I’m currently in my junior year of highschool, which means that I need to start looking around and thinking about college, unfortunately. I don’t plan to start looking seriously for few months, but when I do I’d like to be prepared. One option I’d like to consider very seriously is going to college/university in the Great White North, aka Canada. I know I would much rather go to school there then here in New England, and I would also like to get the facts about universities in Canada. For example, I hear they are much cheaper, but have far larger campuses in general. It would be good to learn how true this and other generalizations are, and if any schools up there are right for me. So, can anyone tell me where I might start looking, or where I can find a central sort of information source? Thanks muchly.
Linda Frum’s Guide to Canadian Universities tells it like it is, as in what it’s really like to attend a certain school.
It was last revised in 1990, but I don’t things at any given school have changed much since then.
Good luck! 
They are much cheaper for Canadian citizens because our government subsidises our education quite significantly. However, since you are not Canadian, you would be paying the foreign, non-subsidised rate. I don’t think you would be saving much money.
My feeling is that Canada has better standards for meeting basic requirements than American universities (our worst universities are not as bad as your worst universities) but, for the most part going to an American University is more prestigious than going to a Canadian University (although our equivalent programs may or may not be just as good). Sucks for us, but that’s the way it is. I would say since you’re an American, unless you have a good reason to come here (eg. some specific program that is well-known in the US) you would be better served staying in the States.
From what I’ve heard, the foreign person rate is about the rate you pay to go to an American state university. Maybe a bit less.
Considering the exchange rate from American to Canadian… I think it would be a little cheaper. I personally don’t go to university but I often have things happening on or around campuses and I find they are rather large. It’s not bad though unless you have classes on opposite side of campus right after the other.
Balduran and LaurAnge, that was my main question about the cost issue. I wasn’t sure what kind of effect not being a Canadian citizen :).
Thanks though; I’m still going to look around. I may not be much better off as far as affordability is concerned, but I would welcome the chance to get the heck out of New England for a while. It’s not that I don’t like it here, I’ve just been here all my life. Plus, I like Canada, so it’s one of my prime places to look, along with New York state (and possibly city).
Thanks for the input and the links!
:rolleyes:
Preview is my friend.
That should be, I wasn’t sure what effect my not being a Canadian citizen would have on costs.
Oh, another post, sorry…
Poysyn, those links are VERY helpful, thanks.
The AUCC site states an average cost of living, including tuition, as about $15,000 CDN a year. Add in possible scholarship, and well… I was at a presentation by a guy from Reed College in Portland, Oregon today. Tuition? $34,000 US, with a loan cap of $16,000. Granted, the info on the AUCC page is an average, and Reed is a prestigious private college. Even so… damn.
I would definitely say this could be a cheaper average, even without state subsidization. I guess my choice will depend upon what I find up North as it compares to what I find within a 500-700 miles radius here in the US.
Thanks again :).
Let me plug Montreal. Our universities are pretty cheap, and there are four of them, which makes it an incredible party town. Here are our universities:
www.concordia.ca
www.mcgill.ca
www.umontreal.ca
www.uqam.qc.ca
Hey,
I’m a McGill grad and I would highly advocate you go there (I’m a Canadian but went to high school in the US)! First, it’s going to be very, very cheap. Second, it’s in Montreal ('nuff said!). Third, the faculties are very good. Finally, it’s very cosmopolitan and you get the benefit of having some (okay, a lot) of American brethren if you ever want rides back home/to the airport/whatever. I was choosing between Northwestern and McGill and I went with McGill and I"ve never regretted it. One last thing-it’s very well recognised in the US if you plan on coming back to work here-I never had any problems. Actually, HR would coo over what a nice school it is…ummm, what else. Oh yeah, except for one law school I didn’t have to fill out any extra paperwork/foreign student stuff if you want to come back here for school. Good luck!
proud martlet,
Anu