In this article in the Boston Globe, we hear that more US students are considering applying to colleges in Canada. Of course, Americans have been going to Canada in order to get a great deal on an outstanding education for years, but current economic circumstances (and, it seems, more recruiting) are nudging more families to look north.
Although I don’t discuss this much in my book, three of my daughters have attended college in Canada, and two graduated from the same university. When my oldest daughter returned from her junior year of high school abroad (in Chile), she knew that she wanted to go outside the US for college. However, she also knew very well that there’s a big difference between studying another language abroad and studying IN another language abroad, and she wanted her college experience to be in English. After checking into European options and others, she chose Acadia University, a small liberal arts college in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
The exchange rate was definitely in our favor (she enrolled in 2004) and she absolutely loved her experience there. One thing we really appreciated was Acadia’s willingness to accept transfer credits, which ultimately made it possible for our oldest daughter to graduate at 19. (This wasn’t a fluke–our third daughter also attended Acadia and graduated at 19 as well.)
It’s hard to know how difficult it is to get credits transferred until you’re actually in the process, because a university might imply that yes, they accept transfer credits, no problem, but when push comes to shove, you learn that they accept only SOME of them. The good folks at Acadia kept their word.
And in general, it does seem that Canadian universities are easier to work with than US colleges (just speaking as a mother of four daughters who have all navigated the system as transfer students). They seem a little less…mercenary. The application process is more relaxed, deadlines aren’t as hard-core, and the excellent admissions staff people we’ve connected with have been unfailingly helpful and accessible. There is, indeed, a nice factor when it comes to Canadians.
Another daughter attended Mount Allison in New Brunswick, but left after a semester. In her case, it was largely the weather–after a year in Brazil and a year in Mexico, she just couldn’t take the freezing temperatures. (We had tried to explain to her how cold it would be, but since these conversations occurred in the heat of Mexico, it sounded refreshing rather than bone-chilling.)
What appealed to all three daughters was the small town environment in a part of the world they’d never visited (each moved to campus without ever having been there first). Having experienced firsthand the big cultural differences between the US and Latin American or Asian countries, they wanted to learn about the subtle distinctions between the Canadian and US cultures.
And while it’s true that Canada is another country and US students who attend a university up north are considered “international students” (and pay for the privilege), I want to emphasize that the differences are not so great as to make it much of a challenging international experience. So, though more American students may be heading to the UK, Australia or Canada for college, it’s nothing close to the perspective-shifting/life-changing study abroad experience one might get from spending time in a non-English-speaking culture. (Apologies to Quebec.)
One thing we hear again and again from students, parents and others who are familiar with both university systems is that Canadian universities do less hand-holding (much like their European counterparts) than US universities and there is much more emphasis on academics rather than the “college experience” we have come to expect in the States. Now, let me be clear–there is plenty of partying in Canada. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that the party culture is alive and well on Canadian campuses. But the difference is that the next morning, Canadian students actually show up to class without making excuses, and they tend to expect college to be, well, academic. In addition, there’s less grade inflation–you won’t find long lists of students receiving a 4.0 each semester. An A takes some serious work to earn, and unlike US college students who became accustomed to getting an A in every subject in high school, Canadians don’t expect a perfect grade point average and aren’t destroyed when they don’t have one.
Okay, that’s a sweeping statement and I know it’s hard to compare such things. I’m just saying that these notions are generally recognized among those who have spent time both in the US and Canadian university systems.
Should we expect a flood of US college freshmen heading north in 2009? Maybe. It’s nothing new–it’s just becoming a more acceptable option among students who always pictured themselves attending a US college. And in general, it’s a great choice for US students looking for an excellent education for a fraction of the cost of a private university in the US.
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