Ask a Canadian currently studying in the US

Student Lounge International Students
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<p>Hi all!</p>

<p>I'm currently a sophomore at Harvard concentrating in sociology and government. This is my first actual post on college confidential, but I spent the majority of my high school years on this site and found the discussions immensely helpful during my application process. I applied to several schools (U of T, McGill, a few Ivies and 5 UK Law Schools) and so have experience with applying to Canadian unis/UK law programs as well! The advice that I received from current students when I was in Grade 11/12 was invaluable, so I'd love to help out any other fellow Canadians who are thinking about applying to the UK/Ivies or have any questions about college!</p>

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<p>Very kind of you, sparkyparky, to offer your experience to students here. I’m curious why you would have considered attending a UK law school, given the excellent stats you must have had in order to be accepted to Harvard. The UK law after high school plan is a very foolish one.</p>

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<p>hi, sparkyparky. how would you think studying pre-med in US for a canadian? pros and cons?</p>

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<p>Hey! Thank you for this opportunity. </p>

<p>1) Did you go to a public school? I have no AP/IB? Did you have access to those?
2) Right so, were you like the top 1% of your school? Any sense of what your OSSD average was like and what I should be aiming for?
p.s- Barnard is my first choice school if you have heard about it!
3) Did you do the SATs or ACTs?
4) Did you counselor do the mid year report? My second semester midterms would be too late! They are like in mid February…should I send the first mark-book printout?
5) Did you apply for financial aid? Any tips?
6) did you find a lot of Canadians at Penn?</p>

<p>Congratulations for getting in and a BIG thank you for offering to answer my questions!!</p>

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<p>6) ***at Harvard :)</p>

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<p>alwaysamom: I decided to apply to UK law schools simply because I had a passion and interest for law for several years and a lot of research experience in it that made me want to start studying the subject as soon as I could. It also helped that Canada is founded on the British common law system so I didn’t foresee many difficulties converting my law degree should I wish to practice in Canada. In the end, I wanted to have the opportunity for more interdisciplinary study first. </p>

<p>peekinwind: thanks for your question! I’m not very familiar with the pre-med track and med school apps in general so I’m a bit wary about blindly listing out pros and cons for you However, from what I can tell based on my friends’ experiences, it is pretty much up to you. I know that a lot of my pre-med peers at college are pretty much guaranteed to be accepted to a med school; the question is which one they are accepted to. On the other hand, one of my great friends graduated from McGill with top marks and received several acceptances to top med schools in both the US and Canada. As for the experience, I’m really sorry but I don’t have a lot of information on that.</p>

<p>MakeADifference: No worries!

  1. I went to a private magnet school that didn’t offer any AP or IB classes. I did, however, take 3 AP exams by self-studying the course material with Barron’s books. (I highly encourage you to take as many AP exams as you can because it shows that you have the initiative to learn material on your own and you have the opportunity to remove any scores you don’t want before submitting them to colleges).
  2. My school doesn’t rank students so I don’t know how I compared academically to my peers. My OSSD average was in the mid 90s.
  3. Yup, I took the SATI and 2 SAT II exams.
  4. I submitted all of my marks up to December of my senior year. I don’t think they accept February grades after the Jan1 deadline. The only other time I submitted grades was in June after hearing of my acceptance in order to retain my spot (You need to have an average above a C or a D so it’s not a big deal).
  5. No, I’m sorry!
  6. Yes there are a lot of us at Harvard! Most Canadians are from Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and the maritimes but we overall have a very impressive representation in the student body.
    Thanks and feel free to ask any further questions that you mayhave!</p>
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<p>What SAT/AP scores/extracurriculars did you get to be able to go to Harvard? :open_mouth: (especially as an international). how much studying did you do for it, and what grade did you start studying for it?</p>

<p>Also, i am currently in grade 9 and getting around a 94% average (tech, english, gym and science). Will universities care about grade 9 grades or extracurriculars at all?</p>

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<p>I actually have a reverse question. I’m an American who will be studying in Qu</p>

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<p>The safer yet more expensive option would be a plane, how much would a teenage boy need to bring for college? (You can always pay a bit extra for more bags). If you own a car and are going to drive to Cambridge, it would be cheaper but i don’t think any parent would trust their young child on such a big road trip. </p>

<p>I’m pretty sure it would be cheaper to pay $30 for extra luggage than to have it sent through the post.</p>

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<p>^ I just hate shipping large boxes of my things because when I moved a few years ago, a lot of boxes got lost. Course, losing luggage happens too.</p>

<p>Have you had an internship/job yet, and how complicated is it to obtain visas that allow you to work in the US?</p>

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<p>arcuez: I don’t want to share my specific scores, but I can ballpark them for you. I got around a 2300 on my SAT I and between 700-800 for my SAT IIs. I took three APs with scores of 5, 5, and 4. I took my first AP in grade 10 and then two APs in Grade 11. I was a little lazy with my SATs because I was taking the LNAT and prepping to apply for UK law schools so I sat the SAT I at the end of grade 11 and again in November of grade 12. I took my SAT IIs in January of grade 12 so those scores got sent off immediately to my schools.
From what I understand, schools tend to place more weight on your grade 11 and 12 marks but they will be able to see all of your marks starting in grade 9. </p>

<p>Colleges seriously consider your extra curricular involvement throughout high school. There is no EC formula for acceptance, however, as clearly evidenced by “Stat acceptance/rejected/waitlist” posts on collegeconfidential. Based on conversations that I’ve had with admissions officers, colleges are looking for individuals who will greatly contribute to the academic and social environment on campus. Ultimately, they’re looking for people who fully pursue their passions with dedication and initiative. I wouldn’t stress about having your extra curricular activities figured out in grade 9. Take the time in HS to explore your interests and you will naturally gravitate towards the right activities for you. I was involved in a lot of different things, but most of my activities catered to my interests in MUN, debating, gender equality, law, and international diplomacy. If you want, I can PM you some examples of my extra-curriculars. </p>

<p>cty4ever: I actually stupidly brought a lot of stuff down to college for my freshman year that I could have just bought when I was in Cambridge. I’d advise you to bring your necessities and buy the rest once you’re at your uni. My family drove down to campus from Canada and the car was stuffed with clothes and other items that I though I needed. I would also recommend against mailing your items as you pay by weight and it is extremely expensive. I always try to avoid mailing objects internationally. </p>

<p>kdengg: As an international student, it’s a little trickier to work in the US. I have worked several jobs, but all of them have to be on campus in order to avoid violating my student visa. My summer internships thus far have been international so I’m not very familiar with summer working visas in the US. I do know that at least in Harvard’s case, job offers for international students are usually accompanied with the necessary documents to help acquire work visas. Most internships that I am aware of are unpaid but you can easily get a stipend from the university.</p>

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<p>You are blessed, and you know why? A teacher’s strike in Ontario = no extracurriculars, possibly for more than 2 years. I am determined enough to get a good SAT/AP score(s), but teachers are banned from EC’s! (by their union). Be thankful that you graduated before this drama!</p>

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<p>Most students, including those from Canada, have family members accompany them on move in day. If they’re within driving distance, it’s easy to transport what you need. As the time gets closer, you’ll likely be provided with a list of necessary items, or be put in touch with a current student who can answer your questions. It’s true that much of what you’ll need can be purcased when you arrive, but that means you’ll have to do a lot of shopping when you get there and you may not want to spend time doing that.</p>

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<p>Hi there sparkyparky,</p>

<p>First off, I think it’s really great that you’re doing this.</p>

<p>Aside from your A-mazing grades, what did you do outside of school, for like extracurricular activities?
Is Harvard looking for well-rounded people or just really high grades?</p>

<p>I’m Canadian (a Vancouverite) and am applying to Harvard (& Stanford) next year though I’m graduating HS this year. I’ll only be 16 y.o. come Fall and have been told that universities in the U.S. can be really picky about the minimum age requirement.</p>

<p>Thanks for your time!</p>

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<p>Reach-for-anyone schools (among which are Harvard and Stanford) look for well-rounded students.</p>

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<p>Good to know. Thanks, Catria! :)</p>

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<p>Hi sparkyparky,
I’m so glad I came by your thread because you are in the exact position I want to be in in a years time! I’m Canadian too and I want to study sociology and government at Harvard. I’m taking the SAT I in May and the SAT II in June (Lit and Math), and at this point I couldn’t estimate what I’ll be getting on them but I’m planning on studying hard. My average in school right now is about 92 overall, 94 considering top 6 (I’m a junior). I feel like this isn’t high enough, which leads me to my next problem:</p>

<p>How much greater of a chance do you get with Early Action? Harvard is 1000000% my first choice but I feel like I’d be better prepared handing in an app in January as opposed to late October (I’d try to get my grades up). I’m also taking more rigorous courses in Grade 12, would they be able to see that? Or would they just see my grade 11 courses/marks?
Also, I was wondering how you’re finding the sociology and government programs? What are the average class sizes and how are the people/professors like?</p>

<p>And lastly, what was the interview like?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

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<p>JelloJello: Thanks! L
ike I said before, there is no formula for the type of student that Harvard looks for. I know some people here who are really involved in diverse extra-curriculars and some who are just fantastic (and I mean AMAZING) at only a few. However, I can guarantee you that only having high grades will not necessarily result in an acceptance. Realistically speaking, those who bother to apply to Ivy League schools are usually the students who have the necessary grades, and so the applicant pool is already self-selected in a way. When you have tens of thousands of applicants who all have similarly great scores, the only ways to differentiate amongst them are through extra curriculars and personal essays. I’m a little hesitant to cite my specific extra-curriculars here but PM me and I’ll be happy to tell you! (For now: I conducted legal research at U of T law, had the opportunity to be a girl delegate at the UN, and was very involved in running a MUN conference).</p>

<p>I actually know some 17 year old freshmen here, so I don’t think that you would have any problems! </p>

<p>loriho:
Full confession: I never had any personal experience with Early Action because Harvard re-adopted it when I was already a freshman. Statistically speaking, EA has a higher acceptance rate when compared to Regular Decision, BUT keep in mind that siblings, legacies, and recruits do tend to make up a significant portion of those accepted during EA at Ivy Leagues. On the other hand, I know several people who got in EA just fine without fitting into any of those aforementioned categories. If you think that you can further increase your marks in Grade 12 and demonstrate a more rigorous course load, then I say go for it. However, I think your marks are just fine as they are right now (keep in mind that American schools look at your entire high school transcript instead of your top six) considering that I was right around that area when I applied. I also think that they look for trends in marks so if you’re constantly improving every year, it bodes well for your future academic development in college. </p>

<p>I personally love the Sociology and Gov departments. However, I’m actually thinking of switching my secondary from Government to Women and Gender Studies and I’m really excited about that!
I think that classes at Harvard are phenomenally designed. Class sizes vary. Large foundational courses can be as large as several hundred, but those are usually for freshmen. Most lectures are 40 - 150 people. But in every class with more than 20 students, there are assigned sections of max 12 people with a TF (usually grad/phd students) so you will have the opportunity for seminar discussion and more personalized tutelage for every course you take at Harvard. Language classes and seminars are smaller than 20 people. Once you declare your concentration, you will also have at least one concentration tutorial each year of at most 8 people and your course tutor. Finally, if you choose to write a thesis (which I have…wish me luck) you will have a small thesis tutorial as well. Throughout your entire time at Harvard, you will always have advisors, proctors, and upperclassmen mentors who are specifically assigned to be responsible for your emotional, social, and academic well-being, so you always feel taken care of.
THE PROFESSORS ARE AMAZING. Usually, the people who teach you are the leading academics in their fields and it is not uncommon to either have celebrity/guest lecturers or to study from the foundational textbook that your profs authored. All professors also host office hours every week during which you are free to just drop by their room to discuss course material or just hang out and talk about your mutual interests/life. </p>

<p>The interview process is pretty straightforward. An alumnus in your area will contact you for a 1-2 hour discussion. There’s no set format and my interview was pretty much a conversation about my passions, academic interests, and past experiences. My interviewer was very casual and we ended up comparing notes on the weirdest foods we’ve tried. </p>

<p>Wow, I just realized that I wrote a lot. Sorry about that and I hope this helps!</p>

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<p>Sparky, can I PM you? From Calgary :slight_smile: Thanks so much for doing this.</p>

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<p>hey, sparkyparky! It’s so nice of you starting this thread, because I’m sure alot of Canadian students that intend to apply to the US would find this thread helpful! :slight_smile: thank you!</p>

<p>I am from Toronto, I’m planning to apply to the States. Most likely to Harvard, Penn, and Stanford. The problem is, my school doesn’t offer any AP/IB classes, and I’m going into Grade 12 so there’s no way for me to do the AP exams anymore :frowning: My school isn’t THAT well known in the city, but it is famous for out “unique” studying system here. (I’ll message you more about this because I don’t want to reveal my identity lol) I’m studying for SATI and planning to take it in October. Hopefully to achieve a high score.</p>

<p>The problem is, my GPA isn’t good, do Ivies/US schools consider SAT score more than GPA? I’m sure my SAT score would be fantastic, but as for GPA, there’s nothing I can do. The teachers are my school are so strict on giving out 90s, I’m always struggling between in the 80s. </p>

<p>Do you have any recommendation or tips to give?</p>

<p>Thanks again! :)</p>