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American -> Canadian College?

Howdy all. So, this is just kind of totally random, but I'm a senior in high school in the U.S (Ohio) and have totally no clue what I'm doing next year. But I was wondering if there would be any benefit for an American student, such as myself, to go to a Canadian college. I heard that Canadian colleges are cheaper and you can save money from the dollar exchange. And there could be scholarships for international students? What would it take for this to be possible? Do the risks outweigh the benefits? What do you guys think?

Thanks :)

Re: American -> Canadian College?

In Canada, colleges and universities are more differentiated, so I assume you mean university. In general, the tuition is less, however, all universities have an increased tuition for international students. I do believe there are scholarships for international students but each university has its own criteria so you would have to look up each one you are interested in potentially attending.

One of the biggest issues for you would be housing. In other words, would your family move to somewhere in Canada or would they remain in Ohio while you live either on residence or nearby off campus? For the latter, you will have to pay even more. One of the risks you face is there are not as many highly reputable Canadian universities versus American universities/colleges. For example, in Canada, there's University of British Columbia (UBC) and University of Toronto (UofT) which are very well-known around the world (I'm graduating this year from UofT). Another risk you face is being home-sick since you're away from your family and you'll be in an area you are not familiar with at all. It's always ideal to visit the campuses of where you'll be applying but for you this would require a flight or very long drive. If you don't see the campus with your own eyes, your expectations may not be met.

If I misunderstood and you meant community college, I see no value in coming to Canada for that.

Re: American -> Canadian College?

I'm also Canadian, so I'll shed some light. While Canadian tuition is more expensive for Americans (international student rates), it's still a lot cheaper than even the state schools in the US. Regarding reputation, universities work in a much different way than in the US. UofT (Toronto) and UBC (British Columbia) are really no more reputable than most of Canadian universities. Our government holds all universities to the same standard and each school must meet those standards in order to be considered accredited. In the US, Harvard and Stanford are on a different playing level than the lower ranked schools, but this is not representative of the Canadian education system.

I'm currently a student at a university in Canada - the University of Western Ontario, so I could help answer any questions you have. What is it that you'd like to study? That makes a big difference. For example, if you want to study Business, I'd recommend the University of Western Ontario (Richard Ivey School of Business) or Queen's University (Queen's Commerce). In my opinion, both of those programs are far superior to its Canadian counterparts.

Regarding advantages of going to a Canadian school - it depends. One of my boyfriend's best friends is a Florida native and chose to come to school in Canada - at Western. It's really up to your personal preference. Attending a Canadian school will likely save you money during your undergraduate career. Is that the only factor you're considering, though? Saving money? If it is, I urge you to think of other factors that are important to you when selecting a school.

Also, what are your grades like? It's pretty competitive to get into some of the good schools. I.e., McGill University has a cut-off of about 88%, Western has a cut-off of about 84.5% and Queen's has something very similar. All of the other schools are usually 80%ish or below. I know several people who were accepted to the University of Toronto with a 70% average. It really is dependant on the specific program and university that you wish to attend.

If you have any other specific questions, shoot me a message and I'll get back to you with quality advice! :)

Re: American -> Canadian College?

My senior year of high school I looked into attending the University of Vancouver. It has an internationally known journalism program, which is what I thought I wanted to do. However, I heard it was very competitive process, which I wasn't really into; I didn't want to feel overly anxious about getting into a school only to find myself anxious for the next four or five years trying to stay on top of everyone else.

In addition, I would have had international student rates, which were actually more expensive than going to a state school. Plus there was that entire ordeal of actually trying to get the go-ahead to be in Canada in a few months. On top of that, I would have really far away from my family, which is important to me, so I decided not to go. However, that's just my experience. I've heard Canadian schools are great, so if you want to pull it off more power to you.

Re: American -> Canadian College?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superstar (Post 813579)

There's no such thing as the "University of Vancouver" =/

Re: American -> Canadian College?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superstar (Post 813579)

My senior year of high school I looked into attending the University of Vancouver. It has an internationally known journalism program, which is what I thought I wanted to do. However, I heard it was very competitive process, which I wasn't really into; I didn't want to feel overly anxious about getting into a school only to find myself anxious for the next four or five years trying to stay on top of everyone else.

University of Vancouver doesn't exist, so it's rather amazing it was competitive :haha: . I assume you mean University of British Columbia. Second, while there is a journalism program, you need to have an undergraduate degree since it's a graduate/Masters program. I don't know of a single Masters program that isn't competitive, maybe there is one though.