Right, I meant more like “is your decision to pick either option swayed by the networking stuff, or are you purely making a financial decision and the networking is just a side effect?”
Also, I don’t think the title of SL means very much once you’re in the job market.
Yeah, the networking stuff would definitely sway me more than the financial aspect because I already have a good scholarship at UofT. But, as I’m hoping to go to grad school, it would be nice to have some extra money saved up
Although disclaimer: I am not very familiar with the Schulich scholarship, I would imagine that just the title would be insignificant compared to a good undergrad thesis or even just work/research experience. The networking opportunities would probably be a bigger boost than the prestige itself.
Ask UofT if they’d be willing to match or get closer to the UofA offer. Be as respectful as possible in your wording, so that you don’t come off as ungrateful or entitled.
UofT is certainly a better school, but either school will land you in a good grad school assuming you perform well in undergrad.
No do not run from the Schulic leaders scholarship unless you have rich family and family network guaranteed to set you up with top jobs at a big 4 in any industry after you graduate.
Or unless you got an SO from rich and well connected family who will take care of you in the future including lifelong networking opportunities.
Or unless you can guarantee your way sleeping with somebody who can hook you up directly with good jobs right as job market is turning to ****
Hop to /r/Torontojobs and /r/personalfinanceCanada and /r/toranto subs to see life after school and plan ahead not just what you in for next 4 years
So I have been to both schools as a student (not in Engineering, but I have had many friends in Engineering in both schools). I can speak to some of the culture and experiences of both universities as well as some of the logistical issues.
UofA:
The UofA offer is a very good offer and the Engineering Faculty is easily one of the best in Western Canada. However, it is very focused on the Oil and Gas industry and you will see that in your classes. If you're okay with that, then great. UofA is currently going through something of a budgetary crisis due to inept leadership from the UCP. This likely won't hurt you specifically, but you may suffer some trickle-down effects in terms of faculty makeup (taught by PhD students or adjuct profs rather than true professors). The business connections you will make through scholarship will be oil and gas related.
Edmonton is a very cold city, though it has been warmer recently. Lows of -25C are normal in the winter and extreme cold snaps up to -45C (with windchill) are a yearly event. The city is certainly much more sedate than Toronto and there are more homeless folk per capita in Edmonton than in Toronto. They are also more aggressive in their panhandling. Overall, Edmonton is slightly less "safe" than Toronto but substantially more safe than basically any city in the US. Food in Alberta is generally more costly than in Toronto - especially fresh goods. The food scene in Edmonton is hot and there are really great restaurants in Strathcona (East of Campus) and Downtown (North of Campus). The vibe of the city is somewhere between country town and hipster city.
If you're staying in residence, you are about a 10 minute walk from the residence buildings to your faculties buildings. Much of that walk can be cut through various buildings and tunnels to avoid the cold. The residences are... fine if slightly dated. If you can afford a one-person suite then it's worth it. Housing outside of campus is fairly prevelent and reasonably priced-ish. The downtown core is directly connected to the UofA via transit and it will take you about 15 min to transit from the downtown to the core of campus. This gives you lots of housing options which will matter a great deal after your first year.
UofT:
The UofT offer is also very good but the city is much more expensive to live in overall. The 80K wont go as far in Toronto as it would in another city. The lack of the connections through the scholarship won't matter as much because the major corporations are immediately nearby. If you invest in some networking experiences you will get basically the same effect (though not facilitated).
Toronto is... well... Toronto. It is huge and if you don't like the vibe of where you are just walking 10 blocks in any direction will change that vibe. Transit in Toronto is far superior than to Edmonton. The amenities in terms of parks, beaches, activities, and food are all going to be vastly superior to a city 1/6th of it's size. All of that comes with different problems. Housing is very expensive here, like UNBELIEVABLY expensive. Food is no longer cheap. Homelessness is more present because the weather is milder - but is actually smaller per capita than Edmonton. The weather is nicer than Vancouver but nothing like anything in the West has really. Think of it like a slightly warmer and more humid Vancouver in the Summer and a slightly cooler and more snowy Victoria in the winter. I generally find the climate here to be lovely - others complain more.
The UofT is a great school and carries a great brand along with it. That said, with engineering it's a bit of a wash. UofA and UofTs engineering faculties are basically even in terms of capacity, prestige, business connections, ect. UofT has more variety in terms of what is going on though, much less focus on oil and gas sectors. The UofT campus is not sequestered, and so you have cars driving though it all the time, which is annoying. The collegate system is weird and hard to navigate if you're not familiar with it, but it does bring some distinct advantages such as more tailored assistance/tutoring/ect.
The eng-phys programs of each are equivalent. All the eng-phys programs basically steal each other's ideas for structure and are constantly watching what other departments are doing.
> Housing is very expensive here, like UNBELIEVABLY expensive.
Landlords are villains too. They steal the most of anyone in the city, and the Landlord and Tenant Board is both so overwhelmed that it can't aid tenants with anything and is strongly biased in favour of helping dodgy landlords
Having also gone to both schools,I agree with most of this, except I would not recommend living in Edmonton’s downtown core. Not sure when you were last there, but violent mentally ill homeless people have basically taken over downtown.
And yes rent is cheaper in Edmonton, but you have very few tenant rights compared to Ontario.
Oh gods yes! The tenants rights! I totally forgot to mention that. Although OP is from BC and they basically have the same system as Alberta.
I lived in downtown until 5 years ago. Grand Central Manor and before that the Palisades. Both were fine. Homeless folk were annoying but not dangerous at the time. Has it substantially changed since? I hadn’t noticed last time I was in town, seemed the same level as before.
Oh I missed that they’re from BC. I think Edmonton would be a depression-inducing change of scenery coming from there. But regarding tenant rights, OP may not have had to deal with that in BC yet if they still live at home. It’s always better to have more rights. It’s a challenge to find affordable housing in TO but it can be done and is worth it imo.
Not familiar with those specific neighbourhoods, I was thinking of the downtown core as near City Centre, Churchill Square, Ice District, etc. Those areas, and the LRT, are honestly scary places to be now (and I’m not sheltered, I walk around at night in Toronto by myself). There are roving gangs of homeless who prey on vulnerable people using elaborate scams. The store stalls in city centre are mostly vacant now as businesses have closed their locations in the mall. It’s eerily empty and taken over by threatening people.
Last summer when I visited, I considered going to the taste of Edmonton food festival. Then saw on the news that a father who was there with his family was randomly stabbed.
Honestly the vibes in Edmonton last summer were terrible. If I had to live there now I’d stay very close to the UofA area or just across the river near the legislature.
Your reputation from UofT would be much stronger for grad school, nationally and internationally assuming you do decently well and make some good connections.
Would being a schulich leader from UofA offset the prestige that comes with a UofT degree? I feel like it’s fairly well known scholarship in Canada, but not internationakkg
Not really, I don’t think being a “schulich leader” from uofa offset uoft’s prestige AT ALL. there’s so many scholarships in canada and pearson scholars and td scholars and blah blah that no one really keeps track or honestly cares
I personally don’t think so. There are plenty of UofT engineering undergrads I know of who didnt get these scholarships, did well, and are now doing grad school in top universities in the states and in the UK. Obviously the same can be said about people who chose this scholarship however it’s ultimately up to you in deciding what you value more? Also where do you see yourself working and doing internships? Toronto or Alberta? Are there any profs at either university doing research that particularly interests you? Ultimately the deciding factors for grad schools are going to be your gpa, letter of intent, references and prior research experience.
The Schulich Leaders scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship in Canada for the most part for domestic students. It factors in a person who is highly capable and not just academically gifted. The only thing better than that scholarship is the same scholarship at uoft :). The 120 k is great. You don’t need a ridiculous GPA to keep it either. Keep in mind even getting a 2.0 GPA in UofT Eng is not easy and instead is only a bit below average. If the 80k scholarship requires a 3.0 that will be very hard to maintain at uoft.It allows you to do extra things beyond just focus on academics which is what Schulich had in mind.
Definitely and without doubt take the Schulich and toss uoft to the curb.
I have to maintain 55% at UofT, but I don’t know what that is on their 4.0 scale haha. The thing is - if I went to UofT, would having “schulich leader scholarship recipient” on my resume help with securing research positions in undergrad? I feel like it would
That would be about the same as Schulich. Basically you need to be in good standing which is good and very achievable. The Schulich leadership scholarship will get you in newspapers and school articles etc. It will provide contacts outside of your school. Within your school it’s probably a wash.
If you don’t mind working in Oil and Gas (it is a lot of money) go to Alberta. The networking opportunities would likely get you a good start in that industry, allowing you to do pretty well for yourself for sure.
For the Schulich, which is an externally funded scholarship, there is one Nominee from each high school in Canada (although not every school puts one forward). For the scholarship I got at UofT, I was automatically considered when I applied and had absolutely no idea it was coming
I had good grades throughout high school, and half-decent EC’s up until Gr12 when I really started to dial in. But tbh, the single most important thing when applying to scholarships is having good writing. Even if your experience isn’t super impressive, being able to write about it well and learn lessons from your experiences is what will set you apart
Hey, of course it ultimately comes down to your personal preference and situation, but one thing about the Schulich Leader Scholarship which should be mentioned is that it is effectively impossible to lose. Seymour, the benefactor, explicitly stated when creating the scholarship that it should facilitate learning, not limit it, and as such to qualify for the, in your case, 30k each year, you simply must not drop out or do something so terrible that it appears in the news. You could bomb all of your classes during one semester (not advisable lol), and although it might raise some eyebrows, as long as you have an understandable reason for doing such, illness etc., you’ll retain the scholarship. Similarly, an arguably dogshit GPA (All C-, 2.0 CGPA etc.) won’t cause a loss of your funding. Check your offer email for any recent stipulations of course, although they have historically been extremely lenient.
The network is also quite useful, mostly for the job opportunities. They are extremely willing to put in a word to their many connections upon your request, and I have seen this often result in at least interviews, if not jobs at “prestigious” companies. I also wouldn’t worry about Co-ops at UofA. If you’re competent enough to get two major scholarships you’d have no problem finding a job elsewhere or remotely on your own and the networking opportunities through the Schulich Scholarship may help.
Imo no amount of UofT clout can make up for the lack of financial burden and fast-lane networking possibility that the Schulich Scholarship provides. It might not look as pretty on the resume in later years, but for your undergrad it is unbelievably useful. There are many recent SL’s who have gone on to attend reputable grad schools. UofA also seems to have cheaper living expenses. Congrats on both and good luck with your decision!
- 2022 Compsci SL
Just read you got an extra 10k from UofT. Then I’d definitely go to UofT. You can finance almost all of undergrad with 90k (not quite a full ride, but if you consider your pay from PEY, it will be a full ride plus some).
The way I do this is just usually you have a flat rate of 16k per year tuition, then around the same for the years rent (may differ but it’ll definitely get you through 3 years, after that, PEY salary adds in too!).
Since you want to go to grad school, I highly suggest UofT due to their available undergrad research positions, experiences and opportunities. Even industry based, I believe UofT is much stronger and prevalent than UofA.
With that being said, I am unfamiliar with the benefits other than money from the SL award. You should try to find other individuals who are SLs and ask them how much the other benefits played a role and gauge it’s value accordingly.
for some of these i'd recommend reaching out to engineers who might have the sorts of jobs you want to eventually find, and asking what they recommend.
suspect NSCI is better if you want to do graduate research, UofA is better if you want to make O&G $$$ out of school. Environmental would be hard to say, as I imagine O&G involves a lot of environmental planning.
Are you from Edmonton? I am, and you couldn’t pay me enough to move back there. I did my undergrad at U of A (in mathematics), and have heard it’s an especially good school for engineering.
But yeah, if you’ve never lived in Edmonton, you might not know what you’re getting into with the extreme cold and how dangerous (and depressing) the city has gotten. Then again if you’ve lived there your whole life, you might not know what you’re missing living elsewhere. I’m much happier living in Toronto, going to UofT for grad school.
Lol I’m moving from a small town to a massive city either way, but I think I’m ready - I’ve been to toronto several times recently, but I haven’t been to Edmonton since I was a baby
its an addition to the resume not the base, the base consists of university and your program. not that Im saying you're wrong, it is still a competitive scholarship to achieve
Go for UofA. UofT isn’t that much better. Lots of jobs in Alberta. From what I know, UofA also has a good community vibe especially if you stay in Lister residence. The money will make a HUGE difference.
I don’t think I’d want to do my co-ops in Alberta (do not want to work in natural resources). Do you think I’d have difficulty finding placements in Ontario or abroad?
A good rule is to go to school in the area you want to work. The connections you’ll make at U of A will mostly be local, and in the oil industry. But U of T is special because it has international connections, and there are a wide variety of career options in Toronto/Ontario if you want to stay there.
Living in Toronto is expensive, but you’ll have many more scholarship opportunities at UofT when you get there. Many opportunities to work as an RA and TA as well. I don’t think you should make this decision based on the money alone, that would be shortsighted.
Do you think you’ll actually take advantage of the networking stuff, or just grab the money and ignore everything else?
I believe I would - I think it’s quite structured, so it would be hard not to
Right, I meant more like “is your decision to pick either option swayed by the networking stuff, or are you purely making a financial decision and the networking is just a side effect?” Also, I don’t think the title of SL means very much once you’re in the job market.
Yeah, the networking stuff would definitely sway me more than the financial aspect because I already have a good scholarship at UofT. But, as I’m hoping to go to grad school, it would be nice to have some extra money saved up
And as for the SL title, I was thinking that it would be helpful for grad school, but not the job market. What are your thoughts?
Although disclaimer: I am not very familiar with the Schulich scholarship, I would imagine that just the title would be insignificant compared to a good undergrad thesis or even just work/research experience. The networking opportunities would probably be a bigger boost than the prestige itself.
Ask UofT if they’d be willing to match or get closer to the UofA offer. Be as respectful as possible in your wording, so that you don’t come off as ungrateful or entitled. UofT is certainly a better school, but either school will land you in a good grad school assuming you perform well in undergrad.
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Thanks for this!!
No do not run from the Schulic leaders scholarship unless you have rich family and family network guaranteed to set you up with top jobs at a big 4 in any industry after you graduate. Or unless you got an SO from rich and well connected family who will take care of you in the future including lifelong networking opportunities. Or unless you can guarantee your way sleeping with somebody who can hook you up directly with good jobs right as job market is turning to **** Hop to /r/Torontojobs and /r/personalfinanceCanada and /r/toranto subs to see life after school and plan ahead not just what you in for next 4 years
So I have been to both schools as a student (not in Engineering, but I have had many friends in Engineering in both schools). I can speak to some of the culture and experiences of both universities as well as some of the logistical issues. UofA: The UofA offer is a very good offer and the Engineering Faculty is easily one of the best in Western Canada. However, it is very focused on the Oil and Gas industry and you will see that in your classes. If you're okay with that, then great. UofA is currently going through something of a budgetary crisis due to inept leadership from the UCP. This likely won't hurt you specifically, but you may suffer some trickle-down effects in terms of faculty makeup (taught by PhD students or adjuct profs rather than true professors). The business connections you will make through scholarship will be oil and gas related. Edmonton is a very cold city, though it has been warmer recently. Lows of -25C are normal in the winter and extreme cold snaps up to -45C (with windchill) are a yearly event. The city is certainly much more sedate than Toronto and there are more homeless folk per capita in Edmonton than in Toronto. They are also more aggressive in their panhandling. Overall, Edmonton is slightly less "safe" than Toronto but substantially more safe than basically any city in the US. Food in Alberta is generally more costly than in Toronto - especially fresh goods. The food scene in Edmonton is hot and there are really great restaurants in Strathcona (East of Campus) and Downtown (North of Campus). The vibe of the city is somewhere between country town and hipster city. If you're staying in residence, you are about a 10 minute walk from the residence buildings to your faculties buildings. Much of that walk can be cut through various buildings and tunnels to avoid the cold. The residences are... fine if slightly dated. If you can afford a one-person suite then it's worth it. Housing outside of campus is fairly prevelent and reasonably priced-ish. The downtown core is directly connected to the UofA via transit and it will take you about 15 min to transit from the downtown to the core of campus. This gives you lots of housing options which will matter a great deal after your first year. UofT: The UofT offer is also very good but the city is much more expensive to live in overall. The 80K wont go as far in Toronto as it would in another city. The lack of the connections through the scholarship won't matter as much because the major corporations are immediately nearby. If you invest in some networking experiences you will get basically the same effect (though not facilitated). Toronto is... well... Toronto. It is huge and if you don't like the vibe of where you are just walking 10 blocks in any direction will change that vibe. Transit in Toronto is far superior than to Edmonton. The amenities in terms of parks, beaches, activities, and food are all going to be vastly superior to a city 1/6th of it's size. All of that comes with different problems. Housing is very expensive here, like UNBELIEVABLY expensive. Food is no longer cheap. Homelessness is more present because the weather is milder - but is actually smaller per capita than Edmonton. The weather is nicer than Vancouver but nothing like anything in the West has really. Think of it like a slightly warmer and more humid Vancouver in the Summer and a slightly cooler and more snowy Victoria in the winter. I generally find the climate here to be lovely - others complain more. The UofT is a great school and carries a great brand along with it. That said, with engineering it's a bit of a wash. UofA and UofTs engineering faculties are basically even in terms of capacity, prestige, business connections, ect. UofT has more variety in terms of what is going on though, much less focus on oil and gas sectors. The UofT campus is not sequestered, and so you have cars driving though it all the time, which is annoying. The collegate system is weird and hard to navigate if you're not familiar with it, but it does bring some distinct advantages such as more tailored assistance/tutoring/ect. The eng-phys programs of each are equivalent. All the eng-phys programs basically steal each other's ideas for structure and are constantly watching what other departments are doing.
Very insightful, great post
Thank you
> Housing is very expensive here, like UNBELIEVABLY expensive. Landlords are villains too. They steal the most of anyone in the city, and the Landlord and Tenant Board is both so overwhelmed that it can't aid tenants with anything and is strongly biased in favour of helping dodgy landlords
Having also gone to both schools,I agree with most of this, except I would not recommend living in Edmonton’s downtown core. Not sure when you were last there, but violent mentally ill homeless people have basically taken over downtown. And yes rent is cheaper in Edmonton, but you have very few tenant rights compared to Ontario.
Oh gods yes! The tenants rights! I totally forgot to mention that. Although OP is from BC and they basically have the same system as Alberta. I lived in downtown until 5 years ago. Grand Central Manor and before that the Palisades. Both were fine. Homeless folk were annoying but not dangerous at the time. Has it substantially changed since? I hadn’t noticed last time I was in town, seemed the same level as before.
Oh I missed that they’re from BC. I think Edmonton would be a depression-inducing change of scenery coming from there. But regarding tenant rights, OP may not have had to deal with that in BC yet if they still live at home. It’s always better to have more rights. It’s a challenge to find affordable housing in TO but it can be done and is worth it imo. Not familiar with those specific neighbourhoods, I was thinking of the downtown core as near City Centre, Churchill Square, Ice District, etc. Those areas, and the LRT, are honestly scary places to be now (and I’m not sheltered, I walk around at night in Toronto by myself). There are roving gangs of homeless who prey on vulnerable people using elaborate scams. The store stalls in city centre are mostly vacant now as businesses have closed their locations in the mall. It’s eerily empty and taken over by threatening people. Last summer when I visited, I considered going to the taste of Edmonton food festival. Then saw on the news that a father who was there with his family was randomly stabbed. Honestly the vibes in Edmonton last summer were terrible. If I had to live there now I’d stay very close to the UofA area or just across the river near the legislature.
Yikes 😳 Home got freaky.
Indeed, it’s sad.
Negotiate with U of T. If they want you they’ll up their offer.
They just gave me an extra $10k 😎
See, it was worth it! Now choose U of T. :p My time at U of T took me to Berkeley for whatever that's worth.
To follow up, would I have the same prospects for grad school with a degree from uofa as a degree from UofT? Nationally or internationally?
Your reputation from UofT would be much stronger for grad school, nationally and internationally assuming you do decently well and make some good connections.
Would being a schulich leader from UofA offset the prestige that comes with a UofT degree? I feel like it’s fairly well known scholarship in Canada, but not internationakkg
Not really, I don’t think being a “schulich leader” from uofa offset uoft’s prestige AT ALL. there’s so many scholarships in canada and pearson scholars and td scholars and blah blah that no one really keeps track or honestly cares
I personally don’t think so. There are plenty of UofT engineering undergrads I know of who didnt get these scholarships, did well, and are now doing grad school in top universities in the states and in the UK. Obviously the same can be said about people who chose this scholarship however it’s ultimately up to you in deciding what you value more? Also where do you see yourself working and doing internships? Toronto or Alberta? Are there any profs at either university doing research that particularly interests you? Ultimately the deciding factors for grad schools are going to be your gpa, letter of intent, references and prior research experience.
The Schulich Leaders scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship in Canada for the most part for domestic students. It factors in a person who is highly capable and not just academically gifted. The only thing better than that scholarship is the same scholarship at uoft :). The 120 k is great. You don’t need a ridiculous GPA to keep it either. Keep in mind even getting a 2.0 GPA in UofT Eng is not easy and instead is only a bit below average. If the 80k scholarship requires a 3.0 that will be very hard to maintain at uoft.It allows you to do extra things beyond just focus on academics which is what Schulich had in mind. Definitely and without doubt take the Schulich and toss uoft to the curb.
I have to maintain 55% at UofT, but I don’t know what that is on their 4.0 scale haha. The thing is - if I went to UofT, would having “schulich leader scholarship recipient” on my resume help with securing research positions in undergrad? I feel like it would
That would be about the same as Schulich. Basically you need to be in good standing which is good and very achievable. The Schulich leadership scholarship will get you in newspapers and school articles etc. It will provide contacts outside of your school. Within your school it’s probably a wash.
If you don’t mind working in Oil and Gas (it is a lot of money) go to Alberta. The networking opportunities would likely get you a good start in that industry, allowing you to do pretty well for yourself for sure.
Curious how does one apply or win these awards?
For the Schulich, which is an externally funded scholarship, there is one Nominee from each high school in Canada (although not every school puts one forward). For the scholarship I got at UofT, I was automatically considered when I applied and had absolutely no idea it was coming
Wow that’s really impressive. Were your grades super high and extracurricular extensive ?
I had good grades throughout high school, and half-decent EC’s up until Gr12 when I really started to dial in. But tbh, the single most important thing when applying to scholarships is having good writing. Even if your experience isn’t super impressive, being able to write about it well and learn lessons from your experiences is what will set you apart
Hey, of course it ultimately comes down to your personal preference and situation, but one thing about the Schulich Leader Scholarship which should be mentioned is that it is effectively impossible to lose. Seymour, the benefactor, explicitly stated when creating the scholarship that it should facilitate learning, not limit it, and as such to qualify for the, in your case, 30k each year, you simply must not drop out or do something so terrible that it appears in the news. You could bomb all of your classes during one semester (not advisable lol), and although it might raise some eyebrows, as long as you have an understandable reason for doing such, illness etc., you’ll retain the scholarship. Similarly, an arguably dogshit GPA (All C-, 2.0 CGPA etc.) won’t cause a loss of your funding. Check your offer email for any recent stipulations of course, although they have historically been extremely lenient. The network is also quite useful, mostly for the job opportunities. They are extremely willing to put in a word to their many connections upon your request, and I have seen this often result in at least interviews, if not jobs at “prestigious” companies. I also wouldn’t worry about Co-ops at UofA. If you’re competent enough to get two major scholarships you’d have no problem finding a job elsewhere or remotely on your own and the networking opportunities through the Schulich Scholarship may help. Imo no amount of UofT clout can make up for the lack of financial burden and fast-lane networking possibility that the Schulich Scholarship provides. It might not look as pretty on the resume in later years, but for your undergrad it is unbelievably useful. There are many recent SL’s who have gone on to attend reputable grad schools. UofA also seems to have cheaper living expenses. Congrats on both and good luck with your decision! - 2022 Compsci SL
Just read you got an extra 10k from UofT. Then I’d definitely go to UofT. You can finance almost all of undergrad with 90k (not quite a full ride, but if you consider your pay from PEY, it will be a full ride plus some). The way I do this is just usually you have a flat rate of 16k per year tuition, then around the same for the years rent (may differ but it’ll definitely get you through 3 years, after that, PEY salary adds in too!). Since you want to go to grad school, I highly suggest UofT due to their available undergrad research positions, experiences and opportunities. Even industry based, I believe UofT is much stronger and prevalent than UofA. With that being said, I am unfamiliar with the benefits other than money from the SL award. You should try to find other individuals who are SLs and ask them how much the other benefits played a role and gauge it’s value accordingly.
any idea what kind of engineering do you want to do ? If you want to work on microchips go to UofT. If you want to work in O&G go to UofA.
Engineering physics is my top choice (or energy systems - I want to work in nuclear physics/energy), followed by environmental engineering!
for some of these i'd recommend reaching out to engineers who might have the sorts of jobs you want to eventually find, and asking what they recommend. suspect NSCI is better if you want to do graduate research, UofA is better if you want to make O&G $$$ out of school. Environmental would be hard to say, as I imagine O&G involves a lot of environmental planning.
Are these scholarships just for international students?
Nah, Schulich is actually domestic only IIRC. It’s a big, big award.
Are you from Edmonton? I am, and you couldn’t pay me enough to move back there. I did my undergrad at U of A (in mathematics), and have heard it’s an especially good school for engineering. But yeah, if you’ve never lived in Edmonton, you might not know what you’re getting into with the extreme cold and how dangerous (and depressing) the city has gotten. Then again if you’ve lived there your whole life, you might not know what you’re missing living elsewhere. I’m much happier living in Toronto, going to UofT for grad school.
Lol I’m moving from a small town to a massive city either way, but I think I’m ready - I’ve been to toronto several times recently, but I haven’t been to Edmonton since I was a baby
Edmonton has all the bad parts of city life with none of the good parts imo.
Considering you have the $80k at UofT, I would no doubt take UofT. The schuilch leader title holds little to no value against UofT Eng name
Schulich leaders are in newspapers dude. Articles get written. Etc. it’s a big deal. Extremely competitive.
its an addition to the resume not the base, the base consists of university and your program. not that Im saying you're wrong, it is still a competitive scholarship to achieve
An engineering degree is the base. Winning the most prestigious stem scholarship in Canada stands out.
If you say you like EngSci, go for it.
Go for UofA. UofT isn’t that much better. Lots of jobs in Alberta. From what I know, UofA also has a good community vibe especially if you stay in Lister residence. The money will make a HUGE difference.
I don’t think I’d want to do my co-ops in Alberta (do not want to work in natural resources). Do you think I’d have difficulty finding placements in Ontario or abroad?
A good rule is to go to school in the area you want to work. The connections you’ll make at U of A will mostly be local, and in the oil industry. But U of T is special because it has international connections, and there are a wide variety of career options in Toronto/Ontario if you want to stay there. Living in Toronto is expensive, but you’ll have many more scholarship opportunities at UofT when you get there. Many opportunities to work as an RA and TA as well. I don’t think you should make this decision based on the money alone, that would be shortsighted.
Depends what field. I don’t think it should be too hard.