Does anyone know why many colleges seem to neglect Canada when talking about studying abroad opportunities. Is it a definition thing? Abroad being over an ocean? Would I have to look for opportunities to study in a foreign land? Would that scoop up the Canadian opportunities?
I think the same can be said about Mexico but I doubt my son would be interested in going there.
I’m going to answer with the assumption that you’re talking about study abroad for US students :). I’d guess that history, cultural perceptions, and population are the main reasons.
You don’t have 2,000 year-old cities in Canada or the U.S. so studies of ancient art, architecture, history, and politics are much more limited when compared to Europe or Asia.
People may view Canada as being very culturally similar to the U.S. and therefore don’t believe the experience will be as enriching compared to other options.
The population of Canada is only ~35 million (less than 1/20th the population of Europe) so you’re likely looking at far fewer universities for our schools to collaborate with.
I live 20 minutes from Canada. It’s pretty much exactly the same as the US except nicer in many ways.
The point of study abroad (IMO) is to experience another culture, another language (maybe), etc. Canada doesn’t really provide that.
I don’t think Canada would provide the same type of experience as Europe (where students often travel to a different country every weekend) but if a Canadian university works for someone that is great! I know some students who took a semester in a differ US school because that was the experience they wanted (ex. one student who went to a suburban LAC and was interested in politics did a “semester abroad” at a university in DC and it was perfect for him).
I think the point of a semester or year at another university is for each student to get something (be it language, culture, big city life, specific career interests or anything else) that he/she feels is missing from the college the student attends full-time.
@happy1 You bring up an interesting point about doing a semester at a different university. I did not realize that was a possible option. I can see where that would be a good thing to lessen regret a student might have in life by not attending a large city university like NYU as opposed to going into a rural college. We all make choices and sometimes you have that nagging thought of “what if”.
I guess your right about the culture. Here on the east coast we are near Quebec Province and on the times I went there it did seem like a different culture. They mainly speak french and expect you to also. It was not like the USA all that much. That being said I doubt one can travel and not come across a McDonalds in Europe. I am sure the USA culture spreads wide and far.
I guess that none of the above posters have ever heard of Québec. French speaking and quite different socially and culturally compared to the US. McGill University in Montreal is 12% American.
Anericans’ knowledge of Canada is abysmal and embarrassing.
EDIT: Cross posted with the OP. He understands!
The culture in Quebec is quite different. I did not know that student didn’t study abroad in Canada- is that really true? Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Banff, Quebec City and Montreal are all places I would have loved my kids to study in. McGill was one of the top choices for one of my kids. We have visited both Montreal and Quebec City many times. You can tell you are in Canada as soon as you cross the border…colors of houses, high-steepled churches in every village, swing sets!
@TomSrOfBoston Please don’t assume others lack of knowledge if they don’t write out every detail they know in a post. In fact I have “heard of Quebec” and traveled through Canada – if my post reads otherwise then perhaps I should have chosen my words with more clarity. I said that I think one can get a great experience in many parts of Canada (not just Quebec). All I said about Canada was you can’t visit a different country every weekend from Canada as one might do in Europe (although one can travel through parts of the country). Language is only one part of an abroad experience and not everyone looks for that – in fact many choose to study in English speaking countries (ex. England, Australia etc.) so IMO there are many worthwhile destinations if one chooses to take a semester in Canada of which Quebec is just one. Studying in places like Toronto, British Columbia, Calgary or anywhere else throughout Canada could in fact provide the experience a student is looking for.
@MassDaD68 I don’t think it was to lessen a regret – the students (both good friends of my D) loved their choice of college. I think the reason for doing the program in DC was same as any student going abroad – just to add to their experience/knowledge in an area of interest (politics in this case) and to experience living in a city of interest.
Students can get different cultures/different experiences in many ways. The abroad experience, like choosing a college should be (given the bounds of affordability) about finding the right fit for each student. It need not be one size fits all.
As an aside, most colleges have a study abroad office. When your child is settled at a college and considering abroad options it is best to work through that office. It is important to insure that the credits taken at the other institution will be accepted by the college and (if appropriate) that financial aid package will continue to be in effect during the semester/year away.
And keep in mind that there may be other options such as a summer session abroad (which one generally has to pay for), an interim session abroad (available at some schools at an additional cost) etc. Again, this is not one size fits all.
A did a quick google search and there are certainly opportunities to do study abroad in Canada. However, I couldn’t quickly find (and I’m not that motivated to search beyond that) any stats on how many American students study abroad in Canada. Maybe there just aren’t that many interested and that’s why colleges don’t promote it. Though, there were stories that popped up that appeared to be about students that do their entire 4 years, not just a semester. But I assume that is not what you are talking about.
But happy1 is right, you need to work with your study abroad office (or some call might call it “off campus study” to include opportunities within the US as well) to make sure your son is going to an approved program and credits will transfer. I know my D’s office had a list of approved programs but also had a way to petition for other programs.
@happy1 This was not your comment but it was the incredibly naïve one that prompted my earlier post:
Although I haven’t studied abroad, I am a Canadian in my 4th year at a Canadian University (from Alberta, studying at UBC). Vancouver is an amazing city, and I highly recommend it. UBC has a very large international student population and study abroad. It also seems like we get quite the influx of Americans and Australians who either come and study over the winter semester just for the winter sports and skiing.
I have a few friends at McGill in Montreal who have loved their experiences. Keep in mind that Quebec is predominately Francophone (although there are a few Anglophone communities, and Concordia is one of the only English speaking universities in Quebec, I believe).
Oh good god, sorry I didn’t add all sorts of qualifiers.
Yes Quebec would obviously be different but that’s not what most people think of or talk about when talking about Canada. And when the OP asked why Canada was neglected, I gave my answer. I do have friends who studied abroad in Quebec
Respond to me but don’t call me naive.
@ClaremontMom Thank you for taking the time for a quick search. You discovered that there does not appear to be too many colleges sending students north. I found that curious - hence the post. I will definitely have him talk to the school. It is definitely something I will talk to the school about during accepted student day.
@rainierdays You mention a great point that did not occur to me - certain universities within Quebec Province will not be conducted in English. Most may only be taught in French. I am not sure if my son’s language skills are up for that. I will look up Concordia. thank you so much for that.
@MassDaD68 McGill, Concordia and Bishop’s are English. UMontreal, Laval, USherbrooke, Poly and the UQ system are French. HEC is bilingual.
Your son would need to be near fluent to enroll and flourish in the French universities.
U Ottawa is bilingual as well.
@rainierdays Concordia looks huge! I am surprised I have not heard of it. We summer in Maine USA and there are many many Canadians that visit on vacation and they come wearing their college gear. I can’t say I remember seeing any Concordia shirts. Thanks again for the info. Oh btw. University of California has agreement with them to study there. Also a school in Florida and maybe Texas but I forgot. That was it. None my son is looking into.
Not sure what the exchange rate is but that school looked like a bargain.
@TomSrOfBoston Wow. Thanks for that long list. He would definitely need to attend classes in his native language of English. Just too hard to study if you have a hard time understanding the language.
@MassDaD68 - I didn’t say that. I said:
I also stated I wasn’t motivated enough to look that hard for such stats.
When we went to orientation at U of Wyoming, the study abroad talk also presented a program they have where the student could do a semester or year at another US (and I think a few Canadian) college. One of the benefits was that you paid the cheaper of Wyoming’s tuition (which is pretty cheap) or the host school (which might be cheaper if it was your home state). There were hundreds of schools participating. I think it is a good way to do government programs in Washington DC, to take a few marine bio classes at a school better known for it (you know, like near an ocean), to do an internship on Broadway or in LA if that’s of interest, or just to have a cheap semester if your state school was an option as the student could pay instate and knock off some core classes. Also cheaper than study abroad for the instate students (who only pay about $2500/sem for tuition, if that). I think you can also use all your financial aid if you choose to pay the Wyoming rate. A Wyoming resident could do a semester at a California or Florida or Hawaii for under $2500 (plus living expenses).
The study abroad semester in England is actually cheaper for OOS students and more expensive for instate students as it is a flat fee for tuition and room. It would be very hard to find a study abroad program for $2500 in tuition.