number of hours worked per week ________________________________________________

Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no) ________________________________________________

Job before that, within last three years

Employer ________________________________________________

Job Title ________________________________________________

Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year - Example: May 2021 - Sept. 2021) ________________________________________________

Number of hours worked per week ________________________________________________

Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no) ________________________________________________

Job before that, within last three years

Employer ________________________________________________

Job Title_______________________________________________

Dates of Employment (Month Year - Month Year - Example: May 2021 - Sept. 2021) ________________________________________________

Number of hours worked per week_______________________________________________

Was the work paid (at least minimum wage)? (yes or no) ________________________________________________

Any Additional Employment information from the past three years. Please use the same format as above.

You will receive a link to the Introductory Statement by email. We are providing the contents here so you know what to expect.

Introductory Statement and Evaluation Criteria, User Experience Design Co-op

Please read the following statement carefully before your co-op admission interview:

Although we require a resume, we consider only what you tell us during the interview when evaluating your suitability for admission to co-op. We urge you to answer each question fully, and to provide examples from your own experience.

The interview will last about 15 minutes and will take place as a video call over Microsoft Teams. Please arrange to have access to the internet and a device with a webcam and microphone. We willl provide a link to information on using Microsoft Teams.

During the interview, a co-op coordinator will evaluate your strength in each of the following four categories:

• work experience in the last three years
• volunteer service and extracurricular activities in the last three years
• academic record in your two years at Laurier
• performance during the interview

We give equal weight to each category.

Work experience

For most UXD students, this will be from the beginning of Grade 12 to the end of Orientation Week in your third year at Laurier.

We recognize that all candidates for admission in fall 2021 have been affected by the global pandemic. We will compare you with each other, not with candidates in previous years.

Some students were able to secure paid employment during the summers of 2020 and 2021, and we will assess their experience. If you were not able to find employment at some point in the last two summers, please be prepared to tell us how you used your time.

Volunteer service and extracurricular activities

For most UXD students, this will be in your last year of high school and the first two years at Laurier. to the end of Orientation Week in your third year at Laurier.

Academic record in your two years at Laurier

See admission requirements for students in the UXD program. The average GPA of students we admit is always higher than the average required to be eligible for an interview.

Performance during the interview

Your interview is your only opportunity to tell us about your work experience and volunteer service and extracurricular activities.

We consider your portfolio assessment as part of your interview performance.

At the end of the interview, we will ask you to tell us anything you wish to add in support of your application. Be sure to tell us about any accomplishments or experience you have not had an opportunity to mention earlier.

Please note that we reserve the right to review your academic status and history with the Faculty of Liberal Arts.

Note: We are able to consider extenuating circumstances only if you submitted the request form and letter before your interview.
 
I, the Undersigned:

• have read the introductory statement.
• verify that the information in my resume, to be submitted below, and in the introductory form is accurate and factual.
• agree to provide accurate and factual information during my admission interview
• acknowledge that I do NOT have permission to record the admission interview by any means.
• understand that if I am admitted into UX Design Co-op, I must maintain full-time status in third year as of September and must complete at least one academic term in full-time studies directly after my work term.
  
   
  First Name:                      _____________________________________
  
  Last Name:                       _____________________________________
  
  Student ID:                       _____________________________________
  
  Today’s Date:                   _____________________________________
  
  Phone Number:               _____________________________________
  
  Hometown:                      _____________________________________

Are you an International Student? (Yes or No)                   ___________

We will hold admission interviews by videoconference on Teams, so please check that your Internet, webcam and audio work well.

At least one co-op staff member will conduct your interview; likely two if you are applying to Business and Economics Co-op.

The interview will last about 15 minutes.

When making admission decisions, we evaluate you in four categories:

• your performance during the interview
• your marks in first year
• your work experience in the last three years
• your volunteer service and extracurricular activities in the last three years

We give equal weight to each category.

We announce admission decisions:

• on October 1, 2021 for students in Arts, Business and Economics, and Science
• in late October for students in User Experience Design
• in early January for students in Computer Science, Data Science, and Water Science and Environmental Health.

A learning disability that your educational institution was unable to accommodate, or that will have an impact on your performance in an interview.

Provide documentation from the Accessible Learning Centre (or from another university, if applicable).

A death in your immediate family (parent, legal guardian, sibling or child) during your first year at university. We will not consider deaths of friends or other relatives, including grandparents, unless they were your legal guardians.

Provide documentation of a death in your immediate family (parent, legal guardian, sibling or child).

Please provide supporting documentation such as medical notes and approval of petitions.

Show that you had a chronic health problem in first year that had a serious and ongoing impact on your life or that you had an acute and serious illness that required significant intervention in order for you to complete your first year of university.

We will not consider common illnesses such at mononucleosis, influenza, strep throat or medical conditions related to wisdom teeth or fractured limbs.

A serious and prolonged illness that occurred during your first year at university. We will not consider common illnesses such at mononucleosis, influenza, strep throat or medical conditions related to wisdom teeth or fractured limbs.