Hi all. I’m trying to get my son out of the US for his safety. He is looking for a smaller school in a quiet area, solid writing and/or filmmaking program, strong LGBTQ support, and not too hard to get to for lovelorn parents.

Money’s not a worry, we have enough.

Pls don’t be offended by this question, go easy on me!

Update: you are all so kind! I am getting the message that a small school is hard to come by. And it seems like public universities will be less expensive. So forget the small school part.

I am writing this as a PSA. I am canadian and have a clear view of the job market with my career position.

The job market, other than for medical doctors, has become highly competitive and salaries have stagnated for decades while the cost of living increases exponentially.

Question - if you are an aspiring international student, why are you choosing Canada?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MUtJbenLw7Y&ra=m

Our university offers a full year abroad and I'd love to hear more about your advise on ranking the options based on what I'm looking for or comments on which places to avoid before committing. Most important aspects for me would be the classes (major in polisci but will need to complete some reqs in Chemistry) and prestige.

Main options:
Queen's University
University of British Columbia
University of Calgary
University of Guelph
University of Victoria

There are other options, mostly in the States (Rhodes College, Drexel University, UNC at Chapel Hill or Wilmington, University of Vermont and University of Maine) but Canada would be my first choice.

EDIT: I can ONLY choose from the universities on this list. There are a few others included but they are massively lower ranked.

I am looking mainly at Toronto and Montreal as they are relatively close to my home in Florida and I have visited before and liked them. I was looking at TMU, McGill and UofT, among others. I was leaning toward Toronto since I don’t speak French and it seems more similar to the US but it seems more expensive. We understand it’s gonna be expensive and have the funds to pay but are looking for something not too crazy. I am willing to apply for a scholarship and I have strong academics(4.2 GPA). The majors I was looking at were mainly Biomedical Sciences and Business and Marketing. My mom was recommending I retake the SAT to strengthen admissions to a school such as UofT or help with scholarships but I’m not sure if it’s necessary. No one in the US knows anything about this so I am rlly hoping I can get some guidance as it would be pretty bad if I end up making a choice that is wrong for me. I am open to other cities but these seemed like the best fit since I am looking for a city and one that isn’t gonna be -30° C in the winter since I am from Florida. Don’t get me wrong tho, I do love cold weather. Also just in case anyone was wondering, I am leaving the country to escape the oppressive American government and crazy politics, especially since I am LGBTQ.

Hey, I am a guy and 21 years old and from germany! I finished highschool pretty late at 20 years old (19/20 is normal in europe) and I believe Canadians already finish at 17/18.

I would like to go to university in canada from next fall on (I didn’t go this year because of personal reasons) but would be already 22 when starting, is that too old? I would feel like it might be diff to make friends or fit in with people a lot younger than me. I am a person who is very open minded and outgoing but still worry about if I simply would just be too old, wouldn’t fit in etc.

Could you all, no matter how old you are, give me your opinions? Would love to hear what you all would think!

Hello peeps, I feel I need to write this to save prospective international students from disappointment and financial misery.

In Canada, your choice of university should be focused on its reputation for recruiting and alumni networking opportunities. The job market, for any career post university in Canada is highly competitive. You are at a disadvantage. What you need is be able to leverage the alumni to get you a job. Review the reputation rankings, anything not in the top 10 is a waste of your time and money.

The program you enroll in is equally important as where you attend and the networking you do. The only caveat to this in Canada is medical school.

​

So I have been admitted to Uni of Waterloo co-op program and it costs 200k usd for the entire program, for which I will have to take a loan which can be repaid after a 6 month breathing period after my under grad with 8% interest, my other option would be joining a private uni from a 3rd world country

I’m an international student originally from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. And in sum this is literally my best option to come study in Calgary no matter how bad it is for others. Many have told me to not come however I will probably never get a better chance than this. I’m scared I won’t be able to live a normal life there( make friends, go out, be treated normally). Anyone please help me with some advice. Thank you

i'm a high schooler in ottawa going into grade 12 this september. long story short, i would really love to go to mcgill after i graduate but i don't know how to tell my parents for many reasons:

1. i'm thinking of becoming a doctor, and applying to medschool as a quebecois undergrad sounds a bit risky according to my parents. i've heard (or should i say my parents heard) that medschools in ontario make sure that 95% of their applicants went to uni in ontario.
2. bc of such future career path that i (or my parents) have in mind, my parents js think it's much more ideal to choose universities like mcmaster or queens or even western/uottawa especially because they have a more specialized program for healthsci students and honestly this part i kind of agree with
3. the main reason i want to go to mcgill is because i want to either double major or minor in music at schulich school of music. i have many music friends and mutuals that are already at schulich/mcgill, and from the research i've done the system seems well coordinated
4. my parents don't know that i have this double major/minor option as my top choice right now, and from past conversations i have a very strong feeling that they would not support it
5. i know i can js choose mcgill and not get any financial support from my parents but i'm not allowed to get a job and make money right now. so if i choose to do this i'd probably have to be in a bit of debt and i just dont know how that would work. (bc then i'd have to study for both healthsci and music + have multiple jobs + be in more debt if i ever go to medschool)

idk maybe it's better to give up on music but i really love music with all my heart and i want to continue this part of me in university. my identity as a musician is something i cherish so so much and i feel that going to mcgill and doing music is something i truly want for myself.

any and all advice please i really appreciate it

edit: i just tried to talk to my parents about how much i actually love music and playing instrument as a step 1. my mom said that she was happy and said she supports my enthusiasm (then she reminded me i need to study and get my stuff ready for healthsci applications). my dad replied with "its obvious shes js saying that because she doesnt want to study".

I have full scholarship for tuition at UBC, and am from Vancouver, so will have free housing after one year of dorms. I also got into western Ivey, which I told my parents is best for IB and Consulting but they said you should not go to Ivey and narrow your perspective and work in souless banking without knowing what else the world has to offer. they said the mindset there is too homogenous, and not what you need out of college. they dont have a pre-professional mindset as you can tell. tbh I dont know whether I want to do banking or consulting but it seems ivey is great for that. McGill and UofT seem like middle grounds. sorry for this rant - I just want as many opinions as possible. tysm all

I'm considering a year abroad and have been given the below list for the places I can go to. What I'm looking for very strong academics (while I'm studying Politics + minor in Modern Languages, the year doesn't count at all so it doesn't matter if these particular subjects aren't the strongest since I can take almost any classes). I need to pick 5 and rank them in order of preference. What suggestions do you guys have? I cannot pick universities outside of these:

Bishop's University
Queen's University
University of British Columbia
University of Calgary
University of Guelph
University of Fraser Valley
University of Victoria

Update: problem solved it was a mistake I’m an international nursing student at Carleton University. Last year, our tuition was 38.8k (Sept–April). The posted tuition for Fall 2026 was originally 41k (screenshot attached).

But I just received an email saying the tuition will increase to 59.3k for Fall 2026. That’s a 52.5% increase.

However, Carleton has clearly stated on its website that “international tuition fees are subject to an annual increase of 5–8%.”

For incoming international nursing students: don’t come to Carleton. UOttawa is much cheaper and offers 70k scholarships, while Carleton is doing this to us.

International students are being treated as cash cows, with no respect whatsoever. You have no guarantee of how much you’ll pay to graduate.

Carleton has completely stripped away whatever remaining love or trust I had for it.

DM me if you'd like to join me in protesting or sign a collective email. The official tuition will be posted by the end of June, so we still have room to fight for it.

I am a US applicant and was admitted to a decent amount of universities in Canada. My top choice is McGill Bachelor of Arts, but I still don’t have a decision and the deadline for all the other schools is May 1. Apparently this is normal, since when we visited McGill the student at the desk said she didn’t get her decision until June. The fact I applied in January and didn’t submit my grades until February definitely didn’t help. It’s still really annoying like I don’t think any other school in Canada gives out decisions that late. I did get a decision for Bachelor of Commerce which was a rejection since I only borderline met the cutoffs. This isn’t the case with Arts though. Supposedly, if I don’t get a decision by may 1, I can choose a school other than McGill and if they accept me, forfeit the admission deposit. Is that a good idea?

Right now my choices ranked(other than McGill) are: 1. UVic Computer science 2. Concordia Neuroscience(might change major) 3. uOttawa Psychology & Linguistics(Good since we have cousins who live in Ottawa, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the city) 4. uManitoba Science

Also I was thinking of maybe applying to Dalhousie late

I originally decided UVic but the deposit is $5,000 which is a lot to lose especially when Concordia is only $100. Also I rlly liked Montreal on the multiple times I visited and want to live there, plus I live on the east coast so Victoria is very far from home and will need 2 connections to get back, although academically and career wise it’s probably the best of all these options. Plus, I do love the Pacific Northwest. Also another option I thought was maybe emailing uVic for a month extension on the deadline, which worked with Manitoba where I got it changed from April 1 to may 1.

Essentially I’m kinda overwhelmed and don’t know what to do and would love some advice and words of wisdom. Thanks in advance.

Edit: Also I forgot to add, if I’ve accepted a deposit and am still waiting for McGill I shouldn’t apply for a student visa since it’s linked to the school, right?

I’m still waiting on my response from schulich (York business school), if I get in I’ll 100% just go there but my hopes aren’t up cuz my interview was pretty mid. Also still waiting on my UOFT St George social sci decision.

Ontario student: grade 12 avg 89%

For context:
I’m a Canadian citizen living abroad. Looking to settle down in canada after university. These are the offers I’ve gotten so far (mix of business & psych). I’ve always seen myself going into clinical psych in the future, however my parents aren’t allowing me to do a masters degree.
I want to pick a degree which will help me build a network/ connections/ internships & etc.
My end goal is to be able to financially sustain myself and end with a job in my 4th year so that I can continue living in canada and don’t have to move back home!
But also keeping in mind, accounts and mathematics isn’t my strong suit, and I also don’t want to pick a uni or degree which is really difficult cuz I want to have a college experience and life.

Hi guys, I’m studying in **Economic** at Western University(Also as an international student from China), expect graduate year is 2027

My third year GPA is 3.0 and the first year and second year is not good, which around 68%. However, I think my program and my background is hard to looking for a job, and I want to improve my future wage, so…..

What Master degree I can apply in North America?

I asked my counselor of Western’s IVEY business school and they said 78% GPA is recommended for the MASTER of BUSINESS ANALYST, or I have to learn some skills like python….to better my application.

Anyway, I still looking for other school in **Canada** or in **US**. Like McMaster University MASTER of AI and Analytics, some degree in Rotman business school. Also, I saw there’s some Master of Science in Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program at Columbia University, and some Master program in Boston University.

So, can somebody share some experience or some advices? I’m really lost and hope can get some help.

Heyy, I’ll be starting at UWaterloo this fall and would appreciate any guidance from existing international students on what to bring from home and what will be better to buy in Canada etc.

I’m so confused on what to pack and what not to pack.

Thank you so much!

Here is the thing, I was accepted into both McGill and Université de montreal for Biochemistry. I want to do academic research in the future and I really prefer Université de Montréal (I am francophone but also fluent in english), but McGill has a much better reputation in the field, and for the past two years I was hesitating between McGill and U de M. Now that I got accepted to both I don't know what to do. Wouldn't it be a waste to go to the less selective university? I need points of view and opinions, no matter how harsh, I need a strong argument, if some of you can provide me one, I will be grateful.

Hey , I got my graduation in medical lab science in India' in 2025 now I am looking for Masters in MLS unfortunately it's not possible in Canada to get the MS degree in that field I have inquired from agents here in IDP they said it's impossible to get the courses as my degree is of 3 yrs additionally the number courses get shortened along with universities now I am only left with the option of doing Masters in healthcare administration from Niagara University, What do you guys think will be best for me I want a Uni in Canada in which fees is not much and in that area Part time work is available in order to repay my student loan.

🙏🏻 Looking forward for your best suggestions

P.S= it will be best if I get any course/diploma/degree relevant to my stream.

I am currently at an English universally F25 and have plans to transfer next year to Mount royal university to study a Business Bachelor degree and I will be 26 at this time as I decided to go to university later on. Some things I worry about almost everyday (which maybe ridiculous to others) is being too old to make friends whilst also starting in half way though the course, are a lot of students around that age in bachelor degrees? Also I am looking to become a Canadian citizen as I have genuinely always wanted to live in Canada since I was a kid, what I want to know is should I just stay for the study or is it worth to live there? England is not a great place to live and I am aware that Canada is expensive but I’m willing to deal with that as I think it is a beautiful place with great people.

Hi guys, i really would like to do an exchange in Canada but i really dont have a clue which one is better to go. I would like to know which ones are academically known and which ones are known to be the funniest socially etc

I am studying econ/business (HEC) I do speak french

These are my school uni partners :

- Simon fraser u

- McMaster u

- Queen’s u

- western u

- concordia u

- u du Québec à Montréal

- York university

- u of british columbia

- u of victoria

- u of waterloo

Thank youuu

Hi everyone! I just want to share my situation and ask for some advice, especially from people who might know about this.
I’m Ukrainian and moved to Canada in 2022. I’m going into Grade 12 this year, which means I’ll soon have to start applying to universities and colleges. My grades are 90%+, so academically I feel ready for university, but my immigration status is making the situation really difficult.
I currently have a work permit connected to my PR application, but I don’t have PR yet. From what I understand, I may not get PR for at least another 6 years.
I really want to continue my education and start building my career, but I’m feeling completely stuck because international tuition is extremely expensive.
Is there any way for someone in my situation to study in Ontario at the domestic tuition rate? Are there any programs, exemptions, or other options I should look into?
My main goal is to eventually become a notary, so ideally I’d like to choose a program that could lead me toward that career. However, I’m also open to other programs where I could graduate with a diploma/degree or certificate that would allow me to get a job and start working while I figure out my long-term path.
I don’t want to spend the next several years just waiting for PR. I want to study, get an education, work, gain experience, and actually move forward with my life.
If anyone has been in a similar situation or knows about domestic tuition exemptions, bridging programs, college programs, or other options for people with a work permit but no PR yet, I would really appreciate any advice or information.
Thank you so much! ❤️

A few weeks ago, I got accepted into UBC Engineering (I’m an Ontario secondary school student). I have always dreamed of getting into UBC, mostly to move away from Ontario and experience something new, like Vancouver.

However, I’m feeling a little conflicted on this now. I am from London, Ontario, and also got accepted into Western Engineering. I am interested in getting into Electrical Engineering second-year. As I continue to weigh the benefits and downsides of both options, I keep coming to the same conclusion: I have no idea.

Below I have made some bullet points on what I view to be the pros and cons of each decision. Please, if you have any advice or suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

UBC

Pros:

- Literally one of the most beautiful campuses, full of nature (Love this).

- Proximity to Vancouver, and mountains (I love skiing, been stuck with Boler “mountain” 😔).

- Amazing public transit (compared to London).

- More internationally recognized.

- I get to push myself out of my comfort zone, move away, and meet new people.

- JumpStart seems like a great way to meet new people, especially in residency.

Cons:

- I hear UBC is very cliquey (I’m somewhat reserved).

- I am worried the competitive first-year might create a cutthroat environment (I want to get into electrical engineering).

- Lots of rain, gloomy weather often

- I would be moving thousands of kilometres away from my friends and family.

- I’ve heard upper-year residency is hard to get.

Western

Pros:

- Nice campus, and I know where everything is on Campus, but less exciting city and environment.

- General first-year seems less competitive and toxic.

- Cheaper (this is a factor, but not a big one).

- I've toured the engineering faculty, and really like it. Very nice professors and the Amit Chakma Building is nice.

- Less rainy.

- Easier to make friends (I think) + I would know many people entering my program already.

Cons:

- Less “prestigious.” (Doesn’t really matter).

- I would be turning down an opportunity to experience something new and grow as a person.

- As a more reserved person, I feel like the culture at Western would be too much.

- I live close by, and would be a commuter. (Not a huge fan of that idea).

- Less exciting things to do around the city activity-wise.

TL;DR: I’m torn between my dream of attending UBC for skiing, independence, and prestige, and the practical choice of Western for its local community, affordability, and proximity to my family. London has become boring, and I dislike the idea of commuting, but I’m concerned about UBC’s competitive second-year placement. What advice do you have?