D25 is going to UBC and had no problem with getting a visa from the U.S. She was admitted in December (like 10 days after applying!), submitted her visa application and all the supporting financial documentation in April, put a deposit down May 1st, and was issued the visa approval in June. I think it took 10 weeks.
There are two horror stories on the Facebook group Parents of U.S. Students at UBC of visa denials. One seems to be that the parents did not submit adequate documentation of financial support. The other, I’m not sure what happened.
Technically, you could plan a trip to the border and apply there.