Staying in Canada vs Going to America (Undergraduate Business)

College Search & Selection
1

Hello, I am a grade 11 student, attending high school in Canada. I was born in South Korea, but moved to Canada when I was in kindergarten. Lately, I have been having a lot of questions about my future, especially with the university I want to attend. My marks are in grade 9 and 10 are not extremely high, while my grade 11 and 12 marks are extremely high (at least to me). Here are my averages:
Grade 9: 84%
Grade 10: 88%
Grade 11: 96%
Grade 12(from the 3 courses I have taken so far): 97%

Now, my grade 9 and 10 averages are significantly lower because I did not do well in certain courses, for example, I bombed grade 9 french (a mandatory course) and also grade 10 civics (another mandatory course). In grade 11, I only took courses I was interested in and as a result, my averages are significantly better. For my grade 12 marks, I have already taken 3 courses, and I know that I will be able to pull of a 97% average, or maybe even higher.

In terms of my extra curricular, I have been a part of numerous academic clubs, like the math club, science association, newspaper inc., and also I have been a part of a lot of athletic clubs, like the soccer team, baseball team and football team.

My high school is ranked fairly high at 16th in our area, which is the GTA, and I have no idea on how to calculate my GPA (weighted or unweighted, I do not know the difference between the two).

I am planning on writing my SATs and ACTs in a couple of months, and I have been studying really hard on them. I am confident that I will do well on both tests, I am not predicting that I will get perfect, but I believe that I can get a really high mark (2000 for SATs, and I am not just guessing, I am predicting this with previous practice tests etc)

I have won numerous at my school and also in other programs, including getting selected as a top candidate in a scholarship program in the field of finance. I have around 300h of volunteer hours, therefore that is not really my concern.
I want to go to an undergraduate business program in the United States, however after doing some research, I understand that the top business programs in America look at marks from all four years of high school. I want to know what are my chances at getting accepted to one of the top undergraduate business programs in america (Hass, Stern, Cornell, UPenn, Ross). Or should I lower my standards and go for lower prestigious undergraduate business programs. I know that I will be able to get into almost all business programs in Canada.

Finally, I am not sure if this will matter but my overall goal is to get a MBA degree at an Ivy league school (I know, easier said than done) but that is just my overall goal. After graduating from undergrad, I plan on working for a couple years and prepare to get accepted to a MBA program at an Ivy League School.

Thank you very much.

2

So, are you a Canadian or a Korean citizen? And are you a full-pay student or are you looking for scholarship money in the US?

3

I am a Canadian citizen therefore I will be an international student int he united states. I will be taking all the scholarship money I receive, but money is not the biggest problem for me right now.

4

For the top US business schools that you mention a 2000 SAT is very low and admission chances are unlikely. You would not qualify for merit aid and need based aid is minimal to nonexistent for internationals. Also, most US schools look at all four years of high school grades.

5

For the SAT score, I still have around 5-6 months to study and the score of 2000 might not be very accurate (I might be able to get it higher). What SAT score would be required for a top US business school? Also I was wondering more for my marks. DO american schools focus more on grade 12 marks? and how much do they care about grade 9/10 marks? Thanks

6

For the SAT score, I still have around 5-6 months to study and the score of 2000 might not be very accurate (I might be able to get it higher). What SAT score would be required for a top US business school? Also I was wondering more for my marks. DO american schools focus more on grade 12 marks? and how much do they care about grade 9/10 marks? Thanks

7

No, US schools look at all 4 years unlike Canadian schools although an improving trend will help. The schools you list would require a 2100-2200 SAT score to even put you in the running. Wharton would be in the 2200-2300 range. Canadians generally have no idea how competitive top US schools have become.

8

What about schools like Stern or Ross? Aren’t they less competitive than Wharton?

9

Less competitive but still highly competitive.

10

Do you know what marks are generally required for stern or ross? I can’t seem to find it on the internet? Also are you saying american universities look at all four years equally?

11

Check the Common Data Set for each school for the SAT scores and GPAs of accepted students. I believe US schools consider all 4 years of high school grades. If there’s a reason for low grades colleges will take that into consideration, but it has to be due to something like an extended illness or an unfortunate family situation, not just a lack of interest in the course.

12

Your best option as a Canadian citizen is to attend one of the excellent - and much less expensive - Canadian universities, work for several years, and then apply to MBA programs here. (Preferably with your employer footing the bill.)

13

American colleges will look at all 4 years, although most will focus on your grade 11 marks, and some may focus more on the 11-12 marks.

Do you plan on taking SAT Subjects?

With grades as high as 96-97, you can get into Schulich, Desautels, etc, etc. From there, you can go on to an Ivy League MBA.

If your goal is the “college experience”, with a choice of classes in a variety of general education classes, perhaps complementing your coursework with a minor unrelated to business, living on a self-contained campus with lots of activities, perhaps sports… then the US college experience makes sense. If not, Canadian business schools would be excellent.
And in any case, I’m not sure it’s worth it financially! Have you talked with your parents?
Finally, don’t look just at Business schools:
http://www.hamilton.edu/outcomes/10-under-10

14

What are the chances of me getting accepted to an ivy league MBA from a Canadian University ?(Lets say I maintain a 3.9 GPA, with lots of good ECs, a very good essay and interview, also a very good job after)

I have been told that sometimes Canadian applicants get overlooked because we come from Canadian universities.

Finally which Canadian Business Undergrad Program do you recommend, especially if an Ivy League MBA is my goal. (Lets say location doesn’t matter, but I live in Toronto)

15

Wharton: 2200-2300 SAT
Cornell AEM: 2200 SAT
Stern/Ross/Hass: 2100 SAT

And these are the American numbers, a 2000 won’t cut it.

16

Top MBA programs value international applicants who have the same high levels of academic and, especially, professional achievement that their American counterparts have, for the diversity the lend to their classes. What they don’t provide is scholarships. (Spouse and I both attended top ranked MBA programs.) Being Canadian and attending a Canadian school will not be an issue. Demonstrating a sufficient level of professional achievement is the real challenge.

17

You have been told a lot of hogwash!