<p>Somebody said USNews ranked Waterloo higher than UofT for engineering.</p>
<p>Well right from the horse’s mouth</p>
<p>[World’s</a> Best Universities: Engineering and IT - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-engineering-and-it.html]World’s”>http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-engineering-and-it.html)</p>
<p>UofT = Rank 8th
Waterloo = 27th</p>
<p>So there you go. This should lay to rest any assumptions about UofT’s rankings. </p>
<p>Hey TheDude,</p>
<p>I graduated from UofT last year. A bit about me.</p>
<p>I personally found UofT to be tough. But I was never really interested in engineering and I was kind of forced into it (Yea…I am Indian). So maybe that’s why I found it to be tough. But I flourished in the business courses I took. I had a terrible CGPA (sub 2.75)but even with GPA I got 8 (including companies like Microsoft)interviews in this “recession” and ended up with a good job at a fancy French company. So I am not complaining. Point being you don’t need a crazy high GPA to land a good job from UofT. </p>
<p>But if I had to do it all over again, I would NOT have gone to electrical engineering. I hated my time there. I would have gone to industrial engineering (but I figured what I wanted to do only in 3rd year and by then it was too late to transfer). IE is apparently very easy compared to EngSci or Elec.</p>
<p>Here is my take on UofT:</p>
<p>Pros </p>
<p>1) Good reputation. Apparently well respected in the US. I don’t know or care about the reputation among the general population, but with the people who matter (adcoms for grad schools) UofT is considered a good school. What I am about to say might draw some (a lot?) of arguments but I am going to say it anyways. A friend of mine went to MIT for grad school and TAed a class. You know what he said to me? He told me there is not a whole lot of difference in the quality of students between UofT engineering and students at MIT. This is just one person’s opinion and take his opinion FWIW.</p>
<p>2) Lots of books you use are actually written by UofT profs. Some of these books are infact used worldwide (for eg Sedra and Smith in microelectronics). You get to learn from some amazing profs. </p>
<p>3) If you are interested in research, you will have very many opportunities. Like tons and tons! </p>
<p>4) Facilities are awesome (especially for engineering science students).</p>
<p>5) If you are interested in consulting or ibanking, good companies do recruit here (McK, Bain, BCG, Goldman, JPM, All Canadian banks). Not in droves like how these companies recruit in the US, but they do recruit here.</p>
<p>6) Comparatively cheap.</p>
<p>7) Toronto is an amazing city. And the main StGeorge campus is located in downtown. So ample opportunities to have fun. Since UofT is huge so you will find some group that interests you. There is always something or the other going on in the campus. There are tons of intramural sports going on (I used to play for the engineering rugby and ultimate frisbee team). I was involved in like a million clubs. Believe me, you will never ever be bored at UofT.</p>
<p>Cons:</p>
<p>1) BIG class sizes (but I think this is true of US public universities as well).</p>
<p>2) Cut throat competition. No seriously don’t underestimate this. </p>
<p>3) The grading is harsh. There is a strict bellcurve. Only like 15% of the class is allowed to get above an 80 (A-). So you will have to work insanely hard. </p>
<p>4) You will have to take the initiative. There is not going to be any hand-holding. Its a tough place.</p>