<p>In the view of a college student in engineering(me)------------>waterloo is the way to go</p>
<p>I might be kinda biased since I hate cornell since it’s rural and I can’t stand rural.
And somebody already highlighted bill gates’ relationship w/ waterloo
also, there’s a major difference in tuition but only a minor difference in quality of education
But, if your a pre-med at the same time or want to go to grad school in the us, than cornell is the sensible choice, although I still would hesitate because of the cost.</p>
<p>Waterloo engineering grads regularly go to US grad schools too. Harvard, Stanford, MIT in the last few years (based on a very small sample size, so there’s probably many others too).</p>
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<p>You’re kidding right? Of course they would. Most students- including my American children- would choose Waterloo to save $150,000. It\s ONLY an undergrad degree for pete’s sake!</p>
<p>But is it wise to gamble whether you’d get into a top US school for grad school? </p>
<p>If you got into Cornell for undergrad, would you still give up going to an Ivy hoping that you’d get in for grad school?</p>
<p>Oh, and about the Waterloo > U of T thing, all the examples the above posters only demonstrate that Waterloo is superior for only Computer Engineering. </p>
<p>What about Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering? </p>
<p>And what about U of T’s Engineering Science program vs. Waterloo’s System’s Design program? </p>
<p>And just to add an interesting twist, would it still be Waterloo > U of T if Waterloo didn’t have a co-op program? </p>
<p>And just so everyone knows, both Waterloo and U of T have those huge class sizes, harsh bell curves, and high drop out rates.</p>
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<p>There is no gamble. Academics- who sit on admissions committees for graduate school (I know as I have been one for 18 years, on both sides of the border, at Canadian, US State and US Ivy)- do not see a US/Canada border. They see a field of study and know researchers in their field, and know international research in the same journals everyone publishes in. </p>
<p>If you have a decent GPA, research experience with good letters of recommendation from faculty you have worked with, do well on your GRE, Waterloo is as good as Cornell. </p>
<p>As an aside, I have LOTs of former students who I taught at a Canadian school (not Waterloo) who are now graduate students at MIT, Cornell, Northwestern, just to name a few off the top of my head).</p>
<p>Thanks - I meant whether it is wise to lose the opportunity to go to an Ivy for undergrad without knowing whether you’d get in one for grad.</p>
<p>^ What is the point of grad school at an Ivy? I mean that seriously. Grad school is entirely different than undergrad. You will go where you have the best opportunities for research publications and a subsequent great job offer. That might be at an Ivy but could be at an entirely different school, depending upon your area of specialization. </p>
<p>Don’t worry, once you get out of highschool, the passion for “ivy brand” tends to disappear.</p>
<p>^there’s no ivy in grad school. The term ‘ivy league’ is for the undergrad only.</p>
<p>That being said, waterloo will be cheaper for canadians. The three schools are virtually the same in all the fields you listed. They will have the same excellent faculty, same hard courseload, same talents. Cornell will be a slightly more motivated group, though.</p>
<p>"And just so everyone knows, both Waterloo and U of T have those huge class sizes, harsh bell curves, and high drop out rates. "</p>
<p>Actually, Waterloo and U of T engineering have the highest degree completion rates in Ontario ([Council</a> of Ontario Universities Related Sites Common University Data Ontario (CUDO)](<a href=“http://www.cou.on.ca/_bin/relatedSites/cudo.cfm]Council”>http://www.cou.on.ca/_bin/relatedSites/cudo.cfm)). “Huge” is relative, but Waterloo engineering 1st year classes are typically less than 140.</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about this program? </p>
<p>A third year Nano student said he choose Waterloo because UT does not offer nano until 3rd year.</p>
<p>A family friend went to Stanford for grad school after computer science at UW and studied Nano and another friend who’s a neurosurgeon did her PHD in Nano. My son applied to Nano for undergrad at their suggestion. </p>
<p>Is this a good choice for someone who does not know what career path he wants to take???</p>
<p>I can’t remember where I learned it sorry- but I got the sense that coops and subsequent jobs were pretty limited with an undergraduate degree in nano. The program is new, it sounds very appealing, but I wonder if its too new, or too narrow. Maybe others would know more (about a nano major in general but maybe particularly at Waterloo). Try the canadian site…what is it called, studentawardforums…maybe that is where I saw current Waterloo students talking about this issue.</p>
<p>No one here seems to be saying nice things about UofT Engineering Science program - it has two common years where you have the option to specialize in the 3 year to a couple of different options (aerospace, biomed, nano, ece, infrastructure, finance, physics) that is great if you can’t make up your mind where to go. There isn’t coop program per se but there is 12-16 month internship - PEY and a summer ESIP program. Once in your upper years the class size drops. </p>
<p>Waterloo is a city where you have to basically walk really far for items that is more driver friendly. In Toronto you’ll be able to walk to a lot of places and public transit is more frequent.</p>