TitoMorito

Lethbridge has lows of -12C or so in winter, not bad! That's warmer than almost everywhere else up here. And it sounds like you live in Alberta already, from how you've described it!

What kind of climate do you like? Would you mind being in a larger city? Most schools offer German and French majors, and if you wanted to study French, you'd be better off going to a university out east, where it's more commonly spoken. Alberta and Saskatchewan both have substantial German populations, so you may want to look at universities in both provinces for that subject. Is ULethbridge well-known for either of these languages? (I haven't heard anything, but I haven't looked into it, either.)

Don't worry about ECs, they're only really considered at the top or private schools up here, if at all.

noimagination

Station Results | Canada's National Climate Archive

I think you should try to approach this process in a more rational, systematic way. If you are interested in schools in Canada, we can help you with that.

You have some very good universities available in MD as well.

How much can you afford to pay?
Good. Your ECs don't much matter, except for scholarships (which are limited anyway).

imokayman

What do you think about these three, which I don't think have been mentioned in this thread:

Mount Royal University
U of Manitoba
U of Winnipeg

starbright

^ I'm a professor at a Canadian U.

All of these are pretty good tuition-wise for American students. U of Manitoba is great, U of Winnipeg is terrible (I mean really, truly- I'll send you data if you like). Mt Royal is relatively new to the 4 year university scene and not as well known. It is more teaching focused than U of M (which is research focused), with a decidedly more applied focus. It also has a smaller campus than U of M.

starbright

This is partly true because they don't matter nearly as much as they do in the US. But I would add that it has been quickly changing. UBC, as but one example, went entirely 'broad based' this past year (every faculty required students to submit essay answers and list ECs) and Queen's has always looked beyond grades. Likewise, my child who applied to 6 different Canadian universities had to submit materials beyond grades (which even 5 years ago was not necessary). I believe McGill is the only school that is still entirely grade/score focused.

TitoMorito

@starbright: Maybe for top schools, but lower-tier schools like SFU, UVic, and University of Lethbridge still admit based on grades and test scores exclusively (barring arts and other specialized programs), at least from what I can see without going through an application - I may be mistaken. I agree that for some schools ECs are vital, as in addition to the changes you mentioned, UBC has also changed its scholarship requirements to include ECs and other qualifications beyond test scores and grades - no more automatic scholarships for those with a certain % average!

imokayman

@starbright: I would be interested in that data regarding U of Winnipeg.

As for Mount Royal, I was thinking it was a good choice for Co-op education given its location (Calgary), especially since it seems to be one of the cheapest Unis in Alberta. Would you agree with that?

starbright

Try to get a hold of the MacLean's magazine University Rankings issue (it comes out once a year in the fall as hard copy but you can also find some data online). The rankings are as useless as most rankings, but the data they examine, most of which is public, is quite informative.

True enough Tito, I'm thinking of the 'first tier' but it will filter to all schools relatively soon from what I gather.

UBC now requires "broad based" admissions for all faculties/programs. This was the first year it was extended to all.

ecouter11

Just my 0.02:

U of Lethbridge is a pretty small school and most people I know go there if they want to teach. It might be good in languages, but I agree with everyone who's said it might be better to look at schools more "critically".

U of Guelph- They have a FANTASTIC microbiology undergrad program. I know grad students/postdocs that went to undergrad/grad school there and now work at one of the best Biomedical labs in Canada. That being said, it's definitely not a name school.

Queens- It's a good school, but if you don't like small towns, then stay away. I know a kid doing PreMed there and says he likes the school but it's way too small for him.

alwaysamom

Kingston isn't Toronto, obviously, but it isn't what most people would describe as a small town. The population is ~130,000.

ecouter11

Sorry, I should've said "small cities". This kid is from Calgary, population > 1 million so I think he was quickly bored.

tomofboston

In one respect Queen's is the most "American" of larger Canadian universities. It is a major research university with a medical school located in a small city that is remote from any large cities. That is common in the US but Queen's/Kingston is the only Canadian example.