UofC vs. Uof Alberta vs. Western Ontario

[dimpleangel]

Hi everyone, I'm an international student that has been admitted to the Chemistry Master program at University of Calgary, U of A and UWO. Those universities are all equally awesome in terms of research, and as I'm getting my undergraduate from the US, I don't know how the ranking system in the Canada works. However my first impression is U of A > U of C= UWO with respect to the chemistry programs.

So if anyone that has some experience /researching doing a graduate programs in those universities, please share with me your experiences. Or if you've been to Calgary or London , could you please shed a light on how the social life/weather/ people in the cities are? All in all, I'm just trying to decide a place where I could live for at least for the next 5 years of my life. Right now my favorite is UWO just because I'm not sure I can stand the winters of calgary. But again, I'm open to suggestions since I absolutely love the picturesque landscape and the mountains surrounding Calgary

Thank you in advance for all your help!!!!

Edited March 3, 2011 by dimpleangel

[thesnout]

Hi everyone, I'm an international student that has been admitted to the Chemistry Master program at University of Calgary, U of A and UWO. Those universities are all equally awesome in terms of research, and as I'm getting my undergraduate from the US, I don't know how the ranking system in the Canada works. However my first impression is U of A > U of C= UWO with respect to the chemistry programs.

So if anyone that has some experience /researching doing a graduate programs in those universities, please share with me your experiences. Or if you've been to Calgary or London , could you please shed a light on how the social life/weather/ people in the cities are? All in all, I'm just trying to decide a place where I could live for at least for the next 5 years of my life. Right now my favorite is UWO just because I'm not sure I can stand the winters of calgary. But again, I'm open to suggestions since I absolutely love the picturesque landscape and the mountains surrounding Calgary

Thank you in advance for all your help!!!!

UWO in London seems to have a good undergrad social life. I know a few people who attended. Southern Ontario weather is not too bad. 4 distinct seasons. Winter is a mixed bag of snow, occasionally rain when it warms up and summers are hot with some super duper hot days, some smog, and humidity at times. All around good though. I would recommend checking www.theweathernetwork.com for weather. London can be good times, I personally don't like London (just my opinion). All the people I encounter in London are super friendly. But as always there are many types of people at UWO so you just have to find your clique. Good times in London though.

I also applied to University of Calgary. If I get in I'll visit in the spring/summer. The winters are cold cold cold but the chinooks help to raise the temperature in Calgary. The only negatives I hear about are sprawl and the C-train being too slow and old. The few people I know there say there is social life depending on what you're into. Arts, bars, lounges, hiking, stampede, Banff is pretty close!! Don't let the Calgary winters stop you. (I'm used to freezing though hehe) I can't comment of the people unfortunately.

Not sure where you are from but if you can try to visit the cities that would be beneficial (travel is expensive though!) If you chose UWO I'm sure you will love it. Close to Toronto, Niagara Falls, Michigan. Not too bad IMO.

Just wanted to add that you can't really trust the ranking systems for Canadian schools. I never trust them or look at them. Pick the school that has the best "program" and research opportunities. Canadian schools are more about the individual program at the school. Just my opinion. Maybe someone can chime in on this.

I'm from the Waterloo Region in Southern Ontario (1hr from London) so if you have any questions just ask.

Edited March 4, 2011 by cherylsafina

[PrettyVacant]

Just wanted to add that you can't really trust the ranking systems for Canadian schools. I never trust them or look at them. Pick the school that has the best "program" and research opportunities. Canadian schools are more about the individual program at the school. Just my opinion. Maybe someone can chime in on this.

Agreed.

As for the weather, don't be fooled by Ontario's mild temperatures! Winter in Ontario is pretty humid so it feels a lot colder than it is. I think the main difference, at least for me, is that Ontario winters feel a lot shorter. In Toronto, you don't get snow until December, and it is pretty much gone by March. In the prairies, winter seems to drag on... You get snow in November (or sometimes as early as October), and it doesn't go away until late March or early April.

Calgary is, without a doubt, one of most beautiful cities in Canada. I think it comes down to the kind of lifestyle you are looking for. Are you into big city living, or do you prefer a quiet, smaller, cheaper city? You'd probably never run out of things to do in Calgary. London, on the other hand, might get boring after a few years. But don't forget - London is an amazing place to be doing your research. It's a difficult choice.

In Alberta, you are pretty much stuck in Calgary/Edmonton. If you are in Ontario, you are really close to a lot of awesome cities: you can take the VIA to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, or you can go to Buffalo, Detroit, etc. As Cheryl mentioned, travel can be expensive by train, but Greyhound is pretty cheap. Hell, Toronto-NYC on greyhound is only $90 round-trip.

Good luck, and keep us updated!

Edited March 4, 2011 by PrettyVacant

[dimpleangel]

Thank you so so much for your fast responses, cherylsafina and prettyvacant. Based on your insights, I pretty much take the wintry weather out of the decisive factors! ( I'm originally from Vietnam, hence my fear of the cold)

@cherylsafina: how is the job market in London? and is there a good public transportation system there? Since I don't think I will be able to buy a car for that matter

As I probably will stay in the lab 24/7 during my time there (minus the occasional break/journey to satisfy my tourist mind), I don't think the impact of living in big city or small town will matter much to me. However, I do want to live in a decent place (just a clean bed+shower) for cheap rent due to my limited stipends. How does the living costs in those cities compare?

Thanks to you two, I also stopped caring for the ranking system and focus more on the research environment of each university. Now even though UWO is a reputable research-extensive institution, I heard that the campus/ class equipments are pretty old. Honestly, I just care about the chemistry department/building and unfortunately I do not have any funds to visit the universities to make a sound judgment myself. So please any chemistry graduate students that have done research in the above universities,can you please share with me your experience

Thank you again for your kind replies!!!!!

[thesnout]

Ahh I just lost what I wrote. Okay start this again.

The job market in London isn't as big as say the job market in Toronto or the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It depends on your specific interests and field. The job markets in Canada were effected just like the rest of the world.

Check this website for London's public transit http://www.ltconline.ca/Routes.htm. You can see where the routes are in relation to UWO. Use the Interactive CityMap. I've never taken public transit but the city is well served with lots of bus connections. I've only driven around London. You'll definitely be fine taking the bus. Fanshawe College is also in town so there will be a lot of students using public transit.

Living Costs: London is okay for pricing. Check out kijiji london to get a feel for pricing or check http://www.has.uwo.ca/housing/offcampus/och_app/. You can find pricing from the link. London, Calgary and Edmonton all seem similar in pricing. I guess you can't win. London seems to range from around $350 to $400+ for a room, Calgary (check link http://www.su.ucalgary.ca/ooch/listing.php ) seems to range from $350 to $400+ for a room as well. I'm not sure about Edmonton but probably same as Calgary.

Hope this helps.

[dimpleangel]

Ahh I just lost what I wrote. Okay start this again.

The job market in London isn't as big as say the job market in Toronto or the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It depends on your specific interests and field. The job markets in Canada were effected just like the rest of the world.

Check this website for London's public transit http://www.ltconline.ca/Routes.htm. You can see where the routes are in relation to UWO. Use the Interactive CityMap. I've never taken public transit but the city is well served with lots of bus connections. I've only driven around London. You'll definitely be fine taking the bus. Fanshawe College is also in town so there will be a lot of students using public transit.

Living Costs: London is okay for pricing. Check out kijiji london to get a feel for pricing or check http://www.has.uwo.c...campus/och_app/. You can find pricing from the link. London, Calgary and Edmonton all seem similar in pricing. I guess you can't win. London seems to range from around $350 to $400+ for a room, Calgary (check link http://www.su.ucalga...och/listing.php ) seems to range from $350 to $400+ for a room as well. I'm not sure about Edmonton but probably same as Calgary.

Hope this helps.

Thank you Cherylsafina, you're the best!!! I just went Craigslist and saw very nice rooms at a very decent price. I'm still doing my research on Calgary and Ontario and will keep you updated with my final decision!!!