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Should I study in the UK or Canada?

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Reply 20
Original post by Zilch
Just to clarify, studying in Canada is one of the easiest entry routes to gain residence. You basically study and get a post secondary diploma/degree, work for a year and that makes you eligible to apply for Permanent Residency under the Canadian Experience Class.

The only requirement is a Canadian Qualification and a year's worth of work experience.


That makes sense, no wonder why so many internationals come to Canada to study. Never thought our universities were any good anyways, now I get it lol.
Reply 21
Original post by ukmed108
That makes sense, no wonder why so many internationals come to Canada to study. Never thought our universities were any good anyways, now I get it lol.


Typically the people who come to good canadian universities arn't after residence though. It's an option, but not a primary concern.

Canadian community colleges on the other hand are designed specifically for this aim since even a one year diploma/certificate from there also makes you eligible for residence. They contribute more to the Canadian Experience Class than universities by a large margin.

But yes, it certainly does add to the appeal of studying in Canada. People from India/China etc would find it more worthwhile than people from the UK/USA/France which are already first world nations.

Also, just another fact but Canada has the lowest international student intake compared to the U.S/U.K/Australia. There arn't really that many in the country. I think it's just that a good deal of Canadians look like internationals which makes it hard to notice.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Zilch
Typically the people who come to good canadian universities arn't after residence though. It's an option, but not a primary concern.

Canadian community colleges on the other hand are designed specifically for this aim since even a one year diploma/certificate from there also makes you eligible for residence. They contribute more to the Canadian Experience Class than universities by a large margin.

But yes, it certainly does add to the appeal of studying in Canada. People from India/China etc would find it more worthwhile than people from the UK/USA/France which are already first world nations.

Also, just another fact but Canada has the lowest international student intake compared to the U.S/U.K/Australia. There arn't really that many in the country. I think it's just that a good deal of Canadians look like internationals which makes it hard to notice.


I can see why they find community colleges more appealing. I would assume that most that want to come to Canada have already finished their undergraduate studies and just want an easier way to seek residence.

I'm actually surprised that Canada has the lowest international student intake. I was always under the impression that Canada already has quite a lot of international students, considering our population.
Reply 23
Original post by zero_Gravity91
I can see why they find community colleges more appealing. I would assume that most that want to come to Canada have already finished their undergraduate studies and just want an easier way to seek residence.

I'm actually surprised that Canada has the lowest international student intake. I was always under the impression that Canada already has quite a lot of international students, considering our population.


Yeah i agree, i believe Canada has a lower international student intake than the UK for sure, but not the US. Barring some of the elite colleges most colleges barely have any internationals. Even the elite colleges generally limit their intake to 10% of their student body. Not too sure about Australia but i could see why since geographically they are closer to Asia and they have so much better weather.
Original post by ukmed108
Yeah i agree, i believe Canada has a lower international student intake than the UK for sure, but not the US. Barring some of the elite colleges most colleges barely have any internationals. Even the elite colleges generally limit their intake to 10% of their student body. Not too sure about Australia but i could see why since geographically they are closer to Asia and they have so much better weather.


Well, I actually think Canada has a lower international student intake than the US, given that they have thousands of colleges compared to the minimal amount of universities that we have in Canada. At the same time, I believe our numbers are not as low as people expect them to be, considering that Canadian universities are regarded as "backups" to those that cannot enter elite US colleges.

Actually, if you don't know, Australia is a major hotspot for international students. Like Canada, it has a growing international student body which mainly attracts students from Asia who want recognition from a university in an English-speaking country, as well as countries from abroad. Despite its exorbitant tuition fees, it is considered to be a popular destination for many.
Reply 25
Original post by zero_Gravity91
Well, I actually think Canada has a lower international student intake than the US, given that they have thousands of colleges compared to the minimal amount of universities that we have in Canada. At the same time, I believe our numbers are not as low as people expect them to be, considering that Canadian universities are regarded as "backups" to those that cannot enter elite US colleges.

Actually, if you don't know, Australia is a major hotspot for international students. Like Canada, it has a growing international student body which mainly attracts students from Asia who want recognition from a university in an English-speaking country, as well as countries from abroad. Despite its exorbitant tuition fees, it is considered to be a popular destination for many.


Are you meaning absolute numbers or %. I was talking in %. For sure US has more in absolute numbers but as a %, Canada has more internationals.

Just a quick rant, it was only after i left Canada to study in the UK have I realized how brainwashing the Canadian media is. Its not malignant brainwashing, but the pro-Canadian happy go lucky news is all the CBC broadcasts.

If there is an international news event that doesn't involve more than 50 people dying or some wacky "weird" news then its not covered.

If there is an international competition that Canadians aren't winning in, its not even mentioned in the news.

If there is an international competition that Canadians are winning, its covered around the clock.

They conveniently ignore the fact that all the movies we like are American and made in Hollywood, and constantly bash the US in an "inferiority complex" sort of fashion.

We defend our healthcare system to the death even though it has many flaws, we will talk about our nature even though most of us have never even been to the "wilderness".

Oh and we never discuss any serious issues, the news is all 2 year old friendly, never any debates, never any arguments and everything is so PC you'd die of boredom.

Canadian news make Canadians think we are the greatest nation and everyone loves us and knows who we are. Yet, when I tell people i'm from Canada, they're all like oh...meh... If you ask them what they know, they only know: cold, sparsely populated and Toronto.

They don't know any of our universities, at best a few will know McGill or UofT. They barely even know maple syrup. They just don't give a crap about Canada and it makes sense. We are a country of 34 million people, almost insignificant. I just wish Canadian media recognized that and actually covered what happens in the world and stop making it seem as if we are the center of the world because we aren't.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 26
Original post by zero_Gravity91
I can see why they find community colleges more appealing. I would assume that most that want to come to Canada have already finished their undergraduate studies and just want an easier way to seek residence.

I'm actually surprised that Canada has the lowest international student intake. I was always under the impression that Canada already has quite a lot of international students, considering our population.


They have the lowest international intake compared to the U.S/U.K/Australia. They're expected to beat Australia within the next 10 years but that's about it.

There are several U.S universities outside the elite group that have a large number of international students. Rich family's in Asia typically dont care, they're willing to spend anything just to get an American education. Others, just see it as a way to enter the U.S.

Penn State for example which is quite a bad university in the U.S had 5000 international students in 2010. McGill had 5.5k. Today in 2012, McGill has about 8500 but is still far below several U.S universities, even the truly terrible ones.

Should be no surprise though that the U.S and the U.K are the two global leaders, what with all the media hype around their universities etc

Canada has a very lax immigration policy to be honest which makes it easier for family's or individuals to just immigrate and then study as Permanent Residents/Citizens with the local fees.

Having lived in Canada, I honestly can not be sure of who is an international. I mean its so diverse, especially places like Toronto. This probably gives the false impression of there being many internationals but they are in fact just immigrants who became Citizens/PR's
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by ukmed108
Are you meaning absolute numbers or %. I was talking in %. For sure US has more in absolute numbers but as a %, Canada has more internationals.

Just a quick rant, it was only after i left Canada to study in the UK have I realized how brainwashing the Canadian media is. Its not malignant brainwashing, but the pro-Canadian happy go lucky news is all the CBC broadcasts.

If there is an international news event that doesn't involve more than 50 people dying or some wacky "weird" news then its not covered.

If there is an international competition that Canadians aren't winning in, its not even mentioned in the news.

If there is an international competition that Canadians are winning, its covered around the clock.

They conveniently ignore the fact that all the movies we like are American and made in Hollywood, and constantly bash the US in an "inferiority complex" sort of fashion.

We defend our healthcare system to the death even though it has many flaws, we will talk about our nature even though most of us have never even been to the "wilderness".

Oh and we never discuss any serious issues, the news is all 2 year old friendly, never any debates, never any arguments and everything is so PC you'd die of boredom.

Canadian news make Canadians think we are the greatest nation and everyone loves us and knows who we are. Yet, when I tell people i'm from Canada, they're all like oh...meh... If you ask them what they know, they only know: cold, sparsely populated and Toronto.

They don't know any of our universities, at best a few will know McGill or UofT. They barely even know maple syrup. They just don't give a crap about Canada and it makes sense. We are a country of 34 million people, almost insignificant. I just wish Canadian media recognized that and actually covered what happens in the world and stop making it seem as if we are the center of the world because we aren't.


Oh sorry, I was referring to absolute numbers. In that case, your argument makes sense.

Actually, I think every media corporation does the same thing. It wouldn't make sense for them if they do not broadcast news that is irrelevant to Canada or against Canadian interests. However, I must say that this might be related to the lack of transparency in our government, as well as the irresponsibility and lack of accountability in the government as well.

Given that we try to differentiate ourselves from the US, I believe it isn't an "inferiority complex", but rather trying to emulate the Americans under their influence, which is practically embedded into our culture, to the point that we are practically adopting the American lifestyle. People don't realize this, but a trend has begun where American corporations are encouraged to move up north, such as Target, Nordstrom, and potentially Verizon in the near future.

As for the healthcare system, there's a good side and a bad side to it, and I must say that our healthcare system is better in terms of short-term care, but I can't say the same for long-term care.

The problem here is that we cannot adopt our own lifestyle and we are "subjected" to dependence on the US economy to help move ourselves up the ranks. Like you said, it's obvious that the US don't know nor care too much about us, while us Canadians are obsessed with the US. It is getting out of hand and we need to stop emulating the Americans. It's as if we are being hypocrites by trying to make ourselves a distinct society, while trying to be like the Americans themselves (at least, in terms of lifestyle).

Original post by Zilch
They have the lowest international intake compared to the U.S/U.K/Australia. They're expected to beat Australia within the next 10 years but that's about it.

There are several U.S universities outside the elite group that have a large number of international students. Rich family's in Asia typically dont care, they're willing to spend anything just to get an American education. Others, just see it as a way to enter the U.S.

Penn State for example which is quite a bad university in the U.S had 5000 international students in 2010. McGill had 5.5k. Today in 2012, McGill has about 8500 but is still far below several U.S universities, even the truly terrible ones.

Should be no surprise though that the U.S and the U.K are the two global leaders, what with all the media hype around their universities etc

Canada has a very lax immigration policy to be honest which makes it easier for family's or individuals to just immigrate and then study as Permanent Residents/Citizens with the local fees.

Having lived in Canada, I honestly can not be sure of who is an international. I mean its so diverse, especially places like Toronto. This probably gives the false impression of there being many internationals but they are in fact just immigrants who became Citizens/PR's


Hmm, I'm not too surprised about that. After all, we are encouraging more international students to come to Canadian universities.

Well, Canada is starting to tighten up its immigration policy, while increasing its quota for international students. I believe time will tell as the door is going to be harder to slip past.

I must say that you are correct. It is hard to determine who is an international student and who isn't. At the same time, I believe it isn't too hard with the research done by some universities, looking at its report on the total enrollment of students. If I'm not mistaken, with some research on the Internet, you would be able to find it. It should give you a full picture of the student body divided according to citizenship.
Reply 28
If it's of any interest, I've found out about the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program where students who have graduated in BC can have their visa application accelerated and there are fewer requirements in comparison to applying for the Canadian Experience Class. The downside is that you have to stay and work in BC.

These two categories have caught my eye-
The International Post Graduate category- no job offer needed:
The International Post-Graduates category aims to support BC’s universities in attracting top students from around the globe and to help retain these highly qualified workers in the provincial workforce to facilitate innovation and economic development. International graduates from programs in the natural, applied and health sciences have strong success finding employment following their studies, make a substantial contribution to key sectors such as technology and health services and help address critical skills shortages in BC.

The International Graduates category- no work experience needed:

An International Graduate has satisfied the requirements for an eligible degree or diploma from a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada within the last two years. Specifically, an application must be received by the BC PNP within two years of the date shown on the final official transcript which indicates that all requirements have been met.

An International Graduate must have accepted an indeterminate, full time job offer from a BC employer. The PNP program does not require that International Graduates have previous work experience.


Hmmm...I might instead do a degree in a UK university with a year abroad in Canada and then follow it up with a master's or PhD in BC...Any thoughts?
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 29
As a side note, are most Canadian universities well recognised in the UK?
The main ones are. I jut did a year abroad and most people recognized many Canadian schools. In regards to employment, being 'international' and Gavin life experiences around the world is a big plus to many employers.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by bobbricks
In the future, I'd like to move to Canada but I'm not sure whether I should go there for university. More UK universities are in the top 20 in the world than Canadian ones and I've heard that Canadian employers would be intrigued by a foreign British degree and would help them stand out. However, I'd be very interested in having a new experience and studying in Canada would also help and speed up the immigration process...

What are your thoughts/ experiences on this?
And what would the costs be like compared to the UK (especially for UBC, McGill, Toronto)?

By the way, I hope to do a natural sciences or physics degree since I'd like to become a physicist in the future (maybe work at the Perimeter Institute or the Canadian Space Agency)


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Go life will be more exciting and the females there are amazing.
Reply 32
I should probably add that finance/costs is my most important concern :cool:


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Reply 33
Just received my AS-level results, didn't go according to plan...I needed 3A's and a B to apply for dentistry at Kings, Queen Mary's university etc but I actually got 3B's and a C..I'm planning to resit my AS-level, and I'm fully aware that no universities in the UK accept resits for dentistry

So I'm wondering whether to apply abroad in Canada for dentistry
any thoughts please :smile: xo
Reply 34
Original post by SS19ovoxo
Just received my AS-level results, didn't go according to plan...I needed 3A's and a B to apply for dentistry at Kings, Queen Mary's university etc but I actually got 3B's and a C..I'm planning to resit my AS-level, and I'm fully aware that no universities in the UK accept resits for dentistry

So I'm wondering whether to apply abroad in Canada for dentistry
any thoughts please :smile: xo


Canada doesn't accept school leavers for dentistry. In Canada its a program you need to apply to while doing your university degree. Rarely, students who are super bright can get into dental school after 3 years out of 4 of undergrad. Mostly it is after finishing undergrad.
Reply 35
Thought all of this through, I've decided to do accounting and finance at university instead of dentistry. Thank you for the help!
Reply 36
hey, do what feels best, just make sure sure it is recognized in the Uk, iam half way though my dentistry course aboard , but if u need any advice message me, By the way, equipment can be expensive abroad but i found this site called medicinedentistry.com, and then i emailed them, and i found them alot cheaper. House and food cost is more cheaper then uk.
Reply 37
Hello
I have been to looking at studying at u of t Nd i really am excited about it. Although i want to work at the fco later on in life. This involve working in london or oversees. An international degree could help me in some ways. It shows i have experience but also i have independance. However if it is a british team requirting me will a british degree be more respected.. in the uk I am lokking at sheffield or exeter. So u of t is much better in the world rankings. Thanks:smile:
Reply 38
After all that I have read so far, it all comes to the university name and degree cost at the end.
How would you compare UK business undergrad to canadian ones? I'm thinking between UK ( City- cass business school, Warwick, Bath, Manchester, Loughborough)

as opposed to Canadian best business schools: UofT BCom coop, UBC Saudrr BCom, Ivey Western HBA, Queens , McGill and York Schlick school of busines.

I'm planning to do a business degree from September 2014

Do you know anything about them as I'm applying from UK as an international student. Can not decide which one is to chose...


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Edgomberg
After all that I have read so far, it all comes to the university name and degree cost at the end.
How would you compare UK business undergrad to canadian ones? I'm thinking between UK ( City- cass business school, Warwick, Bath, Manchester, Loughborough)

as opposed to Canadian best business schools: UofT BCom coop, UBC Saudrr BCom, Ivey Western HBA, Queens , McGill and York Schlick school of busines.

I'm planning to do a business degree from September 2014

Do you know anything about them as I'm applying from UK as an international student. Can not decide which one is to chose...


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Hi there.

Thanks for your PM. Since I want others to also read my response to your questions that you've addressed, I think it would be more appropriate to post it here instead.

With reference to your grades, I believe you shouldn't have much problems whatsoever, considering that you've gotten really good AS results and your A-level predicted grades are superb. As long as you keep up around that range (minimum AAA), I think you will be good with any top-ranked Canadian business schools.

Co-op option is a really good choice, especially for a business student, considering that you will be given the opportunity to work while you are still an undergraduate student and gain experience to the real world by getting some proper training and being able to go through a few job positions before you graduate. With respect to that, you will have the chance to find out which kind of job position you would want after you graduate and also attend workshops to improve your CV, interview skills, and networking workshops with various companies.

Now, given the business schools that you have mentioned (Ivey Western HBA, UofT BCom management co-op, Queens commerce, UBC Sauder BCom, McGill, York Schulich), all of them are great.

From the list of programs, I can pick out Queen's Commerce, Ivey, Schulich as top business programs, since they are highly competitive programs and very difficult to get into. Now, I'm not saying that the other programs are bad, but these ones stand out to me, since many of my friends have gone to these programs.

As for U of T, I assume you are looking at UTSC (one of the regional campuses), and thus this program is not available at the main campus in downtown Toronto. This is a pretty good program, but in my opinion, it would be a better choice to go for Rotman School of Management at the downtown campus, considering it is more renowned than the program you've mentioned.

I don't know too much about UBC, but I've heard good things about the university and that it is a competitive program. Hopefully someone who knows more about this program can answer this.

For McGill, it really depends on which program you are talking about. They have one of the best commerce programs in Canada and they do have one of the top business schools in Canada.

In terms of location and living costs, it all depends on whether you prefer living in a big city or a small city. U of T, McGill, York, and U of T are all located in big cities. U of T and York are located in Toronto, and so the living costs would be significantly more expensive than other cities, especially if you are living downtown. As for York, you don't have to worry about that, since it is located in the suburbs, but it isn't located in a safe area, so you might want to be careful with which neighbourhood you'll be choosing. If you do choose UTSC, that is also located in the suburbs, so living costs shouldn't be all too expensive, but then again, it isn't located in a great area. UBC is located in Vancouver, and it is known for being the most expensive city in Canada. Note that you'll be spending a lot more in Vancouver and Toronto than other cities, but more so in Vancouver. As for McGill, it is located in Montreal and living costs there are significantly cheaper than Toronto and Vancouver. It is also known for being a party school.

Queen's University is located in Kingston, a small city located around 2.5 hours east of Toronto. It is a student-centred city, so you will be surrounded by students if you are living close to campus. Since it is a smaller city, living costs shouldn't be as outrageously expensive as downtown Toronto or Vancouver, and I would say its price range would be similar to Montreal, perhaps slightly cheaper. Western is located in London, approximately 2.5 hours southwest of Toronto. Again, it is a student-centred city, so student housing will be available around campus. Note that Western is known to be a party school, so if you are not too comfortable with that, then I wouldn't suggest going to Western. I've heard good experiences from friends that attended Western and there are people that told me the campus looks really nice, so I can tell you that it is a very popular choice among Canadian students.

If you have any more questions, feel free to quote me.

Hope this helps! :smile:
(edited 10 years ago)

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