3 programs, side by side

Rows marked with a dot are where these differ. Everything is each university’s own published wording; the “your average” row is yours, calculated the way each program does it.

	Lakehead Water Science (Thunder Bay) OUAC AAR Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove	U of T (St. George) Mathematical & Physical Sciences OUAC TPG Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	70%	80–83%“Low 80s”	83–90%“Mid to high 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	3 of MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	ENG4U 3 of MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U Alternative Offers If you do not meet the admission requirements for your program of choice but do meet Lakehead University's general admission requirements, you will automatically be considered for an alternate program.	English (ENG4U – min. 70%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Any two of the following: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Mathematics of Data Management, or Physics	ENG4U MCV4U Many programs also require or recommend 1 or more of SBI4U, SCH4U or SPH4U
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	No	Available	Available
Degree	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	—	250	—
What you study	Biological Sciences Environmental Studies Others in Physical SciencesOthers in Technology	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science
What it is	Water Science combines biology, chemistry, physics, and geography to study how water systems work and how to protect them. You'll examine lakes, rivers, and groundwater from ecological and physical angles rather than focusing only on engineering solutions. This program suits students interested in environmental problems who want a science-based approach grounded in both living systems and earth processes.	Physical Sciences is a broad first-year program where you study foundational chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology before choosing a specialization in second year. The co-op option means you alternate between study and paid work terms at companies or research labs, giving you real experience in your field. This program suits students who are strong in math and science but not yet certain which specific physical science direction — from astronomy to polymer chemistry — they want to pursue.	This program combines foundational study in mathematics with hands-on work in chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology, and related fields. You'll take core courses in pure and applied mathematics alongside lab work and theory in the physical sciences, giving you breadth rather than specialization in a single discipline. It suits students drawn to quantitative problem-solving across multiple scientific areas who want flexibility to explore before committing to a specific path.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	chemistry earth science physics	chemistry earth science mathematics physics statistics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	6 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 90%See them
Source	Lakehead University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	University of Toronto — St. George on OUInfo

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Ranges are what each university publishes, not guaranteed cutoffs, and limited-enrolment programs often admit above them. Confirm anything you are about to act on with the university; each column links to its source.