Waterloo AIF word counter
Four questions, 150 words each (Fall 2027). Tick off each part as your answer covers it.
Common questions
Is it 150 words or 900 characters?
150 words. The 900-character limit is from older cycles: 900 characters up to Fall 2024, then 1,000 for Fall 2025. Waterloo’s current page lists 150 words for Questions 1 to 4, and last cycle’s applicants reported a word count in the portal. Waterloo’s FAQ still mentions a character limit with no number, so this counter shows characters too. To be sure, preview the form in your portal. The login email comes about 1 to 2 days after you apply on OUAC, and you can preview without submitting.
What about Question 5?
Question 5 is a chart, not an essay. Last cycle it had one row per activity: a short title, a start date, an end date and your total hours for 2026. The Q5 hours calculator builds those rows.
Does the form have spell check?
No. Waterloo suggests writing your answers in a document first, then pasting them in. You also cannot view or edit the AIF after you submit it, so take a screenshot first.
Can I use AI to write it?
Waterloo says you must complete the AIF on your own, and that AI answers that are untrue, incorrect or plagiarized can cost you your offer. This counter never sends your text anywhere.
Facts from Waterloo’s AIF page, checked October 20, 2026. The counter in the real form is final.