Why Aren't Young Men Going to University?

One of the issues I lived with for 11 years as the admissions director for University of Toronto’s MBA program was where are the women? Like most MBA programs, we struggled to achieve more of a gender balance in the incoming class.

Conversely, when I was researching undergraduate programs with my son, I was surprised to see most universities reported having more female students than male.

What is not known is if there are fewer applications from young men or are the women applying with higher averages.
Read the full story here Canadian Universities Net

After I wrote the Canadian Universities Net story, I saw an article on ESPN wondering if the increase in boys playing football and possible hits to the heads leads to lower grades and lower percentage of young men in post-secondary education.

Read ESPN article here

Canada's Best Business Schools

University	The Economist Global Top 101	Financial Times Global Top 100	Bloomberg BusinessWeek Non-US Schools	Beyond Grey Pinstripes Global Top 100
York University, Schulich	9	49	9	2
McGill University, Desautels	64	57	11
Concordia University, Molson	80		Not Considered	42
University of Calgary, Haskayne	81		Not Considered	35
University of British Columbia, Sauder	82	80	Not Ranked	24
HEC Montreal	96		15
University of Toronto, Rotman		46	8
University of Western Ontario, Ivey		46	6
Queen's University			1

Yesterday the Economist released its MBA rankings and this is the perfect time to not just look at how Canadian business schools did in that ranking but to compare that list to the Financial Times, BusinessWeek and Beyond Grey Pinstripes rankings.

Rankings are tricky and as you can see the results vary and that’s due to the different methodology used to evaluate the best programs. So before you make a decision based on a school’s ranking, take the time to learn more about the various rankings.

You should also note that not all business schools participated in all of the rankings. So don’t assume if a program is not on the list that they were not good enough to make the list. And of course, the list does not include the schools that didn’t participate. Bloomberg BusinessWeek does include schools that were not ranked and not considered.

Another consideration is that you not only want to do a good MBA but you want that program to be part of a good university. Therefore, you may want to review Canada’s best and worst  universities.

Finally, at the end of the day, it’s your MBA and you should choose the program that’s best for you.

The Economist MBA Ranking

Financial Times Ranking


Bloomberg BusinessWeel Ranking

Beyond Grey Pinstripes

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New Admission Policy for the University of Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan has changed its admission policy for out-of-province applicants from Alberta, British Columbia and the territories to "level the playing field" when it comes to their high school marks.

Grade 12 students in British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut all take standardized final exams. In B.C. and the Yukon, the provincial exams count for 40 per cent of a student’s final mark. In Alberta, they count for 50 per cent of the final mark.

The change, effective next fall, will make the University of Saskatchewan more attractive to western and northern grads whose marks are high enough to be considered for scholarships. It will also make the University of Saskatchewan an attractive option for weaker students or those who with lower grades.

"All the admissions requirements are the same, just the way that we calculate the average for them puts them on a level playing field with every other student across the board. So that’s kind of what we’ve done ... we’ll take the best mark that works to their advantage, just like we would any other province."

However, there is no mention precisely how the grades will be calculated. If you are from one of these provinces or territories and feel your application might be considered under this new policy, you should confirm how your average will be calculated. Only relax after you get a clear picture.

I believe other universities will follow but only after their data show that the University of Saskatchewan is getting a bigger piece of the pie.

Read full story here

Must Do This Weekend if You`re in Grade 12

I highly recommend that you purchase Maclean`s 2011 Guide to Canadian Universities this weekend. It was a great resource for me and my son as we researched Canadian universities. The book has a profile for each Canadian University (organized by regions), rankings and surveys. There are also sections on Finances and Campus Life. Well worth the $19.95.

Also, if you live in the Toronto area, you should attend the Ontario Universities fair at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Use the Maclean`s Guide before you go to the fair to help you use your time effectively and efficiently at the fair.  Remember it's only Ontario universities at this fair. Here are some more tips on getting the most from the fair.

The following video gives you a sense of what the fair is like.

Good luck!

Three University Options to Consider

Is your university research going well? Are you getting cold feet? If you are not embracing university at this point, here are 3 options to consider:

1.      You can study part-time. Practically every university has a part-time option available and this may be a perfect fit for some. Not all programs are available part-time, but you can certainly enrol in the more popular arts, science and business programs part-time and it actually may be a great way to study and ease into university. Many students are doing their degrees in 5 rather than 4 years. But, you don’t necessarily have to take a longer time to graduate; you can choose to study in all 3 semesters (fall, winter and summer) and therefore graduate in the same year as your peers. The high school grades needed to be admitted to study part-time are sometimes lower so if grades are a concern for you, take advantage of a part-time application to be admitted to the program/university of your choice. Taking a lower course load may also help you in achieving or maintaining better university grades. Also, if and when you’re comfortable you may be able to transfer to full-time study (but check the policy, procedures and requirements). The lower tuition and other costs associated with studying part-time make this option attractive for those with financing issues.  Note that the funding levels for part-time students will be lower than for a full-time student. Finally, assuming you can afford it, you don’t have to go to a local university if you’re a part-time student, but you may not be able to live in residence (check with the university’s housing/residence office).

2.      You can start in January instead of the more typical September/fall term. Again, another good option if you feel you’re not quite ready for university. If you’re admitted to the fall term, you can request to have your admission deferred to January (or the following September, if necessary). If you don’t have the grades you need, you can use the summer and possibly the fall semesters to improve your grades and gain entry in January.  Residence may be an issue so do check with the housing/residence office.

3.      Consider an online degree or other non-traditional delivery methods. If you’re disciplined and feel confident that you can study independently, an online degree or courses may be a viable option for you. But note, there may be some reputational issues with doing some courses or a full degree online or non-traditionally so research very carefully. You can also use online courses as a stepping stone to a more traditional degree.

In all 3 options, your university experience will be different from the norm but hopefully you will be on a university path that is the best fit for you.

A Grade of D for Canadian Universities

As reported in the Globe and Mail:

The ratio of full-time students to full-time faculty in Ontario increased to 25 from 17 in the years between 1988 and 2008. More collective agreements establish a standard teaching load of two courses per semester, down from three a generation ago. Despite this, faculty incomes have outpaced both inflation and government grants per student.

We are getting less for more. Teaching is getting short shrift; more students are graduating, but not enough are leaving school with the skills they need for success in the real world.

Classes of 500 students or more taught by an emerging cohort of indentured PhDs who carry a growing share of the teaching “burden” but have little hope of long-term employment. Professors who get “relief” from teaching obligations to pursue research. Classes and courses of study that prize particular academic disciplines rather than make the connections among disciplines that are so crucial to learning.

For students, it's unacceptable; for taxpayers and families who spend tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unsustainable.

The reformist wave that is transforming health-care delivery in Canada must now reach undergraduate education at our publicly funded universities.

Read the full article here

Why Low-income Students Don't Go to University?

According to The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO):

Low-income youth attend post-secondary institutions in lower numbers and that the gap is widening. Young people must first understand the inherent value of what higher education can provide, understand the difference between the sticker price and the true cost, make the financial commitment to engage in it, have the ability to wade through the forms and applications for grants and loans, be able to financially survive during their post-secondary education, and ultimately understand the terms of repayment if they received a loan. This is a lot to ask of teenagers, particularly if the teenagers do not have the family background or social network to guide them.

In Financial Literacy of Low-income Students: Literature review and environmental scan, the authors found that low-income students tend to vastly overestimate the cost of post-secondary education while both low- and high-income youth underestimate the economic benefits of attending university. Knowledge about financial aid programmes is lacking even among university students who hold student loans.

The HEQCO found only 2 programs in Canada, the Toronto-based Pathways to Education Canada and the Manitoba-based Career Trek, that simultaneously promote participation in higher education while offering some financial literacy support targeted to lower-income youth.

Read the full article here