<p>I agree that Canadian universities can very much be on par with their American counterparts. However, it’s generally easier to get into McGill than it is to get into the Ivy League. </p>
<p>Consider this: </p>
<p>U.S. Student A has a 95 average. He’s the captain of his mock trial team, interned at a lab, dabbled a bit in Math Olympiad, perhaps more. He wants to apply as a chemistry major. SAT score of 2200. </p>
<p>Student A is perfect for McGill. He’s an obvious admit. He has good grades, has good extracurricular activities, exceptional SAT scores, and is a generally good student. At Ivies, that doesn’t matter. Sure, those things get you through the door, but the Ivies want to see “passion” and want to see something “different.” Getting into the Ivy League involves more luck than getting into McGill. </p>
<p>Just a note: McGill is probably the most competitive Canadian university (I think it’s more selective than UToronto.) It accepted 43% of its applicants in 2003. Stanford’s and Harvard’s acceptance rates were both under 15% that year.</p>