<p>Hi! Im from the US looking at canadian schools..</p>
<p>of McGill, Universty of Queens and U Toroto...what are their reputataions?</p>
<p>also is the canadian university system similiar to the US system in terms of admission and flexibility of the academic program?</p>
<p>how do canadian colleges choose who to accept..and what is their policy on american students (favorable/not)??</p>
<p>Thank you! ( :</p>
<p>I am considering college in Canada myself, and I have done a good deal of research on the subject. Here’s a crash course:</p>
<p>Unlike in the US, the upper echelon of Canadian higher education is just about entirely concentrated in large, state-supported institutions. These schools are generally not very difficult when it comes to gaining admission (there are notable exceptions), but they are world-class institutions and staying in is a whole different matter. The University of Toronto (UofT) and McGill are traditionally considered the top universities in Canada and some of the best in the world, but other schools have noted programs as well. Here’s a very brief breakdown:</p>
<p>Engineering: UofT and the University of Waterloo are the top tier for engineering. The University of British Columbia is probably next. McGill, though still very strong, is not as known for engineering.</p>
<p>Science: UofT, McGill, and UBC are all top-notch. Waterloo is excellent for math and physics, but not as strong in other sciences.</p>
<p>Business/Econ: UofT, McGill, and Queen’s are all excellent business schools. UBC and Waterloo are in second.</p>
<p>Arts/Humanities: McGill and UofT are both great. I don’t know as much about these fields, so I can’t go beyond that.</p>
<p>Any of the schools mentioned above are amazing institutions. They all have their own character and special programs, so do some research and think it over.</p>
<p>Regarding admissions, Canadian schools want to see grades and test scores. Extracurriculars do not matter unless they directly relate to your major (ie AMC scores for math majors). Admission is usually not too difficult, although the top schools have very competetive programs (ie EngSci @ UofT). The challenge is staying in, because the academics at these universities are intense and the curves are harsh.</p>
<p>Thanks so much!
Also, do you know if canadian schools put any weight on athletic recruiting in the amissions process?
and have you been to visit McGill/Queens…and if so what is the housing situation like, because it seems to me that you have to get your own place after freshmen year?</p>
<p>^ Athletic recruiting… I don’t know. They do have sports, but they aren’t as big of a deal as in the US.</p>
<p>I have visited UBC. The campus is GORGEOUS. I don’t know much about McGill or Queen’s beyond the basic rep, but I know that UofT has some housing for upperclassmen available. With that said, most people don’t live on-campus after freshman year.</p>
<p>As an international student, they would probably help you make arrangements anyway.</p>
<p>the schools that look at athletics in admissions in Canada are generally not very academic focused,though they are good schools, for example York University…</p>
<p>Carleton isn’t bad either. It’s in Ottawa.</p>
<p>In general, Canadian universities are mostly stats-driven in their admissions decisions.</p>
<p>noimagination is correct that “they are world-class institutions and staying in is a whole different matter.” However, admissions to top Canadian schools such as McGill, the University of Toronto, Queen’s and the University of British Columbia is not easy in an absolute sense. It’s only easy relative to comparable US schools. These schools are probably comparable to Top 30 US universities in quality. But a student who wouldn’t even get a chance at a Top 30 US university might be able to be admitted to a top Canadian university, work hard enough to stay in and then successfully graduate.</p>
<p>How is the biology/premed program at University of British Columbia? The Fiske Guide said that it had an especially strong microbiology program, but I’d be interested in hearing other thoughts.</p>
<p>Also, on another topic, is it possible to double major at UBC (or any Canadian college for that matter)?</p>
<p>^ UBC has an excellent biology program. Just be aware that there are lots of premeds and I hear that competition can be fierce.</p>
<p>It is definitely possible to double major, though it could take five years to pull it off if the two don’t share many classes (just like in the US).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’d like to make some changes;</p>
<p>Waterloo beats the others BY FAR for engineering. BY FAR. Like MIT vs. oh Idunno… Chicago.</p>
<p>Also, for business UWO (western ontario) is great, especially for investment banking. If not investment banking, Queens is probably first, then UWO, then U of T.</p>
<p>UBC is like… meh. I guess I’m biased though, cuz I live in Vancouver and hate it here.</p>
<p>London, ON is boring!</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>That analogy fails on so many levels. Chicago doesn’t OFFER engineering. At all. Anyway, I agree that Waterloo is superb. However, UofT has a good rep too, and the Engineering Science program there is incredible.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>UBC Science is a very, very strong department. Beyond that, I would say there are better choices.</p>
<p>Calgary is a pretty good college but the campus isn’t beautiful…it’s mostly new buildings without architecture. But the city is awesome. UBC is also pretty good. I think McGill is overrated.</p>
<p>Just going to give my $0.02.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Canadian schools and I’ve only been to one, Queens. Campus was pretty nice, it was in summer and there was a lot of construction, but it still looked pretty nice. If I remember correctly it was also pretty close to the water. </p>
<p>The town of Kingston was also very cool, reminded me of Annapolis and Ann Arbor to an extent. I wouldn’t mind living there at all. </p>
<p>I think I would like going to school there, but I have a few concerns. </p>
<p>Not sure what the social life is like there. I’m sure it won’t be that different> Sports are a big deal for me too, but I could manage without them. </p>
<p>Weather is also a minor concern. It won’t be that much different for me, coming from Ohio, but I’d like to go to a warmer school, haha.</p>
<p>Calgary is the most awesome city in the world (my opinion, obviously :P). However, the U of Calgary is mostly a school catering to local residents. If you want to be in Alberta and are international, U Alberta is really a more high-powered school.</p>
<p>If anyone here is interested, check a thread on Canadian schools near the top of the Study Abroad subforum - some really good info was just posted there.</p>
<p>what’s so awesome about Calgary? I am curious.</p>
<p>I heard that @ calgary you get paid 17 bucks an hour working at macdonalds.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>It’s obviously subjective, but I like the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>all the benefits of a major city (culture, commerce, etc.)</li>
<li>near some beautiful scenery (Banff and the Canadian Rockies)</li>
<li>a great downtown</li>
<li>fairly prosperous economy, though a bit too tied to oil booms</li>
<li>decent public transit (though other cities are better)</li>
</ul>
<p>I like cold weather :)</p>