Toronto is also very expensive for housing. Just as expensive as Vancouver. Just a tad below NYC/LA in terms of housing/rental prices. Montreal is much lower. I would also say that Toronto has more of a midwestern feel, whereas Montreal definitely has a similar feel to Boston and NYC, although with it’s own special flavour.
I think some of what is lost in all this is that there are a lot of Canadian unis that can get the job done , especially for an undergrad degree. A friend of mine down in the US graduated in Medicine from U of T. Where is he sending his brilliant son for pre-med? McMaster! This kid could go just about anywhere, and money isn’t a problem, but he feels that McMaster is a friendlier, but still very competent atmosphere for his son to learn in.
Apparently York now has a very good business program. Western Ontario has always had a good one. Waterloo is excellent for techie stuff. Dalhousie is very good for some things.
I think kids are better off in a good school that is a great fit for them than in a “great” school that is a bad fit.
Since this thread is active again, I’ll update where my D18 is. After a great week in Toronto and Montreal, doing Round 2 of campus tours and visiting numerous classes, I advised my D to make a pros and cons chart of the Canadian Big Three while it was all fresh in her head, so she could refer back to it come decision time. She made her chart and it was so lopsided that she decided there was no sense in waiting to declare a favorite. UBC is her top pick. Her reasons are all very personal, so YMMV:
-Weather
-Laid back west coast culture is familiar and comfortable, as we have California roots.
-Outdoorsy, natural environment with so many hiking/running/skiing opportunities so close. D is a very athletic adventure-seeker.
-The new aquatic center. Although D won’t compete on the varsity team, she wants to continue swimming for fun and exercise.
-In her limited experience interacting with professors and advisors at UBC, D felt they were very engaged and accessible.
-As much as she loves the urban setting of McGill and UToronto, she has never lived in it, and is afraid it could quickly become overwhelming. She says it would be impossible to get stressed out at UBC, as the ubiquitous gardens and natural beauty really speak to her.
-Large, spread out UBC campus will force her to stay fit! She’s very nervous about the Freshman 15 (or 20…30…), as swimmers often gain lots of weight when they quit their structured routine.
So, that’s where she sits now. She is doing McGill’s Summer Academy in July, and she’s excited about spending two weeks in one of her favorite cities, but she’s pretty set on her UBC preference. Now we just have to hope she gets in! She should–she’s a high stat applicant, applying to both Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Science. Wish her luck!
@ShrimpBurrito Great reasons and great choice (if that’s still her choice). If she’s into swimming, an amazing and brand new aquatics center just opened at UBC.
Some very excellent schools have been mentioned above. Based on the criteria in post #21 (which sound like well thought out considerations), I might suggest also looking at the University of Calgary, and for undergrad also the University of Victoria.
Thanks @DadTwoGirls I ruled out UVic because of accessibility. I set the limit at two flights away from home; UVic is three. Although D loves the idea of being close to Banff, U Calgary does not offer her major (Cognitive Science, Linguistics track). UBC just feels right to her. We are still going to do a couple of college visits closer to home in case she gets cold feet (haha–Canada–cold), but UBC is her Canadian pick.