<p>I am an American high school student who is going to be a senior. I started out strong my freshman year with straight A's. My grades slid when I transferred to a better school district. Junior year I had two AP classes but I ruined my GPA by getting 3B's , 2C's and one solid D in math. My extra activities are not enough for me to get a scholarship and this year I am taking 5 AP classes. I do not think my grades and tiny list of extra curricular activities is going to par well with the college admissions process in the states.</p>
<p>My question is if I apply to a college in Canada would my chances be better? I've read mixed reviews about the Canadian admissions process. UofT and McGill are both good universities (both have ranked high in News Week's rating) but is their admission process as tough as the States? and if so what do they take most into consideration? Other than being cheaper, do they have the same standards as universities in the U.S.?</p>
<p>I don’t really know how Canadian and American universities compare. It could be equal, harder, easier, I really have no clue. But, honestly, you’re talking about two of the best Canadian universities. It’s a little unlikely, especially since other countries (though I don’t know specifically about Canada) look almost exclusively at grades and scores. That will take out the EC factor, but will weight your grades very heavily.</p>
<p>Unless you had some severe extenuating circumstances, why on earth are you talking 5 APs? 5 APs isn’t going to outweigh straight Ds. You need to take classes that are tailored to your level and will allow you to learn the material. That may or may not be the toughest classes in your school.</p>
<p>UK is not exactly cheap. what i want to really know is that there are two top Canadian universities: McGill and University of Toronto. They are said to be prestigious. What are my chances of getting in and would they level up to a university in America? American education is expensive but it is said to have the best standards in the world!</p>
<p>If you have a decent chance of getting in at a good school in the U.S., you have a nice chance of getting in at McGill, as far as I know. </p>
<p>Although, most people from my school who go to universities in Canada, mostly do it for the drinking age and they head to uVic, so I can’t say much about the academics. Haha.</p>
<p>UofT and McGill are both world-class. UBC is just a tad lower, and Waterloo is also top-notch for engineering or math. From what I’ve read, Canadian schools don’t care at all about ECs (the exception is some contests - I know Waterloo wants to see AMC or Euclid scores).</p>
<p>In general, the top Canadian schools have fairly lax admissions standards but very heavy workloads. There are exceptions (I believe the EngSci department at UofT has a 93% entrance average), but staying in is usually harder than getting in. If you have a rigorous schedule and good test scores, I think you should be fine.</p>
<p>Be aware that academics can be brutal at these top schools. UofT is especially well-known for soul-crushing curves. Class averages really are Cs here. Personally, his is one of the things that appeals to me most about UofT, but make sure it’s what you want.</p>
<p>ADDENDUM: I misread your original post. Those grades could be a big problem at UofT and McGill. Still apply, but I would call them reaches. You might look at the University of Alberta, which is more lenient but still a good school. Also check out Memorial, although I’m not sure how competetive admissions there are.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m kinda wondering about this too? I will probably apply to Oxford, LSE, and some top and medium ranked US schools. How do Toronto and McGill compare in terms of academics, prestige, cost, and admissions? (I will most likely study economics). How would UBC be in comparison to UW?</p>
<p>@gagnepourmoi: That depends on both your university and your program. What is your intended major? Remember that even the “lax” admissions standards at UofT/McGill are only lax in comparison to peer schools here in the US. They will not look kindly on that D.</p>
<p>@member2008: UofT and McGill are among the best universities in the world. UBC and Waterloo aren’t too shabby either. Here’s an overview of your four questions:</p>
<p>Academics: All four of these schools have great academics. Waterloo is best-known for engineering and math, but they do have a solid econ program. Remember that they offer coop, which can definitely help you get a job later. McGill is top-notch in econ, as is UofT. UBC is a great school, but their strongest programs are in the sciences. It’s still a good choice though. You might add Queen’s University, which is known for business and economics. As far as grading goes, UofT and McGill will definitely be harshest. The others are still challenging, but not quite as savage.</p>
<p>Prestige: McGill and UofT are the most prestigious schools in Canada. However, UBC is becoming very well-known in the US, especially in the West. Waterloo may not be a household name, but the coops can open doors and make very valuable connections. Queen’s is known for business but is still the least famous of your choices. They are very reputable in Canada though.</p>
<p>Cost: I think all these schools are fairly comparable, but don’t quote me on that. The pro to Canadian schools cost-wise is that tuition is extremely reasonable, The total cost (tuition + fees + housing + food + health) at most schools is in the low 30000s (USD). That’s cheap for what you get. The exchange rate does matter here. Don’t expect financial aid of any kind.</p>
<p>Admissions: McGill is the most selective. However, the other four are among Canada’s best and you will compete with the smartest students in the country. The good news is that they accept a large incoming class. I can’t say more unless you post your stats (which you should consider doing in another thread).</p>
<p>As a professor at a Canadian uni and having been educated at and taught at an Ivy and State in the US, I woudl like to clarify that here are lots of generalities on this thread. Just like its hard to consider all US schools together as if they are similar, the same is true for Canada ones. </p>
<p>For that reason, it is important to look at the specifics of each school and program and its all available on line. The most competitive programs at top schools typically require 87-94% average, and for Americans test scores (something Canadian applicants do not have to worry about). Numerous competitive programs are also moving to broad based admissions where essays and extracurriculars are incorporated into the formula (moving somewhat in the direction of American admissions). And the exact grades required (percentages in Canadian terms), varies from year to year, school and program. Thus for example, if you were applying to Science last year, it would have been easier to get into McGill than UBC for science last year, U of TO was easier than UBC for Arts, and Western’s business school had a higher bar than all the others. These are stats for Canadian students…not sure how it compares for American ones (or how your grades are translated to percentages…even that can vary from school to school).</p>
<p>My opinion, which may be wrong, is that course loads tend to be heavier at Canadian than American schools and there is more curving with grades (I definitely see less grade inflation here). But there may be as much variation on these dimensions across schools within a country as across countries. So like all these general statements, take them with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>I should also add that the data on American applicants is spotty at best. I have found it difficult to discern whether it is more difficult or easier to get in as an American (holding all else equal) so the general acceptance stats, pertaining mainly to Canadians, are misleading. </p>
<p>There are typically government caps on the number of available seats for foreign students (which could work to your disfavor). Then again, with the economy as it is, there may be a lot of incentive now to lower the bar to increase revenue, given Americans will pay a whole lot more (e.g. $4-5 for a Canadian vs $20-25k for an American).</p>