Yeah—even worse, Carleton housing is $700 but to enroll in one of the schools I got into, I’d have to put a down payment of $800 (just to enroll and accept my admission)
I'm not too sure about the cognitive science program, but I will ask this - where do you want to live/work after you graduate? If you're planning on going back to Cali, how good is a Carleton degree there vs a UC one? If you wanna stay in Canada Post grad, are you prepared to go through the entire immigration process like work permit and permanent residency? Carleton is a fantastic and welcoming university, but the choice of school is also dependent on whatchu wanna do post grad. Good luck and Godspeed! 🫡
Thanks for the insight! After my undergrad, I def want to go into graduate studies/med school depending on how my interests change these next 4 years. I was (probably naively) thinking that going to Canada for my undergrad would open employment doors in both Canada and U.S. since I have lived here already.
And thanks for mentioning the whole process, that’s true; but I think I’m mentally prepped to do a whole Shazam of things.
Thank you!
Going to Canada absolutely can still open opportunities in the US. Since you’re a US citizen it’s a lot easier as well. The issue with going to Canada versus the US is that if you want to work in the US post grad, you’re just a bit further away from US based opportunities that you can take advantage of during your degree program. So you may have to relocate for the summer (but tbh, that happens at any university). For grad studies/med school, Carleton will be fine for both Canada and US.
Thank you so much for the response—this puts me more at ease. I also skimmed over the thought of summers, and relocating for the summer sounds pretty ideal to see friends and family.
Are you f*cking insane? Stay in California! I can’t believe nobody is saying this to you
The Cogsci program is okay, but not “move from california to ottawa” good. Also, the whole UC thing..
Too true, I'm about to receive my diploma for cognitive science on Friday, you definitely don't want to go so far as to come here (a nice but ultimately second rate school, let's be honest) instead of staying in CA.
Being from Ottawa already, the decision to go to Carleton was easy and the Cognitive Science program did stand out but I've already got a job I've been working for a while which seems like it may be long term and I'm not using my degree at all.
In the grand scheme of things the only reason why I would come here in your situation would be because it's cheaper but you should also take into consideration the rough housing prices (not sure how bad they are compared to CA but they're pretty bad from my perspective) and other auxiliary fees you might need to deal with
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much — your reply does help tons
Yeah for housing, I still think the US is more expensive but, ugh I just need to decide. Thank you again!!
I went to a university in California and transfer to Carleton so I can tell you there’s definitely pro’s and cons.
I’m don’t pay international tuition though, but tuition at Carleton is WAY and I mean WAY cheaper than school in California, specially since you are considered a UC as opposed to a Cal State. I had gotten into UCLA but I could t afford it
Yes, cold weather is nice *to an extend* I truly did under estimated how could it would be but luckily Carleton has a cool tunnel system so you don’t have to walk in the freezing cold.
Housing is pretty limited + expensive if you look for something nearby campus. VS UCI or UCSB where there’s literally blocks of houses of PURE student housing (at least for UCSB) cause UCI is mostly rich people
I have been to both UCI and UCSB and well, you can find countless information on that but
UCSB = one of the best party schools in Cali if you are into that , UCI = one of the best pathways for pre med students.
While at Carleton , although is not dead but you won’t have that UCSB isla vista experience.
In regards to dance as classes, No unfortunately Carleton doesn’t do that :( I used to take swimming conditioning as a class that would give me half a credit as an elective or something like that but at Carleton you would only be doing it as a hobby.
Carleton is pretty good, scenery is beautiful and you are relatively close to downtown, tuition is cheaper. I found classes to be harder than my old university in the US but grading scale is more forgiving.
I can go on but if you want more info DM me
Hope this helped !
Hi! Thank you so much for your response — I’ll definitely take you on that offer to dm, I just want to hear more about your experience transferring from a university in California to Carleton and why.
The UCSB “Isla Vista” experience is so new to me, it’s ok for me to miss it. I’m more introverted but still looking to be social, so I think I’ll be fine.
Thanks for the insight into the UCs and Carleton, much appreciate.
I cannot say anything with regards to CogSci itself; however...
1. CogSci, at least in Canada, is fine as a degree choice for pre-med.
2. Re: Hip-hop dance? I'm not really sure what you're asking. As you asking if people here can hip-hop dance? If so, then I'm sure the answer is yes, but it isn't like people are dancing on their way to class.
3. Student life, social life, clubs... they are all what you make of them. There certainly is no shortage.
4. Re: Music classes. Yes, there are.
5. Housing. You should definitely start looking. It is, sadly, quite expensive.
6. Your degree is accredited and should be considered valid in the USA, at least to employers. Some graduate schools may think of Canadian schools as lesser. But there are certainly Canadian students that go to American graduate schools so it is not a kiss of death.
Good luck with your studies!
Haha, sorry, I totally phrased that dance question wrong, oops. But I meant as in if Carleton has any teams that compete competitively or around Carleton in Ottawa itself if there’s any hip-hop culture etc etc..
Either way, thanks for your insight and for the luck, I really appreciate it.
There's definitely a lot of people that like hip-hop. I don't think there's a team, but there's probably a club. If not then you could start one (I think you need 8 signatures). You'd probably get some interest.
There are dance clubs and a competitive team at CU :) the competitive team is pretty good and competes at one big competition at the end of the year against other Canadian unis
Absolutely go for it, I loved my time at Carleton! Its a great school and the major you're looking into is amazing. Moreover, I loved student life in Ottawa. I made some very long-lasting friendships there.
Out of the box here but I think having experiences that are different from your peers will make you more attractive when it comers to applying for grad school and med school. For example, studying in a foreign country and doing well shows that you are able to adapt , thrive and be successful. I would look at someone who took a leap to study in say Australia then came back with life experiences extremely favorably.
Thanks for the input. Yeah, I briefly thought about the “varying experiences” idea, though I wasn’t too sure by myself. But hearing another person have a similar thought makes me feel better.
One thing to consider (although it will probably be no different from Cali) is that currently, the job market is quite brutal, and unemployment is higher than usual. Moreover, the cost of rent, food, and gas is also very high. If you do plan to come to Canada to study, make sure that you budget for the high cost of living, and don’t bank on being able to find a minimum wage job within the first few months to support your expenses.
Carleton has great scholarships and bursaries so taking advantage of this may suffice. Just wanted to give you a heads up!
Based on what I’ve heard from my friends in the States, our post secondary is less cut-throat which you might like.
Student life is great imo - there are tons of clubs, most of which are funded and so they’re not expensive to join. Carleton isn’t a party school but there is nightlife in downtown Ottawa to check out if you’re into that. I find that the best way to make friends at Carleton is to join clubs and get involved within the community - also looks great for grad applications! :)
Classes are interesting but I would recommend checking the rate my prof before committing to a particular section.
Thank you giving me something important to consider. I haven’t even put a deep enough effort into cost, just looking at base prices of full tuition—so yeah, thanks for bringing up budgets.
And that’s so great to hear, about vibrant student life at night, too. Thank you!
I’m a first year and has a US transcript and a good number of courses transferred.
I mean if it’s a cheaper option go for it! All I’ve heard about Ottawa is that it’s boring but Montreal is 2hs away sooo😂😭
Understand the drive for something fresh and new, but the grass so often looks greener on the other side. The UC system is surely the best public system in the world. Elite programs and degrees easily transferable to anywhere in the world so you can satisfy your need for something different once you've got your freshly minted UC degree. If you're going to move away from the UC system you need to think very, very carefully. Ideally it should be because you either have a scholarship or you're talking ultra elite, like Harvard, MIT, Cambridge...
Thanks for your response. Yeah, definitely I think you’re absolutely right. Maybe I’m just being impulsive and impatient for something new but putting it into the perspective you put it—being able to “explore” after that very transferable degree—the UC point makes sense.
I don’t know anything about the CogSci program, but I just want to say I’ve never heard of someone from cali wanting to come to Ottawa for school lol. Atleast go somewhere like Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal
Haha — I know, saying it out loud sounds insane. I’m trying to find ways to keep proving to myself that moving to Canada is utterly insane but, idk, Carleton just feels really appealing for some reason.
I don't know every American at Carleton and whether they're from Cali but seeing there are students from the West Coast of the US I don't see why Cali can't even be an option
I just meant the ones you’ve met and I assumed you might know where they’re from. Just surprising that there’d be some from the west coast you’d think they’d go somewhere like Vancouver
Hi I wonder why your calculations show that as a California resident, studying at Carleton would be cheaper than at UCI?
The UCI Tuition and Fees page [https://catalogue.uci.edu/informationforprospectivestudents/expensestuitionandfees/](https://catalogue.uci.edu/informationforprospectivestudents/expensestuitionandfees/) shows that the tuition and fees for California residents per year is USD17,105.14 (i.e., CAD23,465.69).
Carleton's Fee Estimator [https://central.carleton.ca/prod/pkg\_online\_fee\_assess.p\_main](https://central.carleton.ca/prod/pkg_online_fee_assess.p_main) shows that the tuition and fees for full-time international students in B. CogSci per term is CAD15,204.13; for two academic terms (both fall and winter) per year, the total would be CAD30,408.26.
Notwithstanding differences in living expenses, studying at UCI / UCSB can actually save you about CAD7000 per year in tuition. In Ontario, only domestic students are qualified for OSAP (likewise, only California residents are qualified for CA state/federal student aid). So imho you might actually save more and get student aid at the same time if you study in California?
I'm sorry if I've made any mistakes in evaluating those fees.
P.S. Carleton Fee Estimator dropdown menu selection as follows:
https://preview.redd.it/t16qdwygcg7d1.png?width=1081&format=png&auto=webp&s=8601bd6becb825a961d7f8151abb364294ba93f1
Hi! Thank you so much for doing these calculations, I really appreciate that, kind stranger. I’m sure you didn’t make any mistakes!
In my estimation for UCSB from my direct portal, they gave me a total of $39,861 USD (\~$54,667 CAD) for the entire year. I’ve attached a screenshot from my phone below.
https://preview.redd.it/bjzqgviv6k7d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53e2b949b7ee58eedf738e7880b2fb27f0f06e47
As for UCI, I still haven’t gotten my total estimate from ZotAid (the name of their financial aid office based off the Anteater mascot lol), but maybe it is significantly cheaper than UCSB after all. From what I’ve looked at, I’m seeing such drastically different numbers—from the numbers you nicely calculated to \~$40,000.
I’ll surely look more into on cost—cause that’s definitely a big factor.
Thank you so much!!
Absolutely wild that a Canadian university would be cheaper for a US student, even when paying absurdly inflated international student tuition.
Yeah—even worse, Carleton housing is $700 but to enroll in one of the schools I got into, I’d have to put a down payment of $800 (just to enroll and accept my admission)
Throwback to when tuition in California was free until R*n\*ld R\*\*g\*n cut funding because he was scared of communism
I'm not too sure about the cognitive science program, but I will ask this - where do you want to live/work after you graduate? If you're planning on going back to Cali, how good is a Carleton degree there vs a UC one? If you wanna stay in Canada Post grad, are you prepared to go through the entire immigration process like work permit and permanent residency? Carleton is a fantastic and welcoming university, but the choice of school is also dependent on whatchu wanna do post grad. Good luck and Godspeed! 🫡
Thanks for the insight! After my undergrad, I def want to go into graduate studies/med school depending on how my interests change these next 4 years. I was (probably naively) thinking that going to Canada for my undergrad would open employment doors in both Canada and U.S. since I have lived here already. And thanks for mentioning the whole process, that’s true; but I think I’m mentally prepped to do a whole Shazam of things. Thank you!
Going to Canada absolutely can still open opportunities in the US. Since you’re a US citizen it’s a lot easier as well. The issue with going to Canada versus the US is that if you want to work in the US post grad, you’re just a bit further away from US based opportunities that you can take advantage of during your degree program. So you may have to relocate for the summer (but tbh, that happens at any university). For grad studies/med school, Carleton will be fine for both Canada and US.
Thank you so much for the response—this puts me more at ease. I also skimmed over the thought of summers, and relocating for the summer sounds pretty ideal to see friends and family.
Are you f*cking insane? Stay in California! I can’t believe nobody is saying this to you The Cogsci program is okay, but not “move from california to ottawa” good. Also, the whole UC thing..
Thank you for your reply — I think I just needed to be told quite literally that
Too true, I'm about to receive my diploma for cognitive science on Friday, you definitely don't want to go so far as to come here (a nice but ultimately second rate school, let's be honest) instead of staying in CA. Being from Ottawa already, the decision to go to Carleton was easy and the Cognitive Science program did stand out but I've already got a job I've been working for a while which seems like it may be long term and I'm not using my degree at all. In the grand scheme of things the only reason why I would come here in your situation would be because it's cheaper but you should also take into consideration the rough housing prices (not sure how bad they are compared to CA but they're pretty bad from my perspective) and other auxiliary fees you might need to deal with Hope this helps!
Thank you so much — your reply does help tons Yeah for housing, I still think the US is more expensive but, ugh I just need to decide. Thank you again!!
If you have further questions about the specifics of the program I'd be happy to help where possible
Idk if I would be paying international student tuition, I’d rather get my money’s worth living in Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal lol
Thanks for your input, it helps a lot!
I went to a university in California and transfer to Carleton so I can tell you there’s definitely pro’s and cons. I’m don’t pay international tuition though, but tuition at Carleton is WAY and I mean WAY cheaper than school in California, specially since you are considered a UC as opposed to a Cal State. I had gotten into UCLA but I could t afford it Yes, cold weather is nice *to an extend* I truly did under estimated how could it would be but luckily Carleton has a cool tunnel system so you don’t have to walk in the freezing cold. Housing is pretty limited + expensive if you look for something nearby campus. VS UCI or UCSB where there’s literally blocks of houses of PURE student housing (at least for UCSB) cause UCI is mostly rich people I have been to both UCI and UCSB and well, you can find countless information on that but UCSB = one of the best party schools in Cali if you are into that , UCI = one of the best pathways for pre med students. While at Carleton , although is not dead but you won’t have that UCSB isla vista experience. In regards to dance as classes, No unfortunately Carleton doesn’t do that :( I used to take swimming conditioning as a class that would give me half a credit as an elective or something like that but at Carleton you would only be doing it as a hobby. Carleton is pretty good, scenery is beautiful and you are relatively close to downtown, tuition is cheaper. I found classes to be harder than my old university in the US but grading scale is more forgiving. I can go on but if you want more info DM me Hope this helped !
Hi! Thank you so much for your response — I’ll definitely take you on that offer to dm, I just want to hear more about your experience transferring from a university in California to Carleton and why. The UCSB “Isla Vista” experience is so new to me, it’s ok for me to miss it. I’m more introverted but still looking to be social, so I think I’ll be fine. Thanks for the insight into the UCs and Carleton, much appreciate.
I cannot say anything with regards to CogSci itself; however... 1. CogSci, at least in Canada, is fine as a degree choice for pre-med. 2. Re: Hip-hop dance? I'm not really sure what you're asking. As you asking if people here can hip-hop dance? If so, then I'm sure the answer is yes, but it isn't like people are dancing on their way to class. 3. Student life, social life, clubs... they are all what you make of them. There certainly is no shortage. 4. Re: Music classes. Yes, there are. 5. Housing. You should definitely start looking. It is, sadly, quite expensive. 6. Your degree is accredited and should be considered valid in the USA, at least to employers. Some graduate schools may think of Canadian schools as lesser. But there are certainly Canadian students that go to American graduate schools so it is not a kiss of death. Good luck with your studies!
Haha, sorry, I totally phrased that dance question wrong, oops. But I meant as in if Carleton has any teams that compete competitively or around Carleton in Ottawa itself if there’s any hip-hop culture etc etc.. Either way, thanks for your insight and for the luck, I really appreciate it.
There's definitely a lot of people that like hip-hop. I don't think there's a team, but there's probably a club. If not then you could start one (I think you need 8 signatures). You'd probably get some interest.
Thank you! Another user had responded that there is a dance team, so woo! Much appreciate for offering that alternative though.
There are dance clubs and a competitive team at CU :) the competitive team is pretty good and competes at one big competition at the end of the year against other Canadian unis
Oh neat! Thanks for the input — this is what I’m looking for. That’s great to hear!
Absolutely go for it, I loved my time at Carleton! Its a great school and the major you're looking into is amazing. Moreover, I loved student life in Ottawa. I made some very long-lasting friendships there.
That’s amazing! I’m glad you had such a positive experience — thanks for the input.
Out of the box here but I think having experiences that are different from your peers will make you more attractive when it comers to applying for grad school and med school. For example, studying in a foreign country and doing well shows that you are able to adapt , thrive and be successful. I would look at someone who took a leap to study in say Australia then came back with life experiences extremely favorably.
Thanks for the input. Yeah, I briefly thought about the “varying experiences” idea, though I wasn’t too sure by myself. But hearing another person have a similar thought makes me feel better.
One thing to consider (although it will probably be no different from Cali) is that currently, the job market is quite brutal, and unemployment is higher than usual. Moreover, the cost of rent, food, and gas is also very high. If you do plan to come to Canada to study, make sure that you budget for the high cost of living, and don’t bank on being able to find a minimum wage job within the first few months to support your expenses. Carleton has great scholarships and bursaries so taking advantage of this may suffice. Just wanted to give you a heads up! Based on what I’ve heard from my friends in the States, our post secondary is less cut-throat which you might like. Student life is great imo - there are tons of clubs, most of which are funded and so they’re not expensive to join. Carleton isn’t a party school but there is nightlife in downtown Ottawa to check out if you’re into that. I find that the best way to make friends at Carleton is to join clubs and get involved within the community - also looks great for grad applications! :) Classes are interesting but I would recommend checking the rate my prof before committing to a particular section.
Thank you giving me something important to consider. I haven’t even put a deep enough effort into cost, just looking at base prices of full tuition—so yeah, thanks for bringing up budgets. And that’s so great to hear, about vibrant student life at night, too. Thank you!
I’m a first year and has a US transcript and a good number of courses transferred. I mean if it’s a cheaper option go for it! All I’ve heard about Ottawa is that it’s boring but Montreal is 2hs away sooo😂😭
Oh cool! Thanks for the response. How do you like your experience as a first year?
I start in September!
Oh! Have fun, good luck!
Understand the drive for something fresh and new, but the grass so often looks greener on the other side. The UC system is surely the best public system in the world. Elite programs and degrees easily transferable to anywhere in the world so you can satisfy your need for something different once you've got your freshly minted UC degree. If you're going to move away from the UC system you need to think very, very carefully. Ideally it should be because you either have a scholarship or you're talking ultra elite, like Harvard, MIT, Cambridge...
Thanks for your response. Yeah, definitely I think you’re absolutely right. Maybe I’m just being impulsive and impatient for something new but putting it into the perspective you put it—being able to “explore” after that very transferable degree—the UC point makes sense.
I don’t know anything about the CogSci program, but I just want to say I’ve never heard of someone from cali wanting to come to Ottawa for school lol. Atleast go somewhere like Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal
Haha — I know, saying it out loud sounds insane. I’m trying to find ways to keep proving to myself that moving to Canada is utterly insane but, idk, Carleton just feels really appealing for some reason.
Well you can come if you want since anyone can come to Canada. Just surprising that Carleton would be the school you choose to go to
I've met so many Americans at Carleton and they loved it there
Any from cali?
I don't know every American at Carleton and whether they're from Cali but seeing there are students from the West Coast of the US I don't see why Cali can't even be an option
I just meant the ones you’ve met and I assumed you might know where they’re from. Just surprising that there’d be some from the west coast you’d think they’d go somewhere like Vancouver
Hi I wonder why your calculations show that as a California resident, studying at Carleton would be cheaper than at UCI? The UCI Tuition and Fees page [https://catalogue.uci.edu/informationforprospectivestudents/expensestuitionandfees/](https://catalogue.uci.edu/informationforprospectivestudents/expensestuitionandfees/) shows that the tuition and fees for California residents per year is USD17,105.14 (i.e., CAD23,465.69). Carleton's Fee Estimator [https://central.carleton.ca/prod/pkg\_online\_fee\_assess.p\_main](https://central.carleton.ca/prod/pkg_online_fee_assess.p_main) shows that the tuition and fees for full-time international students in B. CogSci per term is CAD15,204.13; for two academic terms (both fall and winter) per year, the total would be CAD30,408.26. Notwithstanding differences in living expenses, studying at UCI / UCSB can actually save you about CAD7000 per year in tuition. In Ontario, only domestic students are qualified for OSAP (likewise, only California residents are qualified for CA state/federal student aid). So imho you might actually save more and get student aid at the same time if you study in California? I'm sorry if I've made any mistakes in evaluating those fees. P.S. Carleton Fee Estimator dropdown menu selection as follows: https://preview.redd.it/t16qdwygcg7d1.png?width=1081&format=png&auto=webp&s=8601bd6becb825a961d7f8151abb364294ba93f1
Hi! Thank you so much for doing these calculations, I really appreciate that, kind stranger. I’m sure you didn’t make any mistakes! In my estimation for UCSB from my direct portal, they gave me a total of $39,861 USD (\~$54,667 CAD) for the entire year. I’ve attached a screenshot from my phone below. https://preview.redd.it/bjzqgviv6k7d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53e2b949b7ee58eedf738e7880b2fb27f0f06e47 As for UCI, I still haven’t gotten my total estimate from ZotAid (the name of their financial aid office based off the Anteater mascot lol), but maybe it is significantly cheaper than UCSB after all. From what I’ve looked at, I’m seeing such drastically different numbers—from the numbers you nicely calculated to \~$40,000. I’ll surely look more into on cost—cause that’s definitely a big factor. Thank you so much!!