The University of Toronto (Canada)

Date: Dec 15 2012
Major: Engineering Department (This Major's Salary over time)
As an undergraduate student in the Engineering Science option, I'm a little disappointed in how coming to U of T was marketed vs the reality. A large portion of the horror stories from things like EngSci are very true - however, there are still many good points that these stories over look. If you are seriously looking at coming to U of T (especially for Engineering), I'd advise you to take both marketing and horror stories with a grain of salt.

Yes, the university does really treat you like a number. And yes, there are plenty of profs and students who are rather nasty/unhelpful. But there are plenty of profs and students who buck the trend. In my program at least, I've found the majority of students are helpful and very sociable (even in Engineering!). The work load is absolutely horrible, but that doesn't mean you can't still get out every so often. Toronto is a great city, and sometimes you have to take a breather and actually ENJOY the place you're getting an education in.

My advice? If you're thinking about U of T, you should make a decision based on what program you are interested in. I've heard plenty of horror stories from Life Sciences, so I'd stay away from here if that's your path. GPAs are notoriously low (my own included), but if you're going to Engineering that really doesn't matter too much for one simple reason - job opportunities for recent graduates in Engineering are significantly better. In a word, you don't have to do a graduate program to get a decent job - and that means a lot.

Overall, I feel that I've made the right choice for my education and future here. But don't take my word for it - if you're headed for Engineering, visit and decide for yourself