Should I go to a Canadian university or American?
January 20th, 2010 | 
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Hi and welcome to my blog,
I opened this blog to help anyone who is preparing for his SAT.
I remember myself when I started - I was so lost and in such a panic.
Luckily I got this great SAT guide that helped me a lot . So study hard and good luck!
I am currently living in Canada.
I have decent grades (91% average in the first term of 11th grade).
Should I work through all the US preparations (SAT’s) or just go to a Canadian school, a much cheaper and easier process?
Is the prestige of American schools really worth the price and effort?
Maybe I should just finish undergraduate studies here in Canada, then transfer to a prestigious institution?
I need to decide on this soon.
Please provide any advice or useful websites or other information sources. Thank you!
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I went to a Canadian university and I’m going to disagree with Canadian Bacon when he says there’s no reason to go to the US. However, it should be for the right reasons. It shouldn’t be for prestige. In fact Canadian companies which tend to be protectionist will probably prefer a Canadian degree over an American (or any other foreign) one. This is basically the same reason why immigrant doctors are taxi drivers, because they don’t have "Canadian experience". The accreditation for some professional programs is also different.
However, American universities tend to emphasize a broad education, where you have to take many general education courses. You get admitted to the university, not a major, and it lets you switch majors easier. When I went to Waterloo I applied to the Mathematics program (a subset within the Math faculty). Although I probably could have switched to arts or science, I was pressured to stay within a math or computer science program. There were some programs even within the faculty that were too restrictive for me to switch to. A typical American university gives you more chances if you hate your major. But they can also require too many general ed courses and not allow you to take as many courses as you want in your major.
Some people like the cultural aspects of American universities, like having better sports teams to cheer for (ex. March Madness) or the bigger frat scene. You should decide if a particular American university feels like a better fit for you. If it does, and you can afford it, then go. But not simply because it’s American.
There’s no reason to go to the US for anything unless you’re going to an Ivy League school, or plan on living in the US.
To go the US for any degree, even Ivy league, and then move back here is pointless; U of T, Waterloo, McGill, etc. will get you anywhere you want to go here in Canada. No American education necessary. And to go to the US for a non-Ivy school seems a waste of time, when your marks are clearly good enough to get into any of Canada’s best schools.
But of course, if you plan on living and working in the US int he future, then an American degree will be beneficial.
Some Degrees are difficult to get in Canada. For example, Engineering Schools are always short of space. In the USA, on the other hand, most decent high school graduates can find a place in an Engineering school somewhere.
Since the demise of Ryerson Polytechnic, few universities in Canada offer what is called "Engineering Technology" in the USA.