<p>Applying to American schools as a Canadian citizen is a lot of work, as you you all probably know. And as we are competing in international pools as opposed to domestic ones, our chances begin to plummet without even really doing anything...
I mean I feel that will all this effort really be worth it. We have to pay for SAT's and SAT II's PLUS that absurd international fee. Pay for CSS profiles, and applications. We who apply are all great students in every sense, but sometimes it's not enough. All this money spent and time studying for these standardized tests seem like a huge expenditure for maybe nothing in return.</p>
<p>Perhaps I'm just lagging cause it's the end of the year, but I mean we put all this effort in and we don't want it to go to waste, but sometimes it doesn't work out well.</p>
<p>So I guess I want to ask some fellow Canadians who have already gone through the admissions process: Was it worth it--would you do it all over again? </p>
<p>And to those applying next year with: How are you guess feeling? Exicted? Nervous? Worried?</p>
<p>I guess I can accredit some of my gloominess to the Canucks loss yesterday. Seriously! 8-1. Hahaha.</p>
<p>“To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to certain ideals–this alone is worth the struggle.” -William Penn</p>
<p>Honesty, a lot of students tout the superiority of the “American” education, but few are actually able to compare them - unless if you transferred from a Canadian university to an American one or vice versa. </p>
<p>I started off in grade 11 with a very vague idea of what I wanted in terms of university. I started studying for the SAT’s without much purpose (wouldn’t suggest it), but somehow I’m now graduating, ready to matriculate into an ivy. </p>
<p>There was hope, more hope, failure, then success. As to whether I would do it again - it depends on a flip of a coin. Really, I was ready to just go to my provincial flagship, but I wouldn’t say that the quality of the education would be so different between a top tier Canadian and American university. The difference really lies in the caliber of the average student at the university and the opportunities/ individual attention provided. </p>
<p>So to you - I would encourage you to go for it. Yes, SAT’s are pointless, but the essays are at least fun if you enjoy writing ( and you can also submit them to various writing contests after wards!).</p>
<p>One of my friends spent about a grand and some change, good scores on the SAT I and II’s (2280/700+ on his 2 sat II’s), but was waitlisted to the ivy he wanted to go to, got accepted to ND but they wouldn’t pay any money for scholarships. </p>
<p>In the end, he just went to Mcgill and said it was a waste of money and time.</p>
<p>But hey, you never know until you try.</p>
<p>Hi! I am a grade 12 student who has gone through the american application process unsuccessfully. However, I do not regret a single thing. Even though it pretty much defined this past year and was one of the hardest and most stressful things I have ever done, I know I would regret it if I hadn’t applied to yale, harvard, princeton, columbia etc. It was just something that I had to do for myself. So, if you are really serious about it then by all means, go for it!</p>
<p>That being said, I will be entering the Life sciences program at McGill with a major scholarship this fall, and I wish I would have known how much I really wanted to go to McGill before I started the crazy U.S admissions process. In the end, I most likely would have chosen Mcgill anyway. </p>
<p>Bottom line, take a serious look at Canadian universities before you jump into studying for the SATs etc. You might think that the “prestige” isn’t there, but there is probably more than one Canadian school that would be perfect for you, and might even have more opportunities than an american school. I know it’s really hard to see it now, but you need to be realistic about your goals, and don’t feel “inadequate” if you attend a Canadian university instead of an ivy league school. Take this time (while you still have it) and think about what you really want for your life!! </p>
<p>If anyone has any questions about the admissions process (even just little stupid things that you can’t seem to find an answer for) feel free to message me! Hope I can help</p>
<p>I appreciate all the feedback guys! I just don’t want to regret it when everything is said and done. But I wanna go to these schools for their phenomenal programs they offer, and well, the schools seem to me like they would be a great 4 years of my life. I also really like Queen’s, and UBC is good too, except I don’t really want to stay close to home. So I do have Canadian schools that I really like! </p>
<p>And I’m already done my SAT & SAT II’s (pending results on the II’s) so I’m pretty much halfway there! And there’s no point of swimming halfway across a lake and swimming back when you get tired, if your goal is to reach the other side. After a few days mulling it over, I definitely think I should go for it!</p>