Count your 2026 activity hours for the Waterloo AIF

Only hours between January 1 and December 31, 2026. If you’ve been doing something for longer than that, Waterloo only wants the 2026 part.

Waterloo’s FAQ asks you to list your activities and “a time estimate spent on the activity”. Most people work it out from a weekly routine: hours per week, times the number of weeks, minus any breaks. Keep it honest, and jot down how you got the number.

Waterloo doesn’t say how to handle hours you’ll do after you submit, and you can’t edit the AIF afterwards. So this calculator only counts what you’ve done so far. If you’d rather count the whole year, you can wait and submit in January 2027, as long as it’s before your deadline (February 1 for Engineering, February 15 for Math, CS and CFM).

Last year the title box held about 11 words, and there was no description box. “Role @ Organization” fits well, like “Cashier @ Grocery store”. Waterloo doesn’t publish an exact limit, so check the form in your portal. Save the details for Questions 1 to 4 and the interview.

Yes. The question covers what you do at school, in your community and at home. Waterloo Engineering even says a part-time or summer job, or volunteering, can make an application stronger.

There’s no separate awards section. Waterloo says contests and awards can go in the activities chart or in your other answers. Links to awards or portfolios aren’t reviewed.