USA vs. Canada

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello guys!
I'm a female international student in high-school and still can't make up my mind on whether I should study in Canada or America. </p>

<p>I would really appreciate it if you list down some pros and cons of both countries( in terms of friendliness/racism, education, scenery, etc) </p>

<p>Thanks! </p>

2

<p>Well, to start with, racism varies, in the States, by the area; for example, everyone says the south of the US is more racist than the north, and racism is less apparent in cities with a more diverse population (ie: big cities, less racism/smaller towns, more racism; but NYC is like the exception to this rule if you’re black and don’t dress “well” or less stylish/more business-y). Scenery also varies by where you go. Both countries have their scenic areas and tourist attractions, so it greatly depends on what types of things you’re interested in seeing (trees vs sand vs snow vs. beaches vs. waterfalls).</p>

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<p>You must also pay attention to the subject you wish to study.</p>

<p>Canada, on the whole, seems to have much less of an academic discrepancy between the top schools and the bottom than would be the case in the US.</p>

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<p>Dont know about Canada but I think you would get better opportunities in USA (in terms of jobs/careers).</p>

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<p>Hi Yazmeen,</p>

<p>I’m not too familiar with the USA, but I do know Canada.</p>

<p>Canada is known for being very friendly and warm to foreigners: I was an international student and I always felt fully welcome. I never encountered (neither suffered nor witnessed) any racism there either.</p>

<p>As for education: there are some really great schools and they are far more affordable than comparable US options. The top 3 schools in Canada (UBC, U of T, McGill) are among the top 50 universities in the world (and probably a lot less expensive than most other schools on that list). Another difference in education is that while the US has about 4,000 or so universities, Canada only has 70 or 80 - and these are mostly public.</p>

<p>There’s also a difference with working after university: I could be wrong here, but I hear that in the US, when you graduate you get a one-year work permit, but you have to work in your field of study and can’t change jobs (is this true?). In Canada, you get a 3-year work permit, which is super flexible: you can work in any field and change jobs as much as you like.</p>

<p>The scenery and weather varies more across both countries than between them… In the US, your winters in Boston will be very different from those in San Diego… In both counties, you can get cold winters and hot summers or mild temperatures year-round, you can also get all 4 seasons, you can find big and small cities, urban and rural environments… they’re some of the world’s largest countries.</p>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

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<p>@charlessa I’m also an international student who is considering Canada as an option that I had previously overlooked. My impression is that Canada is a very friendly place and the three year work period is definitely a benefit for me. Could you elaborate on the academic atmosphere at those three universities? What are they known for? Is there enough emphasis on undergraduate education? </p>

<p>I’ve never been to Canada, only the U.S. How do Vancouver, Toronto, and Quebec compare to each other? How does the U.S. compare to Canada in terms of social values or norms? Is there a lot of cultural diversity in those three cities?</p>

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<p>@ccvb1013‌ If you ask about Quebec City then Laval University becomes an option; however, Laval University is a French-language university. It might have a dominant football team (by Canadian college football standards) but is your French up to snuff?</p>

<p>Quebec City isn’t that diverse if you compare to Toronto and Vancouver (two of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in the world). Montreal, on the other hand, is quite diverse on both counts.</p>

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<p>@catria My mistake! I was under the impression that McGill is in Quebec (just goes to show my ignorance about Canada) I actually meant to ask how the locations of the three universities in Mcgill, U of T, and UBC compare. </p>

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<p>My French is only basic though.</p>

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<p>There’s Quebec City and Quebec - the province. Perhaps I have misinterpreted your initial query, you were correct to talk about McGill as located in Quebec, but only as long as you meant the province rather than the city.</p>

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<p>Please don’t use stereotypes. There is racism everywhere, some just more hidden than others. I find the South of the US more integrated and has better race relations, on the surface, than the North. Many cities in the North (NYC, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC) are more self-segregated than the South, where you are more likely to see Blacks and Whites living and working side by side. The South is more friendly than the North. You’re no more likely to see overt racism in the South than you will in the North. </p>

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<p>Quebec City is the least diverse large city in North America. It is about 98% white. </p>

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<p>Hi ccvb1013,</p>

<p>I can’t really talk too much about McGill or U of T because I wasn’t a student there (I’ve never even been to their campuses!) As for the academic atmosphere at UBC:

  • There is a big campus, and everything is there in the one place, which means your friends, your fun and your classes are all close to each other (I think U of T does not have a central campus, but I could be wrong!)
  • There is a lot of focus on interdisciplinary studies: you are encouraged and supported to explore your interests and combine them to make yourself the most passionate and flexible student you can be.
  • You can tell that everyone at UBC loves being there, and that makes a difference… everyone around is always happy and engaged in something: whether its just hanging out with friends, intramural sports leagues, clubs… everyone seems to be involved on campus.
  • There is huge emphasis on undergrads: a lot of co-op (work experience) opportunities, loads of undergraduate research, a million study abroad programs… I guess it all comes back to the main point of wanting students to be involved and passionate and flexible: there is no lack os opportunities for that.
  • As for what UBC is known for… that’s a tough question! I’m not sure, I guess anyone you ask can give you a different answer. Some will say strong academics, others will say the multicultural environment, others will say that it’s in BC and how great that is… for me: I’d say it’s for the student experience and engagement on campus.</p>

<p>Again, I’ve only ever been to Toronto very briefly and never been to Montreal, so can’t really compare:

  • A LOT of cultural diversity in Vancouver…
  • Vancouver has the same west coast lifestyle as you might imagine in the USA: people are laid back and focused on quality of life more than the stresses of business… so the whole yoga and vegetarianism movement is big over there.
  • I think the population is about 2 or 3 million, which means that it is big enough for you to have everything you want from a big city but I never found it too big to handle - everything can be done on the bus pretty conveniently.
  • Very sporty lifestyle in Vancouver: people are always going for hikes or skiing in the mountains, going to the beach, playing sports…</p>

<p>I think I’ve already written enough… can anyone talk about Toronto and/or Montreal and their universities?</p>

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<p>Although nightlife in Montreal is not centered around any one university, all of them have some access to nightlife, hence why McGill once made it to Playboy’s top-10. </p>