Sorry for the misspelling. I am currently on an H4 visa. As for the cost, I had a talk with my parents, and they would be able to afford the full cost, but it would be tough. One of the reasons that I included WPI is because it does give need-based aid to international students, which is a significant plus. I will look into Buffalo and Michigan Tech as well.
In some ways the Canadian and US universities are similar, and in some ways they are different. Admissions is one way in which they are different.
In Canada admissions is largely stats based. If you have the grades, then you get in. Most universities are large enough to accept the qualified students who apply. As one example, the University of Toronto has close to 45,000 undergraduate students (I am not sure whether this is just the main campus, or covers all 3 campuses). This is in a country that has only about 1/9 of the population of the USA. If one top university in the US had 9 times that many students, that would make admissions much easier in the US as well.
In addition to being large, the University of Toronto is academically very challenging and is known for grade deflation. This does lead to some students dropping out. I think that it might be a good idea to think about whether you want to work that hard for four years and attend so large of a university. It is a great fit for some students, but is not necessarily a great fit for everyone.
So one reason for the high acceptance rate is that several highly ranked Canadian universities are large relative to the moderate population of Canada. Another reason is that admissions at top universities in Canada is relatively predictable. For a high school student attending high school in Canada, you or your guidance counselor will have a pretty good idea whether you will get in or not. As one example, when I was in high school (in a suburb of Montreal) I only applied to two universities: one safety which was McGill, plus one reach which was MIT. We knew that I would get into McGill so there was no reason to apply to any other universities in Canada. Some other students might have known that they would not get into McGill, so they would have not bothered applying there and instead applied somewhere else.
In contrast admissions to the highest ranked schools in the US is hard to predict, so a lot of students apply just to see what happens. Of course this also leads to students sending in many applications to many schools.
I think that Queenâs University in Kingston is also worth taking a look at. It is a bit closer for you (compared to Toronto or McMaster), is a bit smaller than Toronto (26,000 undergraduate students), and consistently has a high rating for student satisfaction (although just now I was not able to find the student satisfaction rankings, and am going by memory from back when my daughters were looking at universities).
I also quite like the area around Concordia and McGill. We last visited a while ago when one daughter was touring both schools, and stayed about half way between the two (and walked to both for tours). One issue is that you have quite a few English speaking students at both McGill and Concordia, so the businesses in the area cater to these many customers. As one example, if I walk into a store or restaurant in the area and start speaking French, then will almost always immediately reply in English (which is yes a comment on the quality of my French). The park on the top of Mount Royal is quite near by as well. Place des Arts is not all that far away, but is on the McGill side so would be a bit further from Concordia.
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The reason I added UMASS - Boston/Lowell is because that they will be a cheaper option as I would qualify for in-state tuition.
If this is the case, then I would be more open to applying to UMASS Lowell, but would probably still drop UMASS Boston from my list.
Thank you for pointing that out.
I did have a C+ in English first semester, but none others, my counselor and I have already talked about this, and he said he would include it.
That is what I am planning to do, and another one of the reasons why I want to apply there.
Thanks again for the detailed response, the part about predictable admissions makes sense. I will look more into if my grades meet those requirements. I would like to attend a large university, but I will look into how hard the school is for the University of Toronto. I think the part you said about the french is a bonus for me as my grammar is still lackluster. I will definitely try to visit the area to see how I like it but from both yours and @fiftyfifty1âs description it seems really nice.
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This is a bit misleading though because University of Toronto is in Ontario and public so itâs more similar to a public state school such as Berkeley, U Michigan, UT Austin or Purdue. Ontario has a population of ~16 million so about half the size of Texas. UT Austin has about 42k undergrads so about the same size compared to the number you list which I believe is for only the downtown campus though I could be mistaken. So the downtown campus has about double the students in comparison. Comparing the population size of Canada to the US would make it appear that UT Austin would be a lot harder to get into but most of the students in the country really donât consider UT Austin if theyâre not from Texas though there are exceptions. Same is true of University of Toronto. While there are some students from Quebec or even British Columbia, the large majority of Canadian students will be from Ontario.
There are other schools in Ontario that you might want to look at besides those mentioned by @DadTwoGirls Maybe take a look a Western University and University of Waterloo as well.
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Will look into it as well, thanks for all the suggestions. Seems like there chemical engineering program is very strong.
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If I understand what you are trying to say right, it might be harder for me to get into University Of Toronto because I donât live in-province and it is a public school?
Another safety to pethaps consider is Ferris State. More than 8 hr drive but has auto engineering and sports. Midsized.
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No not at all. Unlike American schools, the Canadian universities do not seem to put caps on admission for out of province students to my knowledge and the fees for out of province students are very similar to in province students but slightly more. The price for Canadian citizens is very good compared with their American counterparts. Just that most students in Canada donât tend to venture out of province since it usually means a plane ride unless one is going from Quebec to Ontario or vice versa. There are far more international students in the Canadian university system than schools like Berkeley or UT Austin. I think Toronto has a student population rate of about 30% international and they have high fees.
I am familiar with the Ontario university application system. You can apply to several schools/programs though the cost goes up. For instance, I believe you can apply to up to 3 different programs just at Univeristy of Toronto so for instance one might apply to engineering which is only offered in the downtown campus, then physics at two of the other campuses. However, then you can also apply to one or more programs at Queens, McMaster, Waterloo, Western etc. Even though you are a Canadian citizen, I believe that because you attended high school in Massachusetts you would need to apply using the non-resident form OUAC 105 which is used for any student who applies without an Ontario high school degree.
I am nowhere near as familiar with the universities in Quebec though everyone has heard of McGill. From what I know, the Canadian universities will provide an excellent education and are very well respected.
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Please be careful about this if you stay in the US. Itâs a common misconception that it only counts as âworkâ if you are paid, but thatâs not correct. An unpaid internship could still count as âworkâ and needs to meet the requirements of your visa. This link lists the details/conditions under which you could do an unpaid internship without needing work authorization- Unpaid Internships and Volunteer Work
(One way to get around this would be to apply for an F1 student visa where you could get authorization to do internships under OPT; you are presumably aware that youâd need to apply for F1 by the time youâre 21 anyway as you will age out of H4.)
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UMass Boston is mostly commuter so probably not what you want, but UMass Lowell, while not residential the way UMass Amherst is, is not totally commuter like UMass Boston; further, your stats make it possible for you to get into the Honors College, which comes with a terrific dorm just for Honors students - suites, kitchens, and lounges plus classrooms and a dedicated adviser who can point you to opportunities - in addition to support for entrepreneurial or research projects, special classes, etc. It means all the Honors students have a ready-made community so you wouldnât have the âcommuter feelâ, your friends brought up wrt WPI and which they/you dislike. And yes Lowell is well-known for CS& Engineering so all good!
Seconding SUNY Buffalo, UCincinnati (they pionered the university co-op model that is now so well-done at Purdue or Northeastern), UDelaware, URhode Island, UMaine/USouthernMaine? (Pitt, Penn State, tOSU, and Miami Ohio may be too far - if not, check them out).
Michigan Tech may be a bit remote - Charlotte on the other hand is far but easily accessible by plane (direct flights?/major airport).
If you were admitted to WPI, would you consider living on campus? It may solve the problem your friends are facing.
However if youâd rather go a bit further away from home, it makes a lot of sense imho to do that as a college freshman -then, simply donât apply. Youâll definitely get into UMass Lowell (and Wentworth) so if youâre good with these, no need to apply to a college you donât want to go to.
In Canada, look into the McGill McDonaldâs campus in case you see something of interest - their criteria are a bit more lenient because theyâre not downtown (but the students are a tight knit group, the majors highly employable, and itâs easy to go downtown).
Ottawa would give you an automatic scholarship if you took part of your program in French. Living in Gatineau would keep things fun.
Seconding Concordia - should be a high-level safety.
Waterloo (co-op) for a reach?
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Sorry for the misunderstanding, I think I understand the in-province thing and international student now. For applying, Iâm pretty sure I would have to use the non-resident form because I donât go to an Ontario High School. Thank you for all help.
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I whatever-number-weâre-on SUNY BuffaloâŠnot just because Iâm attending there in the fallâŠI promise. But their SAE team is so cool and along with their Engineering program.
If you decide to visit in the end, I think the schoolâthat although is placed in Buffalo, NYâwhere people immediately assume itâs cold. But, actually- since youâre used to Canada (close to Buffalo) you might embrace it! Their SEAS Engineering tour is what IMMEDIATELY sold me while choosing a school. It isnât the normal âwe canât go in this room because you guys arenât wearing protective equipmentâ or âletâs look through this glass peepholeâ. They actually took you inside to meet the professors and learn more about their research/discipline/what theyâre doing.
Since youâre particularly interested in Mechanical and Aerospace (another word for Aeronautical), UB is also the ONLY SUNY school with Aerospace and, according to their Engineering dean Kemper Lewis (he told me this)ââ40% of their students who start in Mechanical Engineering end up double majoring in Aerospace as wellâ. Itâs one of their most popular major combos. They also have a good Chemical Engineering program as well.
Tours are Mondays and Fridays, and Iâd definitely suggest you make your way on a Monday one for the Mechanical & Aerospace focused ones. I donât know when tours open back up again though. (link to register for a SEAS tour!) if they donât open back up, the general North Campus (where the Engineering school is housed) walking tours are also worth it!! (link to register for a North Campus walking tour!)
I intend on majoring in Materials Science & Engineering (MSE); but Mechanical and Aerospace is another option for me 
They also have WiSE which stands for Women in Science & Engineering (if youâre a girl/self-identify as one), NSBE (national society of black Engineers), or SHPE (society of Hispanic professional engineers) along with the UB SAE team, if you want to join any particular identity-based clubs/organizations.
I feel like UB is extremely likely or likely admit for you/your stats anyways! Plus- it seems to match your profile!!
Good luck!! If you have UB questions (from an incoming SEAS prospect) you can ask!! 
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The Honors College does seem interesting and I think it would give me the traditional college experience that I want while also being close to home. I think the specific dorm is nice as well as the extra guidance. I think URI and UMaine are a bit too rural for me. I think Penn State and Pitt are close enough but OSU is a bit too far. I think Iâm going to remove WPI from my list because I also donât like Worcester in general. I will look into UCincinnati as well.
I have cousins in Buffalo, and I liked the area whenever I visit it + they have Timâs nearby. I will definitely visit if I look at the University of Toronto. Additionally, they have a decent football team and are close to the Bills stadium.
I think I will do this:
Remove UMASS - Boston and WPI
Look at UB- SUNY, UNC, Concordia, McGill McDonald, Drexel, McMaster, Waterloo, Penn state, UNH, University of Delaware, Queens, UCincinaati and Michigan Tech. One of my friends who is a senior also suggested Lehigh. What are your opinions on Lehigh?
That is my current plan, but I am in contact with my counselor about other options.
Thank you everyone for your responses.
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Just a heads up re: Waterloo it should be considered a reach also itâs tuition is significantly higher then other Universities in Ontario for Engineering. Most students are ok with the âup charge â because they will make decent $ during their Co-op placements. Waterloo due to the heavy Co-op focus of the school feels less like a typical undergraduate campus. If looking at other universities in Ontario that will be less of a reach and have a more reasonable tuition and more traditional campus vibe you could add university of Guelph and Western University.
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I meanâhey! UB has a Tim Hortonâs on campusâŠwhat else can I say about that?? Iâve never tried it before but I think it might become my coffee spot (outside of Starbucks) on campus.
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We know at least a dozen people that have gone to WPI and they did not seem to come home any more often than kids that went to UNH, URI or UConn.
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Interesting, my opinion might be skewed as I have a very small sample size and both live within Commutable distance. I registered for a visit over summer break already so I will take a look but from what Iâve heard I donât think I would have the best time there.
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I will take that into account when building my list. It will be significantly cheaper than most U.S. schools for me as I am a canadian Citizen. I will look into Guelph and Western.
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We live only about 20 minutes away, but all the students we know who went there chose to live on campus.
As long as it is affordable, Iâd keep it on your list solely because engineering admissions are unpredictable, and what would normally be a target or safety for general admissions, wonât necessarily be so for engineering. WPI admits to the school and not by major, so their admission numbers arenât skewed by adding in acceptances to higher probability majors.
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