<p>I’m a Korean-Canadian student in grade 11 who wants to go to an American university.
Well, I have my reasons… firstly, I want to major in arts/humanities, but the top ones in Canada are known for great science programs (UBC, McGill, etc.) So even if it costs much more to go to the States for me, I have to work my way through.
However, if your son’s interested in sciences, UBC and McGill are really great. I heard that there are many American students coming from the States to attend McGill.
If you’re still not sure, visiting campuses would provide you with more info.</p>
<p>this is a duplicate posting</p>
<p>I respectfully disagree. When it comes to determining what schools are known for in different domains of study, from where do you derive your judgment? </p>
<p>Looking at this highly regarded ranking system, QS World University Rankings, numerous Canadian schools are pretty high in arts/humanities/social science.</p>
<p>[THE</a> - QS World University Rankings 2009 - Arts and Humanities | Top Universities](<a href=“http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2009/subject-rankings/arts-humanities]THE”>http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2009/subject-rankings/arts-humanities)</p>
<p>In Humanities, Toronto is ranked 11 in the world; McGill 14; British Columbia 22.
In Social Science, British Columbia is 13; Toronto is 15; McGill is 17.</p>
<p>(pretty similar to the rankings for science)</p>
<p>You can quite rightly look at the criteria for this particularly ranking system and decide its invalid by criteria you value (though I would contend its far more respected than Shanghai Jiao which is almost entirely about the sciences and entirely from an Asian perspective), but all the ranking systems have their flaws.</p>
<p>^I think one should look at ranking in terms of what one values. If one wants bright classmates (and cares less about how many research papers each professor publishes), then I’d say US schools would give brighter classmates.</p>
<p>I don’t see any reason to choose a comparable US school over a Canadian school…unless he really, geniunely hates being there.</p>
<p>I’m actually thinking about doing the reverse for law school. As far as the lack of handholding…try NYU. Not only do they not hold your hand, you have to scream and shout and throw a temper tantrum to get anyone’s attention. The profs though are pretty approachable here.</p>
<p>^especially if the school gives really good FA. Other than for financial reasons, US schools > Cdn schools</p>
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<p>True there is greater academic/cognitive skill variability in any public school (with Canadian’s being public and the US having more privates), but as someone who has taught at an Ivy, a Top 10 school and now a public Canadian school…I greatly assure you this ‘brighter student’ myth is often just that. Easily I have as bright of student sin my current classes as the last top US school I taught at (but I would also add that the faculty in which I teach is quite competitive to get into, which may help).</p>
<p>Sure, there will always be a few bright in every program, but shouldn’t the ratio of brighter students to not so bright students be higher in US schools? </p>
<p>I mean, if you get into an Ivy and you choose to go to a Canadian school, then you’d probably be one of the top people in your class. As much as that student may like helping classmates out, that student will probably benefit more from an Ivy education (being in an environment with similar students, so homework help will be more of a reciprocal thing rather than one way). </p>
<p>And Ivy schools place a lot more weight on extracurriculars…</p>
<p>We’ll be facing this choice. We live in the US, the kids are dual citizens, and we have a house in Quebec. I attended 3 of HYPSM and taught at one and like Starbright have had interactions at a number of schools including a few Canadian ones, though I’ve never been an academic there. </p>
<p>I think that if a kid is really ambitious and hard-working (perhaps, driven), and he/she gets into a short list of 15-20 US schools (HYPSM, Caltech, Dartmouth, Penn and probably the rest of the Ivies, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Chicago, and a few others), it will be worth the financial cost for such kids (some question about majors like fine arts). The rewards will not necessarily be in the higher quality of the classes but in 1) the higher average quality of the students (with the top few having an over-representation of truly brilliant kids, though hobnobbing with true math geniuses may not necessarily improve your college experience), 2) horizons (“I want to be the best in the world” rather than “I want to be the best in Canada” or “I want to be the best in Georgia”), and 3) connections. But for a Canadian or someone who would pay Canadian tuition rates, other than this short list (and perhaps a few other specialty schools), I think it would be better to go to a top Canadian school, do well, and if one needs additional cachet to go to a top US or UK grad school. </p>
<p>All of our experiences change us and going to school in Canada is likely to cause one to want to stay in Canada. My observation is that the average quality of life is higher in Canada (with the possible exception of the top 1% of the income distribution). I have two kids. One is driven, ambitious, exceedingly bright and always wants to win. He goes to one of the top 15 and I think he’s bound to live in the US. My second, a HS junior, is also quite bright, though not in the genius-y sort of way, has begun to work hard but is not driven in the same way (she says, “I got a 93 but that’s OK because Sarah and Rachel got 93’s also” while he said, in all sincerity, the other day of his college grades, “I’ve got to work on my grades. I’ve got two A+'s and two A-'s.”). The advantages of the high-achievement orientation at the very top of the US society won’t benefit her. Canada is just a little kinder and gentler and I can see her happily living there. So, we’ve put a few Canadian schools on her list. All of our bright Canadian cousins have gone to McGill and have gone on to excellent grad schools and jobs. Like you, Starbright, we’re also intrigued by Mount Allison and will take a visit there this spring. I’d be curious as to whether your investigation has progressed.</p>
<p>^To the various Canadians: how feasible is it to do undergrad in the US and move to Canada for one’s career? I’m a Canadian citizen, so no worries about legal residence–just the feasibility of finding a job.</p>
<p>Based on my experiences, I agree that the top Canadian universities are stronger than all but the best US universities.</p>
<p>I attended a flagship public university in the US which is regularly ranked by USN&WR in the 31-50 range among National Universities. Subsequently, I attended McGill and took one year of undergraduate courses in preparation for a graduate program. McGill was significantly more rigorous than the flagship university. On the average, the students at McGill were noticeably stronger academically, were more inquisitive and put forth more effort than the students at the flagship university.</p>
<p>Canadian universities also have a more positive campus atmosphere than US universities on the average. This is ironic, given that US universities tend to focus on campus life while Canadian universities focus first and foremost on academics. Canadian universities are more socially inclusive than US universities on the average. At Canadian universities, anyone can be fully included regardless of their background, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, and the like. Also, because the social life of Canadian universities does not revolve around the Greek system, one’s social life is not diminished by not being Greek. Importantly, binge drinking, and the deviant behaviour resulting therefrom, is much less of a problem at Canadian universities than at US universities. This too is ironic, given that the drinking age is 21 in the US and 18 or 19 in Canada, depending on the province.</p>
<p>Qualifying for Canadian rates is HUGE, as most Canadian schools are considerably cheaper then US schools, and staying in Canada would hopefully mean less travel costs at Christmas and Thanksgiving time!</p>