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Hi, I'm going into grade 12 this year and I have a few questions. I'm pretty clueless about the whole college application and preparation process. By the way, I live in Canada. Anyway, I was wondering about the SATs. I'm pretty sure that we don't take the SATs here, but if I'm going to apply to American universities, will I have to take them, and how? Do you know if tuition fees for private colleges are higher for Canadians? I know that the tuition for out-of-state students is the same as that of residential students, but does the category "out-of-state" apply to those of us from Canada? If not, then we'd be international, and then are we still elligible for all of the scholaraships, grants, and other financial aid?

By Kate on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 08:43 am: Edit

Here's another dumb question for you: what exactly is a liberal-arts college? Does it still have all the sciences and stuff? I'm asking because I'm planning on going into medicine, and I was looking at Harvard, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and maybe Yale. That's not to say I wouldn't go to a smaller school; I'll be happy as long as it's in the states. Is Macalester a private university? If it has a good reputation, I might like to go there. It's pretty close to where I live, and Minnesota has a lot of good shopping, compared to where I live, anyway.
If anyone could give me some insight on which colleges are good for pre-med or medicine, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

By Dave Berry on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 01:03 pm: Edit

Kate, Macalester College is a prime example of a quality liberal arts college. It's relatively small and offers a broad range of majors with emphasis on the liberal arts (humanities, languages, life sciences, etc.). Universities such as Yale, Duke, JHU, and Harvard are almost always bigger in student body and physical size. They also have separate "colleges" within the university itself, such as "the college of engineering" or "the college of human development" or whatever.

Macalester would be a great place to study pre-med because of its strong biology department. Of course the others you mention are all elite, top-of-the-pile schools whose students usually get into med school fairly easily. JHU's pre-med program is tough simply because they are known as a pre-med factory (that's a stereotype perception, not necessarily true). There are tons of other great liberal arts schools that can give you an excellent pre-med preparation. Just a few examples: Swarthmore, Williams, Amherst, Dickinson, Juniata, Bucknell, Wheaton (Illinois), and on and on. The important thing is to make the right match. Best wishes for finding that match.

By NewMum on Wednesday, November 07, 2001 - 12:45 am: Edit

Kate:

I am the mum of a grade 12 daughter in a Canadian High School... you do need to take SATS. Try a local independent school if you are having trouble finding them given in your area- or search the www.collegeboard.com website for locations. If you are in a public school you need to know your counselor may not be up-to-speed on the intricacies of applying to the states.

Universities in the states look at much more than your academic averages, you must present fully all your extra-curricular activities. They also grade differently. I don't know what province you are in, but in BC, the 86-100 scale for an A is very comparable to the 93-100 A earned in the states, but it sounds easier to Americans. Your counselor needs to explain this in his/her letter.

Hope that helps!

By George Iwama on Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 10:32 pm: Edit

Where can I take the SATs in Atlantic Canada?
George

By jessann on Monday, June 24, 2002 - 11:22 pm: Edit

Hello I am Jessann from Ontario Canada, and in grade ten. I am 100% sure that I want to apply to an american college. I know that to even start to apply you have to take the SAT's and maybe even the ACT's. I have questions about that:
-How can I take them in Canada?
-Where can I take them?
-Don't I need to know stff about america to take it?
-Are there certain classes I have to take to complete it?
-Can I take it twice?
If these questions and maybe even more could be answered it would be greatly appreciated.

By etta rose on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 12:42 pm: Edit

I am going into my last year of high school in Ontario. I am also 100% sure that I want to apply to the States. I am looking for scholarships that may help me, a Canadian student, hoping to get into an American university (or as they say, college). The cost of American schools is unbelievable compared to our universities. Are there any scholarships or organizations that recognize this and can help us strong, but scared Canadian students??!!

By sgandhi on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 05:51 pm: Edit

Hello, Jessann. I will try to answer your questions. First, you can visit collegeboard.com and act.org to find out about where these exams are administered. I assume that there would be many sites to test at in Ontario. Second, you do not need to know much about America. The exams test mathematics (which has no political boundaries), reading comprehension (no prior knowledge required), vocab (not country-specific), standard English grammar, and science (again, no prior knowledge required). Third, there are no certain classes for these exams; as long as you pay attention in school and read many book in a variety of fields, you will do fine. Finally, you can take it as many times as you want. Good luck.

By Wenny05 (Wenny05) on Friday, August 20, 2004 - 12:10 pm: Edit

I'm an American 12th grader, currently attending a school in Canada after being transfered from the States due to my parents involvement in the US Government and their relocation. I have noted that the schooling is different in comparison to my previous high school in Miami, Fl. Thus far, I have spoken to my school counselor and was told me that if I planned on attending University in the States, I must take the SAT'S. Also, I was going to have to pay a $200CAD fee. I would like to know, do I have to pay $200CAD? Or can I just pay the $30US that I would have paid if I was living in Fl.? Also, I have researched testing locations, but Canada is now where to be found, there are no testing centers posted that I have been able to find. In addition, I recieved a packet which I requested from a previous teacher with further information about the SAT'S and Canada is not posted in the official booklet either. Im assuming that there are private locations. Where do I go to find these places? I was also considering the fact of driving to New York state (since I only live an hour or so from the border) and taking the SAT at a local high school there. Is that permitted? Do I have to be in roled in an American high school in order to take the test and recieve those prices as well?? I have many questions. Once these are answered, I hope I will have a better understanding and will not be as nervous about this meticulous process. Thank You for your time and answers.
Wenny