<p>Recently, I had a chat with one of my professors, a Harvard alumnus, about transferring from a Canadian school to an American one (specifically Stanford, Columbia, Yale and Harvard). He was under the impression that Canadians are at an advantage when applying to American schools because we're only competing amongst other Canadians for the X number of spots for Canadian students. His reasoning as to why it was advantageous was that very few Canadians apply to transfer to such schools or have the credentials to do so because of grade deflation (amongst other things). </p>
<p>Is there any truth to this, specifically, the top 10 American schools? I was always under the impression that Canadian applicants would have to compete against other international applicants for the X number of spots they've set aside for international applicants.</p>
<p>Or is he just making me feel better about my chances so I'll bite the bullet and apply (or simply not knowledgable about admissions)?</p>
<p>I have a question for you. Do most top Canadian students simply apply to McGill or Toronto, or do they apply all over the US as well.</p>
<p>My son, an american, is thinking about applying to Canadian schools</p>
<p>I’m not sure, it may vary from region to region but from my experience it’s rather uncommon for a top Canadian student to apply to American schools for financial, academic and logistics purposes. In addition, from my experience as a student in Toronto, there are limited opportunities for students to accrue exceptional extracurriculars that you may see from an American student at a top prep school nor is there an emphasis on academic achievement in grades other than grade 12 so many do not have the credentials to apply to American schools. </p>
<p>Top students generally settle for McGill, UBC, UofT, Queen’s and some selective programs at certain universities such as Health Sciences at McMaster or Ivey HBA at Western. But usually, local residents will go to local universities for financial purposes. </p>
<p>While Canadian universities may not measure up to some of the top American schools, they are by no means inferior. Do not be afraid to apply.</p>
<p>I would imagine Canadians are no different from any other international transfer–in other words, you’re competing with students from other countries in addition to Canada.</p>
<p>However, there are a few schools that tend to give preference to students from north america. I think someone posted a few in the International Students forum. </p>
<p>Either way, I definitely think you should go ahead and apply to American universities if that’s really what you want–you don’t really have anything to lose by trying, right? :)</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Maybe just $80 per application, the time hunting down profs for LOR and writing the essays! Haha but I’ll definitely try.</p>
<p>LOL, well, there is that. :)</p>