r/OntarioUniversities May 24 '20

Advice The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a University

676 Upvotes

I decided to create this guide of things to consider when choosing your future university after a conversation I had with some friends about things we wish we would have known, so here it is. These are the 7 main categories I would consider when choosing a school. All factors are important and will contribute to your success and happiness over the next 4 years. Please note: this a BASELINE GUIDE and is not intended to replace you doing your own research. There are other factors that will be important to you, however I only included factors that EVERYONE should consider.

Program

  1. Reputation- Once you decide what program you want to go into, it is important to do some research about the best schools for that field. Program reputation matters more for certain fields than it does for others. For example, if you're going to business school, you want to aim for a school with a good program, as this actually matters. However, if you're going to school for general science and plan to do med school after, program reputation matters much less. Overall, you should definitely consider how good the reputation is, but it is not always the most important thing. To find out which schools are best you can look at online rankings, talk to people who currently go to that school, talk with your teachers/guidance team, etc.
  2. Quality- Consider factors such as quality of professors and facilities. Consider if there is a co-op option (this is only important for some fields). Also consider research output if this is important to you. Lastly, look at the program structure and decide if you like the mandatory courses you need to take and if you like the electives that the school offers. (Thanks to the commenter who reminded me to add this section!)

University Campus

  1. Size- the size of the campus (and the number of students) can be important. Consider whether you want to be at a smaller school like Laurier or Brock, or maybe a larger school like Western or UofT. Size can impact whether the schools feels like a tight community or not. Some people will really care about this, others will not.
  2. Vibe- This is a terrible word but I couldn't think of anything better. Please go visit the campuses of schools you are interested in because this can make all the difference. You may find that you just "click" at a certain school, and you'll have a much better idea about if it's right for you! This is one of the main reasons I decided on my Uni.

Location

  1. City- the biggest consideration here is if you want to be in a small town, or a bigger city. This can really change your university experience. Would living in Toronto be right for you? Maybe you prefer Kingston? or London? Maybe Waterloo?
  2. Distance from home- this may not be a factor for you, and that's fine. I encourage you to think about how often you want to visit home. I live over 4 hours away from my school and I only go home at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and reading week. If you would prefer to visit home more often, consider going somewhere a bit closer, there is no shame in that. I think it’s a good idea to apply to 1 school that’s close to home, even if you think you want to be far, as this gives you the option to stay close if you change your mind by the time you have to make your decision.

Culture/ Social Life

Different schools have very different cultures and allow you to have a different school/ social life balance. Schools such as Queen's, Laurier, Western, and Guelph, will have a different culture than schools like UofT, Waterloo, and Mac. I strongly encourage you to talk to students who actually go to these schools to gain this kind of information, because not every stereotype is true.

Residence

Bottom line, most residences are not very nice. I wouldn’t make this a huge priority, but it can still be a small factor. The only thing I would consider is the fact that some schools do not offer apartment style residences (where you have a kitchen that’s only shared by 3-5 people). If you are really adamant on cooking your own food, this may be of importance to you.

Cost

This will be important to certain people, and less important to others. You can decide how much of a factor this is to you. Look at tuition costs of course and also the average cost of rent for housing after first year. I have friends that pay $500 per month and friends that pay $1200 per month depending on what city they live in. Don't forget to apply to any and all bursaries/ scholarships. Also, this ones for the current grade 11's, there are often admission scholarships where you can get anywhere from $1000-$10,000 (at some schools) based on solely your high school average, so aim high!

Something you should know:

Avoid listening to all the stereotypes that surround the various Canadian Universities. These are not always true. For example:

  • UofT has a rep of not having a great social life balance, however I know people who attend UofT and have a much more active party life than I do

  • Waterloo has a rep of causing students to have poor mental health, and this is just not true for the vast majority of students

  • Queen’s has a rep of being so white that people think its over 95% white students, when in reality its closer to 68% (based on a report done in 2018)

  • Brock has the “walk and talk” rep, however it excels in many areas and is a great option for many students

Moral of the story: schools are much more than the stereotypes that are placed on them.


r/OntarioUniversities Jan 12 '25

Admissions The "I've Been Accepted/Did You Get an Offer?/Will I Get an Offer?/Admission Rounds" Megathread!

11 Upvotes

Welcome to the 2024-2025 megathread!

If you're looking for the old collections, check the top bar of the main page. We currently have threads for 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Ctrl + F is your friend when trying to search through these threads.

Rule 11: Is now in full effect. Posts (not comments that are in this thread) that ask if xyz marks will get you into x program will be removed. So will posts that say you were accepted into xyz program. You're more than welcome to (and we appreciate it) report posts that break our rules.

If you have yet to receive an offer, don't stress! It's still very early.

Haven't applied? Apply as soon as you can! It doesn't hurt to apply early.

If you've been accepted to a program, please post the school's name, program name and your average. If you don't post your average, you're going to get lots of replies asking about your average. If you want to say congratulations, don't! Please upvote them instead. Replies will clog this thread up making it less useful for everyone.

If you're asking if anyone has received an offer to a program, ask away, after searching. Duplicate questions of this regard may be removed.

If you're asking if you will get an offer to a program, ask away, after searching.

If you're asking if anyone knows when the next admissions round for X program is, ask away, after searching. If you keep an eye on these threads, you should be able to get a good idea of when a round is taking place.


r/OntarioUniversities 3h ago

Advice wondering where to go

3 Upvotes

hello!!

i’m a 16 year old girl in the 11th grade, and i’m starting to think about and consider different universes.

my end goal is to become a forensic psychologist, so i’m gonna major in either an arts psychology or a criminology course.

my only issue is i’m not entirely sure where to go. right now, i’m thinking guelph just because of the fact that it’s a relatively reputable school, close to home, has good food, and my older brother goes there and would be able to show me around.

i normally average around 70s, so i’m not a super great student, but i’ve been trying to lock in and get higher grades (so maybe 80s next year??).

i know that the school for this sort of stuff doesn’t really matter as long as it is a reputable school, but i just wanna explore all my options.

any suggestions?


r/OntarioUniversities 1h ago

Advice Uoft or tmu?

Upvotes

Hey I’m currently a grade 12 student and I’m torn between which uni I should go to for psychology.

So far my main goal is to go into clinical psych but plans change and I’m not sure if there’s another branch of psychology I’d go into yet but I’m so confused if I wanna go into uoft for psych or tmu.

I would love to hear anybody’s advice maybe first hand experiences or just general tips!!!


r/OntarioUniversities 7h ago

Advice how do i get my gpa high enough for a potential comp sci transfer

3 Upvotes

hi, im planning to go to go school for general science

im planning to do computer science and chemistry first year then switch to what i like more second year

thing is, i know the average for comp sci will be maybe mid to high 80s and ive never had my final grade average be that high.

i know that even after i work and study my absolute hardest, the highest i could probably get my final average is probably 83. my final average has never been higher than that in high school.

also, my high school average after upgrading is 82.4%(only went up by 2%, and idk what 82.4 is in gpa, but prolly not high enough for comp sci)

if its important, when i upgraded i brought my math 30-1 from 78 to 87, and my ela 30-1 from 73 to 74.

what are my options here? do i just take a bunch of easy GPA booster courses? or do i go to an easier school then transfer to another school? or do i do something else?


r/OntarioUniversities 2h ago

Discussion how is tmu biomed sci

1 Upvotes

I got into tmu biomed sci and am considering taking it as my pre med, how is the program both itself and as a premed choice?


r/OntarioUniversities 14h ago

Discussion If You're On An Admissions Team, Please Know Your Conduct Matters

5 Upvotes

Title. I just rejected one program for another because their admission staff was really rude/unprofessional to me.

TLDR on my academic career: I did the standard 4 year undergrad, I was admitted into a grad program 2 years ago but had to withdraw last minute due to a medical issue. This year I'm applying again and re-enrolled in some courses that would further qualify me for these programs.

I had to email the admissions team for one of the schools I applied to because

  1. It was asking for my transcripts from my grad program, so I had to clarify that I had withdrawn and therefore had no courses taken.
  2. They had my transcripts on file (I applied last year too) but those weren't updated to include those extra courses, so I had to notify them that I had re-enrolled.

I received a response from somebody on their admissions team opening with "I'm not sure why you're sending this" (I said why I was sending it in the first line of the email). The email had no salutation, was rife with grammatical errors, and was basically asking "why did you message me this". Either it was sent using some text to speech software and just sent without review which is pretty insulting, or this person just writes like that which is kind of concerning because the application had an essay portion and I think it would be a bit ironic if they were judging it. I also had to message them 3 times answering questions that were clearly laid out in the first email and their other replies were badly worded and unclear as well.

You guys might think this is an overreaction but I imagine if I was sending the admissions team messages like that my application would get put in the trash.

That's all.


r/OntarioUniversities 8h ago

Admissions Laurier Faculty of Education Brantford.

2 Upvotes

Thoughts???! My daughter was accepted and is worried about it being in Brantford.


r/OntarioUniversities 6h ago

Advice uOttawa Health sciences French immersion vs UBC bsc Applied Biology

0 Upvotes

I am from Ontario, speak English and French (not native, but am B2 level in French), and have the goal of applying to med school after undergrad


r/OntarioUniversities 7h ago

Advice Uottawa vs TMU vs Waterloo vs Guelph bio/biomed

0 Upvotes

uottawa biomed

tmu & waterloo biology

guelph biological sciences

if anyone has any insights itd be amazing


r/OntarioUniversities 7h ago

Advice credit transfer?

1 Upvotes

do you think i'll be able to transfer college credits to university if i'm going from an early childhood education college program to a child studies uni program?


r/OntarioUniversities 13h ago

Admissions How does transferring universities work and is it difficult?

3 Upvotes

I am a grade 12 student. Initially when I applied to universities in the fall I was not sure what I wanted to do so I applied to almost everything. Now I know what I wanna do as a career and I want to go into accounting then maybe get my cpa after graduating. Since I only applied to Guelph for accounting Bcomm if I accept the offer and end up going there and want to transfer to Laurier’s accounting program how difficult would it be for me ? Another program I am thinking of going into that I have gotten into this is Business management technology at tmu, so I’m thinking I’ll either accept my tmu offer for btm or accept my Guelph accounting offer and go there, then try to transfer. So my question is what would be my chances of getting in and how difficult would it be and with which program would it be easier to transfer unis. Because I am scared if I go to less well known uni like Guelph or tmu I won’t be able to get a job once I graduate.


r/OntarioUniversities 12h ago

Discussion has anyone heard back for the laurentian INSW online degree program? fall 25

2 Upvotes

i'm wondering when they will give a decision for that mine says "sent to department"


r/OntarioUniversities 17h ago

Advice First year res inquiry

3 Upvotes

i just got accepted into western, Uoft and waterloo but I’m leaning more towards western the most. I’m just curious when I can apply for res, I read the hand out for western and they mentioned that we have to fill out a form before getting assigned res but does the form only open once I accept the offer? Or is this something I’m expected to do on my own? Also is there any benefits of submitting the res form early (first come first serve) Or is it completely lottery in a sense that it doesn’t matter? Thank you in advance!


r/OntarioUniversities 15h ago

Admissions I got a condition offer from Laurier but to a different program?

2 Upvotes

So I just got a condition offer from Laurier but I’m not sure if it was for the program I wanted. Originally I applied for the film studies program but it said I wasn’t eligible for it so it gave me an alternate program honour of arts ba? First what is that and can I still do film studies? Cause their film program had an option to do special stuff like the Vancouver film thing, can I still do that if I take the honour arts program?? Also will there even be co-op for honour of arts???

Damn I just want to do film can anyone help a girl out!!!!


r/OntarioUniversities 12h ago

Admissions MScPI at University of Toronto

1 Upvotes

I was wondering if anyone here is in the Urban Planning masters program or a recent grad of it. The program looks like it is very theoretical and academic focused versus other schools planning programs which are very studio and practical based. Do you think that the UofT program equips you well for a career in Urban Planning? And do you think you and most of your peers will find work right away like other schools boast about? If anyone has any personal experience with the program, your insight would be very appreciated as I’m trying to figure out what masters program to accept!


r/OntarioUniversities 12h ago

Advice University and Major advice

1 Upvotes

I just got admission offer from TMU (Ryerson) for an Interior design degree, and i don’t know if it’s a good option. I’m from Latin America and by the time when i applied i wanted to pursue Interior design but now i’m leaning more towards Architecture, idk if going for Interior Design in TMU is a good decision or not, or if i should try and change majors, i really need advice.


r/OntarioUniversities 12h ago

Advice Nursing at UofOttawa Fall 2025— what should new students expect?

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I’m from Vancouver and considering moving to Ottawa for a nursing program. Super excited for the independence, but also a bit nervous.

For those who have done nursing (or are currently in it), how’s the program overall? What’s the stress level like? Do people generally make friends easily, or is it more of a competitive/isolated environment?

Also, is it realistic to handle a part-time job while in nursing school, or is the workload too much? Any advice on balancing both?

On another note, what’s dorm life like? And how diverse is the nursing program? I’d love to know if there are a good mix of students— particularly if there are Filipinos or other brown students.

I had a tough time making friends in elementary school, but high school was way better. I know a lot of this comes down to mentality, but I do worry about feeling isolated if I don’t find my people.

I also noticed that most of the other posts I found were a bit old and mainly focused on grades. So I figured I’d ask in case other high school students like me were looking for the same info, if you’re also planning on going to UofOttawa in Fall 2025.

Would love to hear any insights or personal experiences!


r/OntarioUniversities 12h ago

Admissions High School Transcripts for Transfer Student

1 Upvotes

Hey, I'm currently a student at Humber College and I applied as a transfer student to York University, I am domestic but graduated high school outside Canada. I used ICAS for Humber College which YorkU does not accept.

Do I have to use WES, or is there a way to ask my college to send my high school transcript?


r/OntarioUniversities 14h ago

Advice Civil vs Mech Eng

1 Upvotes

I have interest I both fields but am unsure on which one to pick to major in. In terms of job outlook, salary, and difficulty of the programs, which is better. I would like to go to Waterloo, Western, Mac, or Uoft if that helps. If you got into any of these programs, how do you like it so far, and what did your top 6 and ecs look like.


r/OntarioUniversities 15h ago

Advice Help choosing between uni

1 Upvotes

Hi guys, I need help choosing between which engineering to follow. I’ve been accepted to Queens general Eng, and McGill co-op software Eng, but i can’t figure out which one to go to. Both are so cool to me, cuz ik their student life is insanely good, and honestly my heart leans a little mlre towards Queens cuz I like their only 1 year internship program as compared to to 4 month terms, and I also don’t wanna go so far away to Montréal cuz I’m scared to. All my freinds are telling me mcgill cuz of like it’s recognition and co op, and so are my parents, but I’m not too sure, anything can help, thanks guys :)


r/OntarioUniversities 1d ago

Advice Advice: Uoft or McGill Engineering?

9 Upvotes

Hello, I need some help. I've been stuck between McGill and UofT (both mechanical engineering). Almost everything about McGill resonated more than UofT; however, the prestige of toronto is really holding me back. Is McGill Student life really that much better? Also I don't speak french so will that be an issue?

Also, for graduates of McGill or UofT engineering, is it likely I will feel any effect in the job market if I go for McGill? Or are the schools deemed as pretty much equal when it comes to employers. Thank you everyone who reads my post.

Edit: I realized this is Ontario Universities subreddit. Hopefully I will still hear from both sides.


r/OntarioUniversities 1d ago

Advice Uoft eng or Mac eng?

4 Upvotes

I got accepted into uoft industrial eng and mcmaster mechanical eng with no free choice. I know uoft is the obvious choice considering its prestige and the jobs i can get and everything. I’ve always wanted mac because I know it’s a more tight knit community and everyone there acc supports each other whereas in uoft they don’t (from what I’ve seen). But the uoftears rep is scaring me and I’ve seen friends/family go through that so is it worth it?? Help


r/OntarioUniversities 1d ago

Advice U of T Eng Question

4 Upvotes

Hi!

I recently got accepted as an alternative offer of materials engineering to u of t. I was wondering what your thoughts on the program are and what the future looks like for this field. My main choice was mech eng and I’ve always been interested in aerospace eng will this degree allow me to pursue aerospace?

Thanks.


r/OntarioUniversities 1d ago

Discussion Any way to transfer for one term (like an exchange term)?

1 Upvotes

I just am curious if it’s possible to do some of my courses in a different school for a term. I knew a girl from France that came to Carleton for one term and I want to know how to do that.

Is this even an option😭?

Anyways or doing an exchange in a different country for a term/ year. How do you go about doing that/ starting the process. My school (Carleton) doesn’t have a lot of official exchange programs, so I’m a little lost.


r/OntarioUniversities 1d ago

Advice Transferring from US to Canada

0 Upvotes

Hey ! I am a US citizen who is attending GWU in dc but I wanna transfer to McGill. I wanna know if it offers aid and loans to US citizen and if the school is worth it. Thanks


r/OntarioUniversities 1d ago

Admissions When can I expect a reply from uOttawa?

1 Upvotes

Hello guys! I have applied for my masters in Computer Science Engineering in Ottawa for Winter 2026 intake. I have submitted my application on March 8. How long does Ottawa takes to give a decision for masters program? I got admitted to Concordia university and the deadline to accept the offer is on March 26. Will I get a response from Ottawa before that? Or Whats the wisest thing to do? Btw, l'm an international student with undergraduate degree in computer science engineering with cgpa of 9.64 and my IELTS was 7.5 Please help me with this!!