My D26 would like to add more Canadian universities to her list. She currently knows about UBC, UToronto, and McGill, since her big brother applied to those. We also have heard a bit about Waterloo, as it’s a common feeder school for tech in the bay area where we live.
Would it be possible for folks very familiar with Canada to help give a sense of the landscape of universities outside the big 3 + Waterloo? We don’t hear much about the other Canadian universities and what they have to offer. I thought this might be a good topic for its own thread, because I’m guessing my D is not the only student who is thinking more seriously about Canada right now.
My D would like to attend a largeish university in a city (or one that is well integrated with college town / small city), so she’s not considering the smaller, more LAC-like schools like Mount Allison. However, I know those can be great for the right student, and I’m hoping other students or parents will find this thread useful, so feel free to talk about any schools that you would like
D isn’t 100% sure yet what subject she’ll be applying for, but current best guess is bioengineering / biomedical engineering, some kind of interdisciplinary bio related major, or neuroscience. (She’s currently in a researchy bioengineering summer program where she’s getting more exposure to different subareas and doing a neuro related project, hopefully this will help her figure out what she wants.)
Have your Daugher look into the following schools. McMaster University , Queens University ,Western University, University of Guelph, Dalhousie and The University of Calgary. All solid choices in good college towns.
Concordia in Montreal, York a few light rail stops away from Toronto, UNew Brunswick and Queen’s for a pretty campus, UVictoria for a scenic setting and more residential than average…
Brock would make for an excellent safety.
How can we (or other parents and students) learn more about which universities are strong in particular areas? Also intangibles such as vibe and student life at each? My D isn’t looking for an American-style college experience with big sports etc., but still wonders what kind of vibe and atmosphere she can expect. How can we find out more than what we can learn on each university’s web site?
S23 and I had a good long visit at UBC, so I have a bit of a sense there (and I think D would like it there), but we won’t be able to visit anywhere in Canada before D applies. (She’s probably not doing any more college visits in the US either.)
Here is a link to a Facebook group you can join. I am assuming you’re not Canadian ( there is another I can link if you are)
Canadian Universities are more similar then not, there is not the vast differences you see in American Colleges.
Maclean university rankings publication - skip the broad rankings and look for specific lists such as faculty:ratio, size of 1st year courses, operating budget, budget for student services.. https://macleans.ca/education/university-rankings/
The comprehensive universities tend to be more commuter than the Doctoral/Medical and Primarily Undergraduate colleges - look into the student housing situation on their website. Concordia is in Montréal which is super for independent college students. UVic is on an island so mostly residential.
For someone with Canadian citizenship (and I expect Canadian permanent residence would work the same) universities in Canada tend to be consistently relatively reasonably priced by US standards. This is true even for a student who has never lived in Canada.
For international students, there appears to be a larger range in terms of what universities would cost. It might be worth comparing prices for different schools. Don’t forget to keep the exchange rate in mind.
Others above have mentioned some very good universities. Some others I might think about would be the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser, the University of Alberta, and Memorial University of Newfoundland. Victoria probably has the mildest winters in Canada. The U of Alberta will have cold winters.
We toured both Concordia (in Montreal) and Dalhousie (in Halifax, Nova Scotia) and quite liked both of them.
I agree with looking at the Maclean’s university rankings. Do note that a few of the schools on their lists teach in French. The University of Ottawa is officially bilingual. I think that you can get by only speaking English.
Housing costs may vary quite a bit depending upon where in Canada you are. Also, Canada is really, really large, so travel details may vary quite a bit depending upon where you live and where your daughter goes to university. Coming from California of course the schools in British Columbia will be closer for you. Calgary might not be all that long of a flight depending upon whether there are any direct flights.
Canadian universities have specific requirements for WHEN you take certain prerequisite classes. For example, if you took AP Bio in 10th grade they may not count it. Just something to look into. And you will need to look specifically at each degree program and their requirements, as this will all vary even in the same university.
There is a LOT less hand-holding at Canadian universities, at least in my experience. I went to Western and while it was the best 4 years of my life, I don’t think my son could cut it there. You need to be independent, a good self-advocate, and you need to seek out information.
Info that I’ve heard specifically about McGill from US parents in a group I’m in - it’s not IF your child fails a class, it’s WHEN. There is no grade inflation, and many US kids may not have the same background in whatever topic as the Canadian kids. Be prepared for the grades.
I think the schools that have been suggested are all great. Also as mentioned the universities in Canada tend to be more similar than different, so location might be your biggest consideration.
When my son applied to McGill, UBC, and U of T for fall 2023, they were all happy with his AP Chem being taken in 10th grade, it counted for the chemistry all of them required for engineering admission (and he was awarded merit from UBC and U of T). He did check with the admissions offices before applying. I don’t know if other universities have different requirements though.
