College Decision: I Explored Schools in the US, UK, and Canada

• I looked at colleges in three countries: the US, UK and Canada – where I’m from.
• To compare each school, I weighed the student experience and their return on investment.
• Although I had dreamed of Oxford for many years, I eventually decided to attend a small school in Canada.

Grew up in Toronto with dreams of visit to OxfordI never thought I would be attending a small college in a town of only 5,500 people and an hour away from the nearest town.

I’ve researched hundreds of different schools in the UK, US and Canada, but everywhere high schoolI set my sights on Oxford.

However, I wanted to broaden my search to make sure I was making the best decision, so choosing which school I would attend and in which country became my main concern.

After looking at various options and countries, I narrowed my search down to three main ones: English speaking destinations: USA, UK and my home country Canada.

I then had to determine what I wanted from a university and determine how to effectively compare information across countries. I identified two main factors that I was looking for in a university: good quality and a learning environment that suited my needs.

Contacting current students abroad has proven difficult.

Collecting data on student life at colleges around the world has been tedious. Having looked at many schools, it was difficult to get current students’ opinions of their schools. campus experience.

For example, many students in Canada and the US use social media share information about your university experience. You may also find useful information if you choose to ask questions in local university groups.

However, this was less common in the UK. Instead, Oxford and LSE students use platforms like The Student Room, which are more like an online forum where I can ask questions. I was able to communicate with current students at universities that interested me.

This helped me narrow my search to schools that prioritized more interaction with professors, which became my main criteria across countries. In Canada and the United States, this often meant small liberal arts colleges. In the UK it included institutions such as Oxford and Cambridgewhich, despite being large schools, typically offered one-on-one or small group learning opportunities with professors.

It was important to find a school that would make the most financial sense.

People often assume that a school’s reputation is directly related to its investment value, but my research has shown that this is only half the picture. I realized it quickly less reputable colleges may be your best financial option—now and in the future.

For example, while small liberal arts colleges may be expensive, they have excellent return on investment for economics majorswhat interested me most.

Similarly, although schools such as Oxford are reported to have some of the highest post-graduation salaries in the UK, I learned that being foreign student it will cost me a lot of money. Paying international fees may make my investment in Oxford uneconomical.

Although Oxford was mine dream school in high school, this financial reality dissuaded me from applying.

I finally chose a small college in Canada.

I decided stay in Canada and attend Mount Allison University.

Although Mount Ellison is much less known around the world due to its size, especially compared to Oxford, it was the right choice for me.

Being in a small environment, I had easy access to great professors, and the school funds academic research for students in a way that most large schools do not. All this was at a reasonable price.

Although it was an unusual choice—and one that surprised even me—I’m very glad I did it.