Transfer to Canadian University (U of T, Waterloo, SFU, McGill, McMaster etc.). Chances?

Student Lounge International Students
1

I am planning on transferring from an American University to a Canadian University.

I am neither an American Citizen or a Canadian Citizen.

I am currently pursuing my undergraduate at University of Texas at Dallas. ~ 2 years into the program.
GPA: 4.0
Major: Computer Science, planning to transfer to Computer Science.
TOEFL: Expired, but the score last time was 116/120. Planning on taking it again.
Additional:
100+ hours of community service these 2 years.
Collegium V (Honors) Program
Some minor Computer Science projects.

The universities I am eyeing are:
University of Toronto
University of Waterloo
University of British Columbia
University of Alberta
McGill University
McMaster University
Simon Fraser University

Also, how would you classify the above into dream, realistic, and safety? What are some good safety schools?

Thanks!

2

This is a very good list of very good universities.

“What are some good safety schools?”

Perhaps Simon Fraser University? U.Victoria and Dalhousie also come to mind as possibilities. These three are probably going to be less expensive for a foreign student compared to the rest of your list.

You could also look at the Macleans rankings for computer science:
https://www.macleans.ca/education/best-computer-science-universities-in-canada-2018-ranking/

I would be surprised if the TOEFL is an issue given that you have a very good old score, plus two years at university in the US. You might ask admissions at some of these schools whether you even need to take it – although I can’t imagine you having any problems if you do take it.

Are you transferring for financial reasons, due to the program at the U of Texas, due to wanting to be in Canada, or for some other reason?

I don’t know anything about how credits transfer. You probably need to ask the various schools in Canada.

3

U of T computer science is competitive and students are admitted to the major based on their grades in their first year classes at U of T. Transfer admissions to U of T would be determined by the Arts and Science faculty. Whether or not you would be admitted to the computer science major or specialist would be decided at the departmental level.

Waterloo computer science is also quite competitive and students are admitted directly from high school. Here’s the page for info on transferring into CS at Waterloo. https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/future-undergraduate-students/applying-admissions/transfer-students

The bottom line for those 2 universities is that your grades certainly qualify you to transfer, but whether or not you will be able to get into the major/specialist will depend on whether there are spots available.

4

Have you already applied to transfer? If not, it could be a problem because most, if not all, universities will require you to attend for a minimum of two years in order to have a degree conferred.

5

@DadTwoGirls I want to be in Canada.
@alwaysamom oh, thanks for letting me know. I am planning on applying starting this August.

6

Each Canadian university will have their own process for applying to transfer so you should have a look at the websites of each of the schools on your list. A quick look at U of T’s website shows this: