The Foreign Service Journal, June 2007

J U N E 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 95 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT who has a solid idea of what they would like to study. People with a less definite idea would probably do better in a liberal arts uni- versity in America.” International Feel and a Lower Price Tag Schools in Canada are more like American institutions, but with a far lower price tag. Foreign Service kids are attracted to Canadian cities such as Montreal or Toronto because of their “foreign” or “European” feel. McGill University, a popular choice among Third Culture Kids, hosts an international student body that makes up 12 percent of its total student population — one of the highest percentages in North America. The University of Toronto’s three campuses feature an international student population of roughly 8 to 9 percent. While not as high as McGill’s, this is still considered quite high. Why do non-Canadians choose Canadian universities? Luca Mantesi, who attends McGill, says “Montreal is the most interna- tional city I have ever visited. Because of Quebec’s relaxed immigration policies, peo- ple from all over the world come to live here.” Luca, who graduated from the American Overseas School of Rome and fully expected to attend college in the U.K. or U.S., was sur- prised by how much more he liked McGill. “Here, people will love you for who you are and will try to learn as much as possible about your background. In the U.S. you’re expected to rid yourself of your culture and become an ‘American.’ This fosters a nega- tive environment that mainly affects interna- tional students and Americans who didn’t grow up in the U.S. ” Although Luca’s uni- versity experience is a positive one, he has been less impressed with the Canadian health care system; he and his friends drive across the border when they need to see a doctor. Canadian schools tend to have later appli- cation deadlines than American schools, almost always after New Year’s and some- times not even until March. Some of the more popular college search books include a write-up of at least a few Canadian institu- tions, but for more comprehensive informa- tion, MacLean ’s weekly magazine has become the resident expert, and publishes an annual Guide to Canadian Universities (see Resources). Universities in other foreign countries vary in their admissions procedures. Some simply allow prospective students to register a few weeks before classes start, perhaps with the added requirement of taking an entrance examination. Do not be fooled by this seemingly easy admissions policy, how- ever: many top-notch universities’ selectivity comes after enrollment, not before. In the most elite Belgian universities, for example, you must have a higher-level high school diploma (or full IB diploma, or a minimum SAT score) to register. Even then, by the end of the first year, more than half of the students have dropped out. — Francesca Huemer Kelly