You're In! Now What? What to Know about Offers of Admission, Alternate Offers, and Admissions Waitlists

What to know about offers of admission and admissions processes at Wilfrid Laurier University.

You’ve researched universities. You’ve chosen schools and programs. You’ve submitted your application. You’ve waited patiently. And now it’s time — you’ve received an offer of admission! So…now what? And what if you’ve received an offer that isn’t what you were expecting? Here’s more information on offers of admission and what to do once you’ve received an offer from Laurier.

Your offer of admission

When you get your offer, be sure to celebrate your amazing accomplishment — you’re in! You’ve been accepted! This is an awesome moment, and you should feel proud. After you celebrate, be sure you carefully read your offer letter or offer documents. There will likely be information on important deadlines, like when you need to submit your final, official grades and if you need to submit proof of English proficiency. It’s important that you understand the terms and conditions of your offer and any conditions that you need to satisfy to enrol in your program.

The offer letter should also clearly state the program you’ve been accepted into and the deadline to accept your offer. If you’re considering different offers from different schools, it’s important to know when you have to make your decision.

At Laurier, your applicant portal is where you’ll be able to view your application status and the list of any documents required for your application. When you receive an admissions decision, we’ll send you an email and you’ll be able to find your official admission letter in your portal account. But because Laurier is a university in Ontario, if you want to accept your offer, you’ll do that through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC).

Alternate offers of admission

You may get an offer of admission, but it might not be to the program you applied to. That can be disappointing, but an alternate offer is another way for you to find your fit at university. If you do get an alternate offer of admission, be sure to read all the information about the offer to see if it’s still something that’s right for you.

Laurier issues alternate offers of admission to applicants who don’t meet the requirements of the program they applied to but do meet the requirements for a different program. If you don’t meet your program requirements, we automatically assess you for an alternate offer; you don’t have to submit a new application! Learn more about alternate offers at Laurier.

Admissions waitlists

Some institutions may use a waitlist for certain programs that are competitive or very popular. This is often because there are more applications to these programs than there are spots for students and institutions want to ensure specific enrollment numbers for these programs. As students decline offers to programs and more spots become available, students who are on the waitlists may be given an opportunity to accept an offer to those programs. If you have applied to a university that uses a waitlist process, be sure you understand how the waitlist works and what your next steps would be as a student on the waitlist.

Laurier uses waitlists for competitive programs and, if space becomes available in these programs, we will notify students on the waitlist. If we do place you on a waitlist for a program, we’ll also give you an alternate offer of admission. Learn more about the waitlist process at Laurier.

Whether you receive an offer of admission, an alternate offer or are placed on a waitlist, there’s a place for you at Laurier and we want you to have options to find the right fit for you. We hope to see you on our campuses in September!