Anjali Mehra is in her third year at McGill University in Montreal. When she first decided to study psychology at McGill, people asked her why she’d chosen Canada instead of the US or the UK. She says, “McGill is among the top universities globally for psychology. The fee is also lower than that of a similar college in the US.”

Canadian colleges have become popular among Indian students due to various reasons — quality of education, availability of funding and scholarships, postgraduate work permit and the opportunity to settle down in Canada, all contribute to this. “Most universities are more affordable than similar ones in the US, and the application process is easier too,” says Nirmal Agarwal, founder of Cognix, an educational consultancy in Calcutta.

Unlike other countries where work opportunities for international students are limited, in Canada, students enrolled full-time in a designated learning institution can work off-campus (20 hours per week) for any employer. “It pays to know French,” adds Mehra, “if you’re in Montreal or other parts of Quebec.”

Canadian universities offer a wide range of courses and allow students to design their own programmes. The University of Toronto has 700 academic programmes. “So, you’ll have a student majoring in genome biology and minoring in computer science or doing a double degree in actuarial science and economics while minoring in philosophy,” says Prishma Jain, who is consultant, undergraduate services, at the education consultancy The Red Pen, Mumbai.

Karthik Rathnam, currently in his first year, chose computer science at the University of Waterloo because of the combination of subjects he could take and the extensive co-op programme. “I will be taking business-related courses like finance, accounting, economics, organisational behaviour and business policy along with computer science. I am looking forward to the co-op where I can earn while studying and also gain experience,” says Rathnam.

Co-op is part of the curriculum for many courses in Canada. Students get paid work in companies through the universities. The duration of a co-op can range from one to four semesters. “In a co-op programme, students study for some time and then take up full-time work positions in industry and then get back to their studies,” says Karan Gupta, a career guidance and study abroad consultant who is based in Mumbai.

Engineering, computer science, business, mathematics and psychology are popular courses that Indian students take up when they go to Canada. “We have had some exceptional students come to the University of Winnipeg from India, particularly in the areas of science and maths,” says Ashely Dunlop, director recruitment and international admissions at the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba. She adds that one area that Indian students can work on would be their academic writing skills.

They grant scholarships to students who have a holistic profile. “Those who have good academics, yes, but should have also participated in extracurricular activities or volunteer activities. Basically, we want students who will add to the fabric of the community and not be buried in their books all day,” says Dunlop.

Students apply to colleges in Canada through two portals — the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre and Education Planner. “Education Planner is for the colleges in the British Columbia region,” says Jain of The Red Pen.

A language test, usually the IELTS, is the only standardised test required for Canadian colleges.

Maths is important for many of the programmes. However, in case students have not taken maths, they can write to the college and request a pathway programme. Alternatively, students can take certain maths assessments that check conceptual knowledge in the subject and get into the programme after that.

Essays are required for certain courses such as engineering and management in some colleges. Says Jain, “It depends on the major. One of my students who applied for a course in accounting and finance at the University of Scarborough had to submit six essays of 100 words each, whereas another student who applied for mathematics in the same university didn’t have to do any essays at all.”

Popular Scholarships for UG Students

York University International Students Scholarships

• Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

• University of Calgary International Entrance Scholarship

• Humber College International Entrance Scholarship

• Winnipeg President’s Scholarship for World Leaders

• Carleton Prestige Scholarships

• UBC Scholarships for International Students