<p>I’m not saying that top Canadian universities are worse than America’s finest. Certainly in academic rigor and faculty quality, they are comparable. But it defies all evidence to suggest that they aren’t easier to get into. Selectivity =/= quality.
Actually, it’s completely true. McGill accepts half of applicants (47% for the class of 2011) while Toronto, 2/3rds. The lowest I’ve seen, Queen’s, has a 33% admission rate. While I’m not bashing these schools, it would be completely illogical to assume that the best Canadian universities are as selective as the best American universities that have a small fraction of their acceptance rates.
Most American (and I’m assuming Canadian) students don’t aim for top colleges. Compare the two countries’ pools that do. I doubt you’ll find any noticeable difference in course difficulty.
No it’s not. McGill, usually considered to be in the top echelon of Canadian higher education, has an SAT average of under 1400 and an ACT average of 30. In this regard, dozens of American schools are higher.</p>
<p>Obviously there are going to be Canadian students who go to Ivy League schools. That does nothing to prove how Canada’s best universities are as selective as America’s best. There are also lots of Ivy League graduate students from 3rd or 4th tier state schools. One would not argue that those institutions are as selective as the top.</p>
<p>And Rhodes Scholarships are assigned geographically. It would be an administrative failure to not give any to Canadians (who presumably, end up at Canadian universities).
Given your generalized statement about how Canadian high schools were harder than American ones, it sounds like that you care more about Canadian honor than about arguing the facts. I want to see proof.</p>