Canadian JPA Scholars

[teh888]

HI

i hV obtained the jpa scholarship to canada for ENGINEERING.To all the senior canadian jpa scholars,can u all pls tell me ANYTHING abt CANADA n oso which universities u think is the best for ENGINEERING ?
u can oso share ur experience!
n oso ICPU .
ur advice n so on .
THX!!!

[lyhui]

yea...senior please come in...need yours advice!so blur till now~

[bush]

It's cold........You don't know what is cold thus far.....
On the universities, you can and should dig them out yourselves.

Study hard, ICPU is probably not the best route to a competitve Canadian school given that there are so many pre-u options available to Malaysians.

[galfera]

Study hard, ICPU is probably not the best route to a competitve Canadian school given that there are so many pre-u options available to Malaysians.

what do u mean by dat?

[bush]

Study hard, ICPU is probably not the best route to a competitve Canadian school given that there are so many pre-u options available to Malaysians.

what do u mean by dat?

I mean what I said.

[galfera]

Study hard, ICPU is probably not the best route to a competitve Canadian school given that there are so many pre-u options available to Malaysians.

what do u mean by dat?

I mean what I said.

do u mean its harder to enter canadian uni through ICPU than other pre-u?

how bout the course itself, is it harder than ausmat or ib?

[bush]

Study hard, ICPU is probably not the best route to a competitve Canadian school given that there are so many pre-u options available to Malaysians.

what do u mean by dat?

I mean what I said.

do u mean its harder to enter canadian uni through ICPU than other pre-u?

how bout the course itself, is it harder than ausmat or ib?

Only true for competitive Canandian schools. The competition is very intense, you will be compared to all 12 graders in Ontario.

IB is definitely more difficult. Ausmat, comparable to ICPU. The material, especially the science is not really difficult.The course teaches you how to survive in university rather than actually preparing you academically for university.

[niroshaa]

Hi.. halo.. I got d jpa scholarship 2 canada in d field of biotech... anybody der willing 2 help me.. i'm blur.. :huh

[qiaozi89]

I think this thread should open to all JPA scholars who go to Canada. This thread seems being cornered for such a long time. I also wish to share my experience in ICPU and knowledge about Canadian universities.

[youngyew]

Changed the thread title.

[whui]

Hmm..well then.. Thanks youngyew for changing the thread title.. First of all, is it THAT hard to enter Canadian Ivy League, namely McGill, Toronto, British Columbia and so on? What are the minimum requirements? Do we actually need to take SAT? Btw, the application deadline will be january or april for the intake during the fall season..i.e september..seniors please enlighten me.. Thanks!

[davidchak]

lol, to enter Canadian Ivy league, its freaking easy LoL

Well, maybe not THAT easy but its not as HARD as those US Ivies. No need for SAT. CEC (Canadian Education Centre) will brief you guys more about it.

Btw, come McGill, top 12 Uni of the world. I will be there =P

[whui]

lol, to enter Canadian Ivy league, its freaking easy LoL

Well, maybe not THAT easy but its not as HARD as those US Ivies. No need for SAT. CEC (Canadian Education Centre) will brief you guys more about it.

Btw, come McGill, top 12 Uni of the world. I will be there =P

Glad to see a senior who had answered my questions:) So what is the IELTS band needed to enter McGill? Mind to tell which course are you taking? You'll be entering during the fall season in September right?

[groundum]

lol..david, stop promoting ur mcgill lerr...come toronto. ..if u view from a particular course, toronto is better i think..HAHA

[everlearn]

heh..seems like 2 of you going to compare and promote each other university..haha..if that so, what is the rank of UofT? just wanna know. i'm goin to taylor for ICPU. 2days to go! Hmm..any advice for me? by the way, i want to know the requirement. will you share? at least i got some picture in my mind..^_^

heh..seems like 2 of you going to compare and promote each other university..haha..if that so, what is the rank of UofT? just wanna know.:) i'm goin to taylor for ICPU. 2days to go! Hmm..any advice for me? by the way, i want to know the requirement. will you share? at least i got some picture in my mind..^_^

[groundum]

hmm...if u r biotech student..sry to say that ur choices is kinda limited in the sense that, nt many Uni ofer BIOTECHNOLOGY program...instead, tehy offer some other biotech related program such as biochem, food tech and so on..for biotech student, mcgill is out of ur choice. however, most of the social sains student would prefer mcgill if nt mistaken.. neway, for jpa sponsors, make sure u pass 80%. once u pass 80%, u cn go any Uni in canada (i think so la)..cuz the admission for Uni in canada is kinda low @<hidden>@<hidden>

[davidchak]

Aha, Jason?!

IELTS, I would say to play safe, get at least 6.0 in every bands. THis will guarantee you to meet eng req for ALL of the university.

It really depends on your choice actually. Ranking is important but it shouldnt be the sole factor you should be looking for.

Some of the students prefer places with warmer climate, hence University of British Columbia.

Some of us like to be in big university in big city, hence U of T or McGill.

Some, like me, prefer to be in a prestigious university with foreign language being another prominent language, chose to go to McGill.

It really depends.

From TImes Higher Education World Ranking:


Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings 2007 - Top 100 Universities

Discover the brand top 100 universities in the world in the Times - QS World University Rankings. How do they compare to last year's rankings? And who is number one? Click the institute names to be directed to the profile of the chosen university.
Rank School Name Country
1 HARVARD University United States
2= University of CAMBRIDGE United Kingdom
2= YALE University United States
2= University of OXFORD United Kingdom
5 Imperial College LONDON United Kingdom
6 PRINCETON University United States
7= CALIFORNIA Institute of Technology (Calt... United States
7= University of CHICAGO United States
9 UCL (University College LONDON) United Kingdom
10 MASSACHUSETTS Institute of Technology (M... United States
11 COLUMBIA University United States
12 MCGILL University Canada
13 DUKE University United States
14 University of PENNSYLVANIA United States
15 JOHNS HOPKINS University United States
16 AUSTRALIAN National University Australia
17 University of TOKYO Japan
18 University of HONG KONG Hong Kong
19 STANFORD University United States
20= CORNELL University United States
20= CARNEGIE MELLON University United States
22 University of California, BERKELEY United States
23 University of EDINBURGH United Kingdom
24 King's College LONDON United Kingdom
25 KYOTO University Japan
26 ?cole Normale Sup?rieure, PARIS France
27 The University of MELBOURNE Australia
28 ?COLE POLYTECHNIQUE France
29 NORTHWESTERN University United States
30 University of MANCHESTER United Kingdom
31 The University of SYDNEY Australia
32 BROWN University United States
33= University of BRITISH COLUMBIA Canada
33= University of QUEENSLAND Australia
33= National University of SINGAPORE Singapore
36 PEKING University China
37 University of BRISTOL United Kingdom
38= The CHINESE University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
38= University of MICHIGAN United States
40 TSINGHUA University China
41 University of CALIFORNIA, Los Angeles (U... United States
42 ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of T... Switzerland
43 MONASH University Australia
44 University of NEW SOUTH WALES Australia
45 University of TORONTO Canada
46 OSAKA University Japan
47 BOSTON University United States
48 University of AMSTERDAM Netherlands
49 NEW YORK University (NYU) United States
50 The University of AUCKLAND New Zealand
51= SEOUL National University Korea, South
51= University of TEXAS at Austin United States
53= TRINITY College Dublin Ireland
53= HONG KONG University of Science & Techno... Hong Kong
55= University of WASHINGTON United States
55= University of WISCONSIN-Madison United States
57 University of WARWICK United Kingdom
58 University of CALIFORNIA, San Diego United States
59 LONDON School of Economics and Political... United Kingdom
60 HEIDELBERG Universit?t Germany
61 Katholieke Universiteit LEUVEN Belgium
62 University of ADELAIDE Australia
63 DELFT University of Technology Netherlands
64 The University of WESTERN AUSTRALIA Australia
65= University of BIRMINGHAM United Kingdom
65= Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit?t M?nchen (... Germany
67 Technische Universit?t M?NCHEN Germany
68 University of SHEFFIELD United Kingdom
69 NANYANG Technological University Singapore
70 University of NOTTINGHAM United Kingdom
71= DARTMOUTH College United States
71= UPPSALA University Sweden
73 University of ILLINOIS United States
74= EMORY University United States
74= University of YORK United Kingdom
76 University of ST ANDREWS United Kingdom
77= University of PITTSBURGH United States
77= PURDUE University United States
79 University of MARYLAND United States
80= University of SOUTHAMPTON United Kingdom
80= University of LEEDS United Kingdom
82 VANDERBILT University United States
83 University of GLASGOW United Kingdom
84 LEIDEN University Netherlands
85= University of VIENNA Austria
85= CASE WESTERN RESERVE University United States
85= FUDAN University China
88 QUEEN'S University Canada
89 UTRECHT University Netherlands
90= PENNSYLVANIA STATE University United States
90= TOKYO Institute of Technology Japan
92 RICE University United States
93= Universit? de Montr?al Canada
93= University of COPENHAGEN Denmark
95 University of ROCHESTER United States
96 University of CALIFORNIA, Davis United States
97= University of ALBERTA Canada
97= GEORGIA Institute of Technology United States
99 CARDIFF University United Kingdom
100 University of HELSINKI Finland

[WenwooN~]

wow... It's very great to get into the top U in Canada! Then i must oso strive hard in order to get into those top U in Canada lo... Hope to see you in Canada next year! Hehee... Thank a lot for all these info given ya!

[qiaozi89]

it also depends on courses. diff uni are good in diff course. and diff courses have diff majors and specializations. it is very obvious to the course i will study. i want to study music composition which is more on production and contemporary music. so i din apply U of T and UBC cuz they focus more on classical music and performance. i'm going to York U which is lower ranked than UM (i'm told by ppl about this, but i dun really care). though it is ranked lower, its fine arts program is top in canada. and it's Schulich of Business is well-known as Canada Global Business School.

And York U is in Toronto, it is more convenient for me cuz there are a lot of studios in this big city.

so you guys got to consider a lot of aspects. but my advice is...go to a BIG uni because you dun need to care about the tuition fees all those things. and it is more convenient to stay in city.

[duke23]

lol, to enter Canadian Ivy league, its freaking easy LoL

Well, maybe not THAT easy but its not as HARD as those US Ivies. No need for SAT. CEC (Canadian Education Centre) will brief you guys more about it.

Btw, come McGill, top 12 Uni of the world. I will be there =P


oh mcgill is very very prestigious and montreal is very pretty indeed!except for the -50 degrees you'll have to bear during winter months!

but all in all montreal has got good food and culture..its almost like being in europe!!its lovely ...and cost of living in montreal is a lot cheaper than vancouver,calgary,toronto etc!!

but my cousin told me that students from Queen's also think very higly of their institution....i've been to kingston before and its a..errrrrrrrr..dead university town..I HATED IT

[davidchak]

Queens is not bad either, i got the offer but rejected it, mainly cuz i got better choice. lol

Yeah, i heard that too, many said that Kingston is not as lively as other university metropolitan

[hhhcce]

Kingston is a dead town. Seriously. :P

Are you coming to McGill this coming fall?

I think you would want to have a look at this. :P

http://www.flickr.com/photos/84333659@<hidden>/

[davidchak]

Are you from McGIll also?!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1277/1313540812_247f28e948_m.jpg My future rez =)

[hhhcce]

That question is kind of redundant. :P

[davidchak]

Haha, self sponsored or sponsorship?

[hhhcce]

When did this conversation turn into an interrogation? No, I am not going to tell you that. Other than that, I am willing to answer any question you might have. A warm welcome to McGill from me, by the way.

[davidchak]

Haha, ture true. I am heading off maybe August 22. A welcome treat perhaps?=P

[hhhcce]

Yup sure. I would be happy to. McGill has a very beautiful campus. Hey, do you mind adding me in MSN so that we can talk?

[bush]

Cheen Euong......U2 next year, honours chemistry.......scholarship from McGill......got a blardy A- for COMP 202............I am happy I got a C+.

McGill......don't let those rankings fool you......Don't go to class also can score a B+ wan.....orang cakap prestigious, tapi ah BS all the way pun boleh graduate punya.

If you are thinking of french, don't really bother, no one speaks french in the McGill bubble.

I am not too sure about Montreal culture, some people might describe Quebec as an institutionalised racist state. Go there and draw your own conclusions. Otherwise, Montreal is fine, porn capital after LA and Amsterdam.

[hhhcce]

Annoying Edwin Low aka bush. He is doing double major in Economics and Physics. Not a decent man as you can see from his way of writing sentences. By the way, I got an A for computing. Not A-. Get your fact right. :P

Hey folks, read between the lines. He was joking. McGill is a wonderful city. Unless you want to be like bush who goes to Strip Club and gets drunk every night. :P. And, unless you are satisfied with a B+ for elementary courses like Freshman Chemistry, attend all the classes.

[davidchak]

Porn capital. LMAO

[bush]

Annoying Edwin Low aka bush. He is doing double major in Economics and Physics. Not a decent man as you can see from his way of writing sentences. By the way, I got an A for computing. Not A-. Get your fact right. :P

Hey folks, read between the lines. He was joking. McGill is a wonderful city. Unless you want to be like bush who goes to Strip Club and gets drunk every night. :P. And, unless you are satisfied with a B+ for elementary courses like Freshman Chemistry, attend all the classes.

But I get the (.Y.) and the (Y)..........

[qiaozi89]

This thread becomes McGillians' thread =_=

we're going to canada soon...any senior can give some advice and suggestion about anything about canada? like what should we bring...what should we take note of when in canada etc...

[bush]

Take note of the wimmin.......

[bush]

hhhcce......dey, next time i bawak you to spearmint rhino.....

[hhhcce]

Oh jeez, bush. This is an education thread. It is for those prospective students who want to get some decent information regarding studying in Canada. So, stop giving a false impression to them. And, just because I overtly denied your offer in MSN, you don't need to say bad words about me here.

[bush]

It's real lah, I know you want to go.

[Elmo]

head over to u of t if u're in engineering. the list which was posted by david was based on the universities' performance as a whole. however, in engineering, u of t definitely rankes better than ubc n mcgill, no offence. anyway, the ranking of the unis does not matter at all. it all boils down to u, urself! anyway, come down to u of t if u're in engineering, as i've said earlier on. great staff, great professors, esp. we welcome u with warm hands.

[davidchak]

Ranking doesnt matter really...It depends what sort of culture or environment u want...I havent been to Vancouver yet but I hear its pretty Asian there (chinese everywhere). Toronto is more of a big city like (sort of like NYC with people from all over the world) and Montreal is more of a western city (european like, angmos walking on the street is more than asian)

[hhhcce]

It does matter actually. I am sorry. But, it does. Especially when you are applying for graduate schools. High ranked universities offer more difficult courses and are taught by high profile lecturers. Yes, it does matter. But not so when you compared U of T to McGill. But, please bear in mind that U of T has twice the student population of that of McGill. Personally, I would like to get attention from the lecturers and it can be tough when the size of the class is about 100 ( just a generalisation, you should take it as such). UBC used to offer McGill degree, haha (me being vainglorious)

[davidchak]

My class is on average 400 ppls (smallest being 36 -- my french class, other class must be at least 150+)

[hhhcce]

Haha. I did not have the chance to be in such a big class. Freshman courses are prerequisites for everything and hence the size.

[mehul91]

guys i need to ask you about the life in canada. first which is better, u of Toronto or mcgill uni and second is it a gud place to study economics....and third how cold can it get in Toronto and Montreal and fourth what in the world is ICPU. i went to these universiti website and cud not find ICPU so can anyone explain how much you need at least to get in.

[catnfish]

hi guys...
i juz got canada economics after appeal...
may i noe how long i will be sent to canada for their degree?
i will b going to taylor for icpu before tat...

[Scrmath]

hi guys...
i juz got canada economics after appeal...
may i noe how long i will be sent to canada for their degree?
i will b going to taylor for icpu before tat...

Congratulation!canada is a very nice country and we all head there!so far for i heard,it is 3 years..

My class is on average 400 ppls (smallest being 36 -- my french class, other class must be at least 150+)

400????tats way too much..200 is ady a big number..i wan to ask tat do i nid to learn french there?the lecturers lecture in english rite..and generally who would speak french there?does it have a great impact on us since we all dun noe french..

[whui]

This is normal for university...

Big class... Must be more independent..

i wan to ask tat do i nid to learn french there?the lecturers lecture in english rite..and generally who would speak french there?does it have a great impact on us since we all dun noe french..

You need French if you are in Montreal, Quebec... In other words if you're in McGill..

For universities in Ontario, you don't need that much.(if I've not mistaken)

[davidchak]

This is normal for university...

Big class... Must be more independent..



You need French if you are in Montreal, Quebec... In other words if you're in McGill..

For universities in Ontario, you don't need that much.(if I've not mistaken)

Thats a misconception! I am in McGill and I can go by without uttering a word of French (well, bonjour and merci doesnt count! :P)

Montreal is a very bilingual city and within the downtown scope, its almost (not 100% but close to 70%) English. In the university itself, its....about 99% english.

So, dont worry :P

guys i need to ask you about the life in canada. first which is better, u of Toronto or mcgill uni and second is it a gud place to study economics....and third how cold can it get in Toronto and Montreal and fourth what in the world is ICPU. i went to these universiti website and cud not find ICPU so can anyone explain how much you need at least to get in.

1) Which is better? UoT or McGill
This is one of the most debated topics. Put aside rankings and everything, I would say both of them are equally good (although being a McGill student and "uni pride", I would say if you are aiming for these disciplines: Economics, Psychology, Neuroscience, McGill is better :P)

But I think in the end, it all comes down to what kind of thing you want to be exposed to, Toronto and Montreal are two radically different city, Toronto is more...mixed, like say if you were in Chinatown, its ALL chinese, when you are in Little India, its ALL indians and so on and so forth (correct me if i am wrong). Montreal, on the other hand, is very European like. You hardly hear any other languages being spoken beside French and English in the city. Having been to Toronto and Montreal myself, I would say Montreal is more Western-like than Toronto.

2) Cold
Toronto and Montreal are equally cold. But the thing is, in Toronto sometimes, the weather can go pretty bipolar. It could be as hot as 4'c in the morning and goes all the way down to -15 in the night. Where as in Montreal, if its a -15 weather, it will stick that way the whole day. But weather should be the least of your concern.

3) ICPU
ICPU is more commonly known in Canada as Ontario Grade 12 (Or as they called it, OSSD, Ontario Secondary School Diploma)

Hope that helps!

[whui]

Thanks for sharing.
I always thought that one need to know quite a bit of French in McGill. By the way, can you please share some info about what we need for BTN?

Thanks in advance.

[davidchak]

Be obedient. Keep quiet even when you hear "offensive" things. Pretend you love and extremely satisfy with our current BN-lead government.

[Scrmath]

Be obedient. Keep quiet even when you hear "offensive" things. Pretend you love and extremely satisfy with our current BN-lead government.

wa tat look like so serious!moreover,i would have it too around this month rite?for info,i jz gt jpa and haven go pre-u

[whui]

ScrMath, the BTN Camp is for the JPA 2008 batch... you will need to attend next year after your graduation..

Be obedient. Keep quiet even when you hear "offensive" things. Pretend you love and extremely satisfy with our current BN-lead government.

I see... btw, what do you mean by "offensive"? I don't quite get it tho...it sounds serious to me :huh

[Miracle_seed]

I see... btw, what do you mean by "offensive"? I don't quite get it tho...it sounds serious to me :huhYou can always check out BTN/Biro Tatanegara threads for more insight about BTN, there are lots of interesting sharing there...

[davidchak]

I remember (dont quote me on this) during our batch of BTN, the speaker kept saying things like: "Melayu mesti kukuhkan kedudukan. Orang sudah masuk sampai terpijak atas kepala". THis sort of BS....

I think its pretty offensive...dontcha think? When I hear that, I can almost feel the fire burning inside me but no, we mustnt do anything, at least, not while the 5 days inside the camp.... Sad but true

[mehul91]

ok lets say if you get 100% in ICPU , are you guaranteed a place in Mcgill or U of toronto. this is because i heard that icpu is relatively easy. so being a top uni, on what basis do the students get selected. i know academic is one of it. but is it the only thing or do they have interview and stuff. how difficult can it get to enter those uni cause icpu as i've heard is easy

[Scrmath]

ok lets say if you get 100% in ICPU , are you guaranteed a place in Mcgill or U of toronto. this is because i heard that icpu is relatively easy. so being a top uni, on what basis do the students get selected. i know academic is one of it. but is it the only thing or do they have interview and stuff. how difficult can it get to enter those uni cause icpu as i've heard is easy

Fr wad i heard,for toronto uni,they jz look through yr icpu result and ielts.icpu i heard is min 85,and ielts mostly 6.5(for engineering)

[whui]

yes it's relatively easy in the sense that it is not 100% exam based evaluation.
What I learn from ICPU is that, you need to good in everything.

Presentation, project, tests, quizzes, etc. That's the challenging part in ICPU. I wouldn't say all the syllabus is very easy though, if thats so, what's the point we study pre-u?

In fact there are lots of people struggle in ICPU although it's "easy". You will know it when you get into it.
I've been spending sleepless nights just to do english essays which requires critical thinking, cuz its not like SPM where an essay can be written just within few hours and pass it all up. In ICPU memorizing is NOT the key point for you to success.

As for the guaranteed placement I'm not sure though, I've heard there is so-called program in McGill University to select students during the admission. In my opinion, as long as you score above 90% average that shouldn't be a problem.

Fr wad i heard,for toronto uni,they jz look through yr icpu result and ielts.icpu i heard is min 85,and ielts mostly 6.5(for engineering)

To add in more details, for IELTS, you need at least 6.5 for every band.
Let's say you score 5.0 for your writing, most probably you need to retake IELTS although your overall band is 6.5.

But if you've got 1A or 2A in your GCE O, you will be exempted from sending your IELTS to the admission office. But, they will account your ENG4U marks as one of the six credit subjects taken in ICPU. AFAIK this is for U of T. Not sure with other unis.

[Denise]

I am a JPA 2008 scholar going to Canada for Engineering this August. I just completed ICPU. If anybody wants to buy any second-hand books and notes(free), please contact me at this email address - denisewong_28@<hidden>. You can also contact me if you need more information about ICPU... =D

[davidchak]

ok lets say if you get 100% in ICPU , are you guaranteed a place in Mcgill or U of toronto. this is because i heard that icpu is relatively easy. so being a top uni, on what basis do the students get selected. i know academic is one of it. but is it the only thing or do they have interview and stuff. how difficult can it get to enter those uni cause icpu as i've heard is easy

From what I gathered through some other junior, apparently McGill is more selective (they have around 90-border scores and still didnt get McGill but all other university)

I would say to play safe if you are aiming for McGill and score at least 92 and above. (my admission grade was 94, so are other people same batch as me going to mcgill. None of them score below 91 i think regardless of program)

no, there isnt interviews to be admitted to Canadian university (except I heard for Waterloo Uni for their engineering program and some other uni might ask you to submit coco profile but that is only used when there are tiers in academic standings)

Yes, ICPU is among the easiest Pre-U program because you are graded through out the year. Do your part and you will be guaranteed at least 80 and above.

[mehul91]

From what I gathered through some other junior, apparently McGill is more selective (they have around 90-border scores and still didnt get McGill but all other university)

I would say to play safe if you are aiming for McGill and score at least 92 and above. (my admission grade was 94, so are other people same batch as me going to mcgill. None of them score below 91 i think regardless of program)

no, there isnt interviews to be admitted to Canadian university (except I heard for Waterloo Uni for their engineering program and some other uni might ask you to submit coco profile but that is only used when there are tiers in academic standings)

Yes, ICPU is among the easiest Pre-U program because you are graded through out the year. Do your part and you will be guaranteed at least 80 and above.

hey tell me is canada really worth it. how about the investment banking sector. so what course are you doing there

[davidchak]

hey tell me is canada really worth it. how about the investment banking sector. so what course are you doing there

Ughh...define "worth"?

I am doing Psychology in McGill

[whui]

hey tell me is canada really worth it. how about the investment banking sector. so what course are you doing there

huh? First of all are you a scholar? :huh

[miyra91]

im not a jpa scholar..sorry off topic..hehe..
well currently im doing cambridge a level in engineering..
gonna further to canada in petroleum engineering..which u in canada offer that course??
guess canada very rare for P.E,no idea y i'll be send there..lol..prefers us tho..
anyway,just curious,is a level okay 4 canada??easy to enroll with CAL?
P.E any best uni 4 that course?
thanks in advance seniors..

[duke23]

guys i need to ask you about the life in canada. first which is better, u of Toronto or mcgill uni and second is it a gud place to study economics....and third how cold can it get in Toronto and Montreal and fourth what in the world is ICPU. i went to these universiti website and cud not find ICPU so can anyone explain how much you need at least to get in.

I visited my cousin in Toronto last winter and it was -40 degrees celcius (plus wind chill)
it was just as cold in montreal..but montreal has got good restaurants!!I think BC has got the mildest climate..and its a nice place.vancouver is also known as hongcouver.haha..

Canada is generally an immigrant country..vietnamese,lankans,chinese,nepalese,tibetans refugees from congo..bla bla..but its generally nice except for the nasty winters...from what i gather,the british education system is a lot easier than the canadian one..(but of course a levels is tougher than ICPU but many of the elite canadian high schools offer IB )

[ErnestSeow]

I m back recom!!!!!!!! wowowo.... for any1 who wish to ask me about anything for ICPU, feel free to do so... =)

ok lets say if you get 100% in ICPU , are you guaranteed a place in Mcgill or U of toronto. this is because i heard that icpu is relatively easy. so being a top uni, on what basis do the students get selected. i know academic is one of it. but is it the only thing or do they have interview and stuff. how difficult can it get to enter those uni cause icpu as i've heard is easy

ya... ICPU is quite easy compared to other pre-u courses... but good result doesnt guarantee u can enrol into good uni... for example, McGill will more concern about ur IELTS result rather than ur academic result, since all the applicants can do as good as u... =)

im not a jpa scholar..sorry off topic..hehe..
well currently im doing cambridge a level in engineering..
gonna further to canada in petroleum engineering..which u in canada offer that course??
guess canada very rare for P.E,no idea y i'll be send there..lol..prefers us tho..
anyway,just curious,is a level okay 4 canada??easy to enroll with CAL?
P.E any best uni 4 that course?
thanks in advance seniors..

based on my knowledge, uni of alberta does offer that course... bcoz the mining quarry is juz bside the campus... Shell is currently sponsoring the uni in exchange for the mining purpose...

davidchak... how was ur IELTS result?

[davidchak]

[QUOTE=ErnestSeow;261274]

ya... ICPU is quite easy compared to other pre-u courses... but good result doesnt guarantee u can enrol into good uni... for example, McGill will more concern about ur IELTS result rather than ur academic result , since all the applicants can do as good as u... =)

This is NOT TRUE! And it holds false to ALL OTHER UNIVERSITY as well.

(Reason for that being: My friends and I, we applied to UoT together. We are all jpa scholars, same batch, same in almost every other thing (well, except in grade abit..I am slightly higher among them) . But in the OUAC application, I stated that my first language is English (which was not true lol) and boom! I am exempted from submitting my IELTS. If IELTS was part of the screening process, then to be fair, I will be asked to submit my IELTS as well right? But no, I was not even asked at all. )

IELTS or TOEFL or any other English proficiency test is as its name: PROFICIENCY test ONLY. It is only used to verify that you had the proper level of English to conduct your academic study in English IF English IS NOT your first language.

If they have two students with equal 90 average but student A had better IELTS than student B. It DOESNT means student B will not be accepted into the uni. In such case, what they will do is that they will ask you to send in non-academic achievement (personal statement), it is from there, they choose the better of two. Not by ielts or any other english proficiency test.

As for my ielts, I got a 7.5 in my overall band (shlda been higher but our batch papers were marked by an extremely picky grader -- none of us got a band of higher than 6.5 in writing, I myself got a 6.5 too! *if not of him, I think my IELTS would have been 8 lol*)

[ErnestSeow]

well... david... for ur info, this year for those who are accepted into mcgill share one common characteristics.... their ielts results have a band of 8 or higher... they don need to send any personal statement to the uni during the applying process... I know for UoT, if our first language is English, we don nd to send the IELTS result to the uni... but only Mcgill and Waterloo are exceptionally concern about our IELTS results this year...

[star90]

hey there, I'm not JPA scholar,would like to ask how you guys apply for McGill? through online application? is there anyone that will guide those who's going to apply for canadian university? for aussie it's IDP, how about canada? is it easy to get a place in McGill? :amazed all in all the dateline is over right? they only have one intake? * sorry for the spelling mistake, I did the correction already *

[davidchak]

well... david... for ur info, this year for those who are accepted into mcgill share one common characteristics.... their ielts results have a band of 8 or higher... they don need to send any personal statement to the uni during the applying process... I know for UoT, if our first language is English, we don nd to send the IELTS result to the uni... but only Mcgill and Waterloo are exceptionally concern about our IELTS results this year...

HMM...then thats strange.

(I dont know about Waterloo nor I have any fact to back my following statement:)
McGill will probably be the last university to be asking for Proof of english proficiency, reason being that it accepts ALOT of students from French speaking country (France, Belgium and etc). Also, McGIll is situated in Quebec province. Being a proud-of-French province of Canada, Quebec province require less English demand for its graduate. So, one would expect English play a minor role to the screening process. And yes, i did not send personal statement to mcgill as well.

(I dont mean to bug about the score, but whats their average like? I heard this year no one is able to get into McGill?)

Oh and by the way, IELTS of 8.0 or higher is considered VERY good already (the highest is just 9.0 and a grade of 8.0 will be equivalent of scoring a score of 85 on a scale of 100) . So, theres hardly any reason to reject them because their IELTS is 8.0.

Believe me, I've been studying there for about 1 year already -- not everyone speak English well. In fact, those that speak English exceptionally well are either US/Canada or English speaking country (which they already not required for IELTS) only. As for the rest, its not to say they are not good, but they are no better than any of us (some even worse)

hey there, I'm not JPA scholar,would like to ask how you guys apply for McGrill? through online application? is there anyone that will guide those who's going to apply for canadian university? for aussie it's IDP, how about canada? is it easy to get a place in McGrill? :amazed all in all the dateline is over right? they only have one intake?

Yes. Through online application. Theres an agency in KL that handles Canadian university application (not really handling but they facilitate the process) namely CEC (http://www.studycanada.ca/malaysia/index.htm)

Well, you dont really need a guide for that. For online application for McGIll, just go here: http://www.mcgill.ca/applying/online/ and follow its instruction.

Yes, the dateline is well over. From what I heard, they DO have a winter intake (the one thats over is for the Fall intake) but I am not sure about the detail.

Easy or not...thats really hard to say...just go ahead and try it. Belum cuba, belum tahu :D

[star90]

Yes. Through online application. Theres an agency in KL that handles Canadian university application (not really handling but they facilitate the process) namely CEC (http://www.studycanada.ca/malaysia/index.htm)

Well, you dont really need a guide for that. For online application for McGIll, just go here: http://www.mcgill.ca/applying/online/ and follow its instruction.

Yes, the dateline is well over. From what I heard, they DO have a winter intake (the one thats over is for the Fall intake) but I am not sure about the detail.

Easy or not...thats really hard to say...just go ahead and try it. Belum cuba, belum tahu :D[/quote]

may I know when's the winter intake? Actually I tried to look for the dateline online, but to no avail. Should have try it again. LOL thanks again!:wink

[hhhcce]

hey there, I'm not JPA scholar,would like to ask how you guys apply for McGrill? through online application? is there anyone that will guide those who's going to apply for canadian university? for aussie it's IDP, how about canada? is it easy to get a place in McGrill? :amazed all in all the dateline is over right? they only have one intake?


First of all, spell it correctly. It is not the typical McGrill Burger you get it from McDonald. Yes, it is pretty easy to get a place in McGill because 50 % of the student population comes from out of province with 25 % of them are international student. But, getting into McGill is pretty easy, surviving McGill is hard. I think winter intake is only certain programs only, not all. In fact, it is hard to start in the winter because you would not have prerequisites for virtually every course you are going to take.

[catnfish]

hi guys....i got jpa for economics...
will be doing icpu in taylor soon...
mind telling me more bout icpu?
which U would be best for my course?
from d previous post...seem like majority of u guys r from Mcgill n Toronto..
any senior from UBC ? mind to share ur experience here?

QS World University Rankings 2008 (Social Sciences )
1 HARVARD University United States
2 University of California, BERKELEY United States
3 STANFORD University United States
4 LONDON School of Economics and Political... United Kingdom
5 University of CAMBRIDGE United Kingdom
6 University of OXFORD United Kingdom
7 YALE University United States
8 University of CHICAGO United States
9 PRINCETON University United States
10 MASSACHUSETTS Institute of Technology United States
11 COLUMBIA University United States
12 University of BRITISH COLUMBIA Canada
13 University of CALIFORNIA, Los Angeles United States
14= MCGILL University Canada
14= AUSTRALIAN National University Australia
16 University of TORONTO Canada
17 CORNELL University United States
18 National University of SINGAPORE(NUS) Singapore
19 The University of MELBOURNE Australia
20 University of MICHIGAN United States

[hhhcce]

"huh? Are you a JPA scholar? :huh"

That is so condescending. Please refrain from making this kind of remark. In fact, even if he/she is not a JPA scholar, he/she still has the right to address any sort of questions here. I, for one, am not a JPA scholar. I have seen many JPA scholar getting results lower than A here and I think it is pretty clear to me that getting JPA is nothing than just a recognition to your achievements in high school and it does not mean anything more than that. If you want to study at any of the foreign universities, cut your ego just a little bit. Just my two cents.

[QUOTE=catnfish;273017]hi guys....i got jpa for economics...
will be doing icpu in taylor soon...
mind telling me more bout icpu?
which U would be best for my course?
from d previous post...seem like majority of u guys r from Mcgill n Toronto..
any senior from UBC ? mind to share ur experience here?[\QUOTE]

Sometimes I wonder why people like to use those abbreviations even when they are using QWERTY keyboard. Anyway, answers to your question. Ranking does not mean anything. IN fact, I am not sure whether economics is considered a social science subject. davidchak, may be you can answer this?

[WYlee]

hi guys....i got jpa for economics...
will be doing icpu in taylor soon...
mind telling me more bout icpu?
which U would be best for my course?
from d previous post...seem like majority of u guys r from Mcgill n Toronto..
any senior from UBC ? mind to share ur experience here?

It will be difficult for you to enter those prominent business school in Canada such as Mcgill, UBC and Queen's. Most of my friends got second choice of their applications in UBC and Toronto. None of them get Queen's which is the best business school in Canada. So when the time you apply for university, give up that choice.

"huh? Are you a JPA scholar? :huh"

That is so condescending. Please refrain from making this kind of remark. In fact, even if he/she is not a JPA scholar, he/she still has the right to address any sort of questions here. I, for one, am not a JPA scholar. I have seen many JPA scholar getting results lower than A here and I think it is pretty clear to me that getting JPA is nothing than just a recognition to your achievements in high school and it does not mean anything more than that. If you want to study at any of the foreign universities, cut your ego just a little bit. Just my two cents.

[quote=catnfish;273017]hi guys....i got jpa for economics...
will be doing icpu in taylor soon...
mind telling me more bout icpu?
which U would be best for my course?
from d previous post...seem like majority of u guys r from Mcgill n Toronto..
any senior from UBC ? mind to share ur experience here?[\QUOTE]

Sometimes I wonder why people like to use those abbreviations even when they are using QWERTY keyboard. Anyway, answers to question. Ranking does not mean anything. davidchak, may be you can answer this?

Ya, you are right. JPA scholars are nothing but human too. JPA scholar is just a label to a person. If you remove it, he/she is the same as you. Generally, JPA scholars are something what you said. BUT, there are still some groups of people who really deserve this title.

Ranking of a university in the world does not mean anything. The quality you will possess after you graduate is more important.

[hhhcce]

You are right about everything you said but nowhere in my statement I mentioned that they don't deserve it. They do deserve it. But, I was furious when a person who took initiative to ask in this forum was being shunned away just because he/she is not a JPA scholar.

Next, somebody was so sensitive until he/she went to my blog and placed a hateful comment. Personally, I am not even angry. In fact, whoever you are, that is why I think JPA does not mean anything, personality matters and with that kind of personality, I would expect you will not be very successful in your life, seriously. (I know it was not you WYLee)

[WYlee]

You are right about everything you said but nowhere in my statement I mentioned that they don't deserve it. They do deserve it. But, I was furious when a person who took initiative to ask in this forum was being shunned away just because he/she is not a JPA scholar.

Next, somebody was so sensitive until he/she went to my blog and placed a hateful comment. Personally, I am not even angry. In fact, whoever you are, that is why I think JPA does not mean anything, personality matters and with that kind of personality, I would expect you will not be very successful in your life, seriously. (I know it was not you WYLee)

Lol...Definitely is not me...I just found out your blog link.

If you have JPA scholar friends, maybe you will understand what i said.

[catnfish]

Sometimes I wonder why people like to use those abbreviations even when they are using QWERTY keyboard. Anyway, answers to your question. Ranking does not mean anything. IN fact, I am not sure whether economics is considered a social science subject. davidchak, may be you can answer this?

sometimes i wonder too why people like to comment about others..
yes, ranking does not mean anything maybe,but i did not say anything about it, please don't say like i see ranking as everything.
of course everyone will aim for the best whatever they do, and it's the same for me, i just want to know which university may be the best choice for my course so that i can take it as a guide when i finished my pre-u, and do more research on those universities mentioned and make a best decision which may affect my future.
and yes, economics is in social science,i listed the university ranking does not mean that ranking is everything, just that it's one of the basic references for me who do not know much about canada university, and i did ask for you guys' advice and comment to consider other factors.:cry
please stop commenting about others if you are not here to help :(
i will appreciate if you keep your comments to yourself, no offense :squish

[davidchak]

sometimes i wonder too why people like to comment about others..
yes, ranking does not mean anything maybe,but i did not say anything about it, please don't say like i see ranking as everything.
of course everyone will aim for the best whatever they do, and it's the same for me, i just want to know which university may be the best choice for my course so that i can take it as a guide when i finished my pre-u, and do more research on those universities mentioned and make a best decision which may affect my future.
and yes, economics is in social science,i listed the university ranking does not mean that ranking is everything, just that it's one of the basic references for me who do not know much about canada university, and i did ask for you guys' advice and comment to consider other factors.:cry
please stop commenting about others if you are not here to help :(
i will appreciate if you keep your comments to yourself, no offense :squish

Ranking does not mean everything but at the sametime, it also doesnt means ranking means nothing.

From what i gathered, McGill economics is more towards the mathematical application of it, unlike UBC, which is more on hands on practice. I know nothing about UoT

[catnfish]

Ranking does not mean everything but at the sametime, it also doesnt means ranking means nothing.

From what i gathered, McGill economics is more towards the mathematical application of it, unlike UBC, which is more on hands on practice. I know nothing about UoT

thanks:P, but would you explain more precisely on mathematical application and hands on practice? so which do you think is better as more applicable and useful for the real life after we graduate? :huh

[davidchak]

(correct me if i am wrong, i am not econs major)

Hands on is more like..you study the impact of the nation's AS and AD on the people or maybe on how low shld the product price be based on estimation where as the math one is more precise measurement of economic variable: instead of studying the impact, you actually gather data and calculate the nation's GDP, instead of judging on the price based on estimation, you actually gather data and calculate it.

Both are useful, its just like: whether you like to do science with just experiments, or you like to calculate in details what goes on behind the experiment. something like that.

Math based is more sought after in the market.

[hhhcce]

sometimes i wonder too why people like to comment about others..
yes, ranking does not mean anything maybe,but i did not say anything about it, please don't say like i see ranking as everything.
of course everyone will aim for the best whatever they do, and it's the same for me, i just want to know which university may be the best choice for my course so that i can take it as a guide when i finished my pre-u, and do more research on those universities mentioned and make a best decision which may affect my future.
and yes, economics is in social science,i listed the university ranking does not mean that ranking is everything, just that it's one of the basic references for me who do not know much about canada university, and i did ask for you guys' advice and comment to consider other factors.:cry
please stop commenting about others if you are not here to help :(
i will appreciate if you keep your comments to yourself, no offense :squish

I did not say that you only treated ranking from a random survey as your sole source of making your decision. But, copying a ranking that everybody has access to does deserve an advice from me. Times ranking may put McGill very high in the ranking but some others may not. And in fact, McGill is, from I know, is well known for its strong biological sciences (bio, biochem, physiology, microbiology, immunology) and social sciences (poli sci, philosophy) background.

Of course, you have the right to type whatever you want. But, please bear in mind that you are asking questions to a person whom you don't even know. Delivering your message clearly is very important. For example, you will not use abbreviations in your personal statement. I was trying to point out the obvious. If you go to forum like collegeconfidential where the users are all predominantly Canadians and Americans (even here in RECOM where I have seen many people pointed out the same mistake), I think the words they use will not be that kind when somebody tries to use abbreviations. And please, you are the one soliciting helps and advices from the other, please act like one and just don't think that you were not commenting on people when you apparently were. Putting the phrase 'no offense' did not bail you out from you had said.

Most of the people who are currently active do not take economics as their major. I know bush is a double major in physics and economics. But, bear in mind that you can't take even a comment from me, please don't ask him. He will be much more brutal than me (Look at his chat history).

[davidchak]

(On a sidenote, if you were to go to some intl forum and ask for advice, ICPU is the Malaysian way of saying OSSD, Ontario Secondary School Diploma)

[WYlee]

I did not say that you only treated ranking from a random survey as your sole source of making your decision. But, copying a ranking that everybody has access to does deserve an advice from me. Times ranking may put McGill very high in the ranking but some others may not. And in fact, McGill is, from I know, is well known for its strong biological sciences (bio, biochem, physiology, microbiology, immunology) and social sciences (poli sci, philosophy) background.

Of course, you have the right to type whatever you want. But, please bear in mind that you are asking questions to a person whom you don't even know. Delivering your message clearly is very important. For example, you will not use abbreviations in your personal statement. I was trying to point out the obvious. If you go to forum like collegeconfidential where the users are all predominantly Canadians and Americans (even here in RECOM where I have seen many people pointed out the same mistake), I think the words they use will not be that kind when somebody tries to use abbreviations. And please, you are the one soliciting helps and advices from the other, please act like one and just don't think that you were not commenting on people when you apparently were. Putting the phrase 'no offense' did not bail you out from you had said.

Most of the people who are currently active do not take economics as their major. I know bush is a double major in physics and economics. But, bear in mind that you can't take even a comment from me, please don't ask him. He will be much more brutal than me (Look at his chat history).

In addition to that, ranking of an university is a general overview. It does not specifically rank the university based on its faculty. Based on my experience, for engineering course (specifically mechanical engineering), MCgill requires 91% or higher, however, UBC requires maybe less than 80%, Waterloo requires around 85% and Toronto requires higher than 80%. Waterloo offers best engineering course in Canada. However, you can't find Waterloo within top 100 in Times ranking. This might provides you for a reference on choosing university in the future.

Ranking is important too because it affects university reputation. This is why McGill is so popular and they can enrol best student easily. And after you graduate, if you tell your interviewer you are graduated from McGill in country other than G8, they might know you are a very good student based on McGill reputation. However, if based on quality perspective, Waterloo will be the best.

[hhhcce]

In addition to that, ranking of an university is a general overview. It does not specifically rank the university based on its faculty. Based on my experience, for engineering course (specifically mechanical engineering), MCgill requires 91% or higher, however, UBC requires maybe less than 80%, Waterloo requires around 85% and Toronto requires higher than 80%. Waterloo offers best engineering course in Canada. However, you can't find Waterloo within top 100 in Times ranking. This might provides you for a reference on choosing university in the future.

Ranking is important too because it affects university reputation. This is why McGill is so popular and they can enrol best student easily. And after you graduate, if you tell your interviewer you are graduated from McGill in country other than G8, they might know you are a very good student based on McGill reputation. However, if based on quality perspective, Waterloo will be the best.

I am glad that you got the point.

[xiangrong]

Hi. I am 2008 ICPU scholar. just grdauated. I am taking business though but they group business and economics stduents together. Actually, when u applying for university, u do not have to apply solely for bachelor of arts. U can apply for bachelor of commerce but u must choose to major in economics. That's what my friends is doing. but egnerally speaking, applying bachelor of arts in economics is much easier. For me, i am applying to UBC. I do agree with wylee that queen's is very hard to apply. My average is 90 sth but still failed. I guess u must write very well in ur personal statement of experience and have excellent curricular activities record. But u can try applying though. But queen's licving cost is some sort of expensive. My friend who gt social science said the just the accomodation and meal plan at queen's are 1100( which is offered by jpa) because it's not in the city. I am going to ubc though. Feel free to ask me more.. Good luck to u. Hope u have good teachers but generally the teachers are excellent save a few. Ms Rowena and Ms Joanne are good accounts and maths teacher.

[davidchak]

1100 is alright. I live through first year in residence (1100 dollars) and I am still alive in mcgill. It all depends how u use your money, meal plan basically cover ur food charge already.

[xiangrong]

ooo.. But my friend is now worrying about not enough money to use because the rental and meal plan is like more than the money supplied by jpa.. She is asking for more money (like upgrading kingston allowance to rate A) but i dun think JPA will allow. Montreal i heard it's the cheapest to live in compared with vancouver and toronto.. Haha.. Went to visit the night life there? I heard there a lot of clubbing

[davidchak]

not really. Montreal cost of living is no diff than other canadian metropolitan. Well, if it exceeds, you have no choice but to ask from your parents.

Night life? Haha, been there, done that, no like it.

[bush]

Economics at McGill don't have mathematics lah. Only the honours stream requires calculus.......freshman calculus. Hardly enough to be a competent economist.

[jimmytan9844]

I hv juz checked out the internet and guess wad, UofT has a higher world engineering ranking compared to Mcgill... In fact, UofT ranks the 8th in 2009, follows by UBC (17th) and Mcgill (18th)... Though ranking shouldnt b da main concern... Lol...

Anyhw, pls take note that JPA scholars can't apply to U of Waterloo as their engineering courses are in co-op form and JPA scholars are not allowed to tk co-op courses.

Sorry to break your bubbles but U of Waterloo is definitely out of your consideration if u are a scholar...

[Lia]

hey davidchak. I just finished semester one of ICPU. May I know which course are you currently taking in McGill? Also, how do you check which university in Canada that JPA approves? I want to apply for psychology under McGill but I am still not sure how to do it since there the BA is under the Department of Science.

[davidchak]

Do it in BA.

BA and BSc in Psychology in McGill are exactly the same, the only differences is what electives you are asked to take. BSc is all biology, chem, physics where as BA is sociology, anthropology and other stuffs in the arts department.

But, you are allowed to take anything in McGill...if you have the prereq. I have a friend who is doing BA psychology in McGill (underr JPA) but she is practically doing it in BSc. Her electives are all sciency stuffs.

[Elmo]

I don't get it....when engineering comes to the topic and canada is the country which we're talking about, why don't we mention UofT? why do we go on debating between McGill and Waterloo here - and no, I am not undermining these two universities. is it perhaps most of us here are ArtSci students? Yes, I do realize the significance UofWaterloo brought into Engineering; however, the juniors should be made realize of another strong counterpart: UofT. Debate between schools should be based solely upon the discipline (Engineering, ArtSci) and one shouldn't assume that a university which is good in ArtSci is just as good in Engineering and vice versa.

[Elmo]

To those of you who are interested in joining UofT, do post ur concerns on the forum of our Malaysian Students Association of University of Toronto's newly refurbished website: http://masatoronto.org/
As this forum is still new, we've yet to receive any posts. Thus, your participation is highly encouraged. Do not hesitate to post your concerns, we don't bite...Thank you.

[Trident]

hey guys

i just got JPA Canada Engineering
ICPU at taylors

this comes as a complete surprise as i didnt really expect this so i need some feedback about engineering in the maple country

first off
1. looking through the taylors website ,everyone that did icpu got near perfect scores ?
so im just wondering , how the classes are conducted , how do they determine your marks and the teaching level.

2.im looking through the times higher education guide of last year. so far the best unis from canada is UBC and U of T but the thing is the way how times rank it only shows how good the place in terms of teaching , environment and other stuff.if possible im planning to go for a uni which has a reputable standing in the world as well good education. so i need an opinion on which uni should i go for engineering . im planning to go for aerospace engineering

3.is the degree im taking recognised in malaysia and if i were to continue my postgrad to a better uni such as imperial or mit or any other good engineering uni , will my degree hold any considerable weight in the application process?

4. how much money do Canadian JPA scholars get to pursue their studies (living expenses and other things)?

5.can we work under internship or continue postgrad with jpa after graduate?

[Kemai]

I 2nd what Trident said ;)

[kykoay]

hey guys

i just got JPA Canada Engineering
ICPU at taylors

this comes as a complete surprise as i didnt really expect this so i need some feedback about engineering in the maple country

first off
1. looking through the taylors website ,everyone that did icpu got near perfect scores ?
so im just wondering , how the classes are conducted , how do they determine your marks and the teaching level.

2.im looking through the times higher education guide of last year. so far the best unis from canada is UBC and U of T but the thing is the way how times rank it only shows how good the place in terms of teaching , environment and other stuff.if possible im planning to go for a uni which has a reputable standing in the world as well good education. so i need an opinion on which uni should i go for engineering . im planning to go for aerospace engineering

3.is the degree im taking recognised in malaysia and if i were to continue my postgrad to a better uni such as imperial or mit or any other good engineering uni , will my degree hold any considerable weight in the application process?

4. how much money do Canadian JPA scholars get to pursue their studies (living expenses and other things)?

5.can we work under internship or continue postgrad with jpa after graduate?

Hi, I am graduating on the 18th and our cohort will be flying off come August (yes, cohort, we're not really nice people ;P). So I believe I am in a position to answer some of your questions.

1. Depends on what you mean by "perfect", an AAA of A Levels? Generally outstanding students should get anything in the mid to high 90s, a 100 average is unheard off but remains a possibility in theory.
The course operates on a 70%-30% system. 70% of your final grade is determined throughout the course of the semester prior to your finals, in which you are graded by your presentations, tests and assignments. The final 30% of your grade comes from the finals you sit for.
There are four components that you will be tested under, namely Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication and Application in every subject. Knowledge/Understanding tests, well, your knowledge on a subject (duh!); Thinking/Inquiry assesses how much thought you have given to a particular subject/topic and how insightful your opinions/thoughts are; Communication assesses your ability to communicate your idea/research both in an academic way and to laymen without the jargon and Application tests how good you are in applying your knowledge to real-life situation.

There will be group assignments and there will be Independent Study Units in each subject, which will be your final and most heavily weighted assignment. The physics class will require you to build a functional Rube Golberg machine; while English classes expect a 3000-word paper in which you will present and defend in front of your classmates. In certain courses like Economics and such, you also need to submit an original paper for your CCA, which is the ISU in another name. The ISU varies across courses but is similar in nature.

Classes are conducted in an interactive and student-centered manner, so be prepared to be involved and speak up. You learn more this way, not only academically but also in your own development in thoughts.

Another interesting thing, 80% of the teaching staff in CPU are Canadians, so it'll somewhat mitigate the culture shock you get once you head to Canada.

For the near-perfect scores you cite, that's a sample of high performing students. You can't generalise that and extrapolate that data. Restructure your question too, it sounds vague.

2. UBC and U of T are great universities in Canada (how dare you leave out McGill!). For Engineering, U of T ranks highly around the world (even in varying league tables) and the Engineering faculty is very respected. JPA doesn't allow you to apply to Waterloo on account of its Co-Op programme.

3. The MQA website publishes a list of university it recognises. So long as you don't go to the equivalent of the University of Phoenix, you should be fine. Grad school (depending on which country you are heading) looks at more than just your undergrad degree and where you get them. (Though a 4.0 GPA from U of T looks better than say a 4.0 from News Brunswick). Your GRE scores, essays, recommendations and other criteria the admissions committee value highly will be very important determinants too. By the way, "better uni" has a negative connotation to it, are you trying to say that Canadian universities are inferior? (Just a thought, but be careful with words).

4. Your allowance depends on where you go. For heavily populated areas like Ottawa,Vancouver,Toronto,Montreal,Calgary and such, you get 1300CAD/month. For other places,say Guelph or Kingston, you get 1100CAD/month. There should be a piece of paper stipulating all these allowance and crap in the package.

5. Internship, no. Postgrad, assuming you get nothing less than a 3.7 GPA in every course you take in undergrad, and subject to approval.

This helps I know.

how is the climate and environment in canada?

Cold, very. You'll get used to it.

[Trident]

thanks for the clarification kykoay

to summarise your answer , ICPU is 70% coursework 30% exams .classes are interactive , speak out .to me i see ICPU as ADP + A levels . its very holistic with the coursework and assignments meaning your grade does not wholely depend on exams . its a bit of A levels in the sense that you only take the courses that are relevant to you . in ADP i heard people that take engineering must also take World philosophy and microecons and the like . From my point of view its a very interesting take on education . in your opinion is it a more british or american based education ?

also , i want to find out more about the depth of the subjects im taking
for engineering , as written in taylors
engineering is
Physics
ENG4U
Adv Functions
Calculus and Vectors
Chemistry
+1 subject of my choice

my questions
1.how detailed are the subjects ? (spm level + additional info or must relearn a few concepts)

2.Is adv functions , calculus and vectors like add maths

3.what should my additional subject be . its recommended that i take computer science but im not really interested in that. i would prefer to take something on the arts side such as econs or history . would there be any negative connotations if i do take an arts subject rather than science sub i.e would they (canadian uni) reject my application because i took econs or history instead of computer science which is not really related with engineering

4. what are the characteristics that you should have if you want to do well in ICPU besides the usual hardworking , dont skip class and do your homework things.

and my bad , forgot Mcgill , haha . from what i read it sounds like a really nice place to study . is it the canadian harvard or something of that sort ?

thanks again kykoay

[kykoay]

thanks for the clarification kykoay

to summarise your answer , ICPU is 70% coursework 30% exams .classes are interactive , speak out .to me i see ICPU as ADP + A levels . its very holistic with the coursework and assignments meaning your grade does not wholely depend on exams . its a bit of A levels in the sense that you only take the courses that are relevant to you . in ADP i heard people that take engineering must also take World philosophy and microecons and the like . From my point of view its a very interesting take on education . in your opinion is it a more british or american based education ?

also , i want to find out more about the depth of the subjects im taking
for engineering , as written in taylors
engineering is
Physics
ENG4U
Adv Functions
Calculus and Vectors
Chemistry
+1 subject of my choice

my questions
1.how detailed are the subjects ? (spm level + additional info or must relearn a few concepts)

2.Is adv functions , calculus and vectors like add maths

3.what should my additional subject be . its recommended that i take computer science but im not really interested in that. i would prefer to take something on the arts side such as econs or history . would there be any negative connotations if i do take an arts subject rather than science sub i.e would they (canadian uni) reject my application because i took econs or history instead of computer science which is not really related with engineering

4. what are the characteristics that you should have if you want to do well in ICPU besides the usual hardworking , dont skip class and do your homework things.

and my bad , forgot Mcgill , haha . from what i read it sounds like a really nice place to study . is it the canadian harvard or something of that sort ?

thanks again kykoay

It's not really A Levels in the sense that it is not teacher centered, you are always the focus of the teacher's teaching philosophy, and the teachers believe that they are here to facilitate your learning rather than to impose views on you. I believe it is right for you to see CPU to be somewhat similar to the US system in terms of flexibility. It's a Canadian style of education, and while it might be justifiable to say that it is not as tough as A Levels in terms of depth, you can really go really really deep into something. Like in Econs, you have to produce an original paper and you are expected to use advanced material (assuming you want a 4++ or a 100 score). Overall, it is a huge difference compared to the British system we are accustomed to.

2. SPM Add Math is more comprehensive compared to Calculus and Vectors in CPU. CPU only covers up to differentiation. However, don't be misled into believing this is more easy, some people with A1 in Add Math struggle with Advanced Functions and Calculus, because you need to really understand the concept, how derivatives are derived and explain the first principle and such. Most people suffer in the communication part and we have people with A1 in Add Math getting less than a 70 in Calculus. However, work hard (help each other in a study group) and it shouldn't be a problem.

3. Make sure the subjects that you are taking are pre-requisites to the degree course you intend to take. So for Engineering, you need ENG4U,MCV4U(Calculus),MCF4U(Functions),Physics and Chemistry. You are pretty much free to take whatever you want for that elective. Your seniors generally take Computer Science. However, there were also some who took Business Leadership and Management or International Business Fundamentals etc. You are allowed to change your subject if you want, so just take advantage of ADD/DROP subject and sign up for the course you want. (Though you are probably the first Engineering major who intend to take History and the like. History is taught by a great teacher by the way.) Don't worry, so long as you have the five pre-requisite course above, and your top 6 average is satisfactory, you should get into an Engineering programme. McGill and U of T tend to be competitive, so make sure you are >85% for U of T and for McGill, well, just make sure you score as high as you can.

4. Be a critical thinker. If you absorb knowledge without even thinking about it, you won't go far. Be prepared to offer your opinion, but things like "I think it should be so and so" will not be enough. You need to support it with facts and logic. Also, be prepared to go in depth if you want that extra score.

McGill is a great place to study. Yeah well people call it the Harvard of Canada, but it's not Harvard for sure.

[Kemai]

All of these info are really great ! highly appreciated !!! :))

[kykoay]

All of these info are really great ! highly appreciated !!! :))

Because I am such an awesome guy. :amuse

[Kemai]

Because I am such an awesome guy. :amuse

wahahahaha !!!! :P but really... thanks !

[kykoay]

There is also a facebook group for students who are interested in studying in Canada. It used to be a closed group for JPA scholars, before it was subsequently expanded to become sponsored students in Canada and then eventually Malaysian Students in Canada (http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#%21/group.php?gid=75657502361&ref=ts) (we believe there is no inherent difference between sponsored and self-sponsored students, hence the renaming). So join this group and direct any questions you have there.

By the way, your other seniors (myself included) is willing to sell you some of the books we have cheap. So we have Lord of the Flies and Macbeth (ENG3U) and Life of Pi and Hamlet for (ENG4U). PM me if you are interested,buying from us is a win-win situation for you juniors and us seniors.

[Trident]

There is also a facebook group for students who are interested in studying in Canada. It used to be a closed group for JPA scholars, before it was subsequently expanded to become sponsored students in Canada and then eventually Malaysian Students in Canada (http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#%21/group.php?gid=75657502361&ref=ts) (we believe there is no inherent difference between sponsored and self-sponsored students, hence the renaming). So join this group and direct any questions you have there.

By the way, your other seniors (myself included) is willing to sell you some of the books we have cheap. So we have Lord of the Flies and Macbeth (ENG3U) and Life of Pi and Hamlet for (ENG4U). PM me if you are interested,buying from us is a win-win situation for you juniors and us seniors.


oh how will the english classes be conducted ? . we're going to do literature eh ? is the syallabus always the same or is it revised on a yearly basis ? then perhaps i should get a head start then .haha

[kykoay]

oh how will the english classes be conducted ? . we're going to do literature eh ? is the syallabus always the same or is it revised on a yearly basis ? then perhaps i should get a head start then .haha

Sometimes very much like a seminar style, so you will be talking much more than the teacher. You will mostly work with your groups as you work on interpreting a text with your group, and will generally finish a class by reviewing your discussions. However, different teachers might have different approaches, so this is should not serve as the absolute generalisation of the classes. You can start by reading the novels early,that's always a good thing to do. Leave Shakespeare to the guidance of your teachers, it might be hard to pick it up just like that for most people. The core texts are the same, though teachers are generally granted the independence with regards to what they teach. It helps to form a study group with students who have different teachers, so you can all help each other out and prepare for the unit tests in the end.

[Trident]

Hey guys , i was just wondering

i went to taylors the other day to the icpu block and had a chat with the staff

they said that JPA chooses our subjects for us
from the taylors website they already have the cookie cutter build for engineer
im wondering whether i am allowed to choose one of my own subjects
because in the list they allow us to choose one subject of our own

its recommended that you take computer science

however i was planning on taking up maybe history or economics

i am wondering
provided i do well for my additional subject , will it affect the chances of my application when i apply for uni because they recommend to take computer science which im not really keen on . im applying for U of T and i heard it was quite difficult to get there .

so would taking econs as an additional sub affect my chances of getting to U of T ?

[catnfish]

Hi Trident.

This is Fish, just graduated from CPU last month.
Economics, under JPA, will be doing Commerce in Sauder School of Business UBC.

Yes, you can choose the optional subject. JPA will probably arrange Computer Science for you as what they did for my course mates. You can drop it and take other subject like economics. Business Leadership (management) is recommended by Taylors, and some of my engineering friends took it instead of Computer Science.

As for the U of T enrollment, don't worry. You definitely can make it into U of T if your average is above 85. The optional subject won't affect your chance much. You just have to fulfill your course requirement, as in taking the core subjects for engineering. However, please check U of T course requirement, some courses certain subjects are required or recommended.

Anyway, getting into U of T is not that difficult, and relatively easy actually, they look at your average of 6 subjects generally. Strive for a better grade if you want to get extra money in term of entrance scholarship (average above 95).

BTW, pm me if you want to buy second hand textbooks.

[Kemai]

Hi Trident.

This is Fish, just graduated from CPU last month.
Economics, under JPA, will be doing Commerce in Sauder School of Business UBC.

Yes, you can choose the optional subject. JPA will probably arrange Computer Science for you as what they did for my course mates. You can drop it and take other subject like economics. Business Leadership (management) is recommended by Taylors, and some of my engineering friends took it instead of Computer Science.

As for the U of T enrollment, don't worry. You definitely can make it into U of T if your average is above 85. The optional subject won't affect your chance much. You just have to fulfill your course requirement, as in taking the core subjects for engineering. However, please check U of T course requirement, some courses certain subjects are required or recommended.

Anyway, getting into U of T is not that difficult, and relatively easy actually, they look at your average of 6 subjects generally. Strive for a better grade if you want to get extra money in term of entrance scholarship (average above 95).

BTW, pm me if you want to buy second hand textbooks.


Thank you very much for the info senior! I will be admitted to taylors under CPU taking engineering. I have another question, with the JPA forms, Taylors also sent a form to me about the subject that I will be taking. One tick for first sem and 2 ticks for the other. The question is , Do I have to tick the subejcts I will be taking? cause I don't know how JPA sets the subjects whether it is in the first or second sem

[catnfish]

Thank you very much for the info senior! I will be admitted to taylors under CPU taking engineering. I have another question, with the JPA forms, Taylors also sent a form to me about the subject that I will be taking. One tick for first sem and 2 ticks for the other. The question is , Do I have to tick the subejcts I will be taking? cause I don't know how JPA sets the subjects whether it is in the first or second sem

Welcome to Taylors! Trust me, CPU will definitely be an awesome year for you. :))

About the Taylor's form, I'm not sure about it. As for my batch, I didn't receive such form, I was only informed at the first day orientation about the subjects in my first semester.

As far as I know, some of my engineering friends took physics in their first semester and some took chemistry. I'm not sure but maybe this batch you are allowed to allocate the subjects. I think there is no huge difference as you are still going to take all the 7 subjects in 1 year course. Universities only look at the average of your 6 subjects though, English 3U is excluded. However, it gets you prepared for your English 4U which is much more challenging.

BTW, is anyone interested in second hand textbooks? My textbooks are already in Casa Subang (residence for scholars), you guys can get it from my friends easily when you move in. BTW, when CPU begin? I will be in Taylors on 17th July for the Welcome New Comers (WNC) organized by High Flyers Club. :)

[Kemai]

Welcome to Taylors! Trust me, CPU will definitely be an awesome year for you. :))

About the Taylor's form, I'm not sure about it. As for my batch, I didn't receive such form, I was only informed at the first day orientation about the subjects in my first semester.

As far as I know, some of my engineering friends took physics in their first semester and some took chemistry. I'm not sure but maybe this batch you are allowed to allocate the subjects. I think there is no huge difference as you are still going to take all the 7 subjects in 1 year course. Universities only look at the average of your 6 subjects though, English 3U is excluded. However, it gets you prepared for your English 4U which is much more challenging.

BTW, is anyone interested in second hand textbooks? My textbooks are already in Casa Subang (residence for scholars), you guys can get it from my friends easily when you move in. BTW, when CPU begin? I will be in Taylors on 17th July for the Welcome New Comers (WNC) organized by High Flyers Club. :)

Dear senior, thank you for the warm welcome ! We will be registering tomorrow (10th July ) and will be moving into casa the same day. Classes will commence on Monday i guess. By the way, I'm very interested in your second hand textbooks. Plus , mind me asking if you have lecture notes? :P. I too have my seniors going on 17th July If you know them (Filzah & Edmond) :))

[catnfish]

Dear senior, thank you for the warm welcome ! We will be registering tomorrow (10th July ) and will be moving into casa the same day. Classes will commence on Monday i guess. By the way, I'm very interested in your second hand textbooks. Plus , mind me asking if you have lecture notes? :P. I too have my seniors going on 17th July If you know them (Filzah & Edmond) :))

You are most welcome! Don't be so formal with us. Just ask any questions and we will help you. Of course I know them, they are my buddies. Other than them, KYKoay, the guy from previous posts, will be going too. Edmond is under Engineering, while Koay is in the same course as me, Economics. Filzah and Edmond are going UofT, Koay is going McGill. Prepare to ask them questions if you are interested in their Universities.

FYI, I didn't take any science subjects, so you probably only need Calculus, English 3U and English 4U texts (Economics or International Business if you are taking one of them) from me. As for Advanced Functions, I do have the notes, but not textbook (I have lost it in Taylors :(). Notes and exam papers are with me in Malacca. If you need them, I can deliver it on 17th when I come to Taylors. As for the textbooks, it's with my friend doing Taylors SAM. If you don't mind, help me to ask around if anyone needs them.

BTW, CPU is not like A-level, we are more in small classes (each class around 20 students). So we more often call it as class, instead of lecture. As you, the student will speak more than the teacher most of the time. Unlike other courses, CPU stresses more on communication and participation. Each student has the chance to speak and participate in group work. The education system is different from what you used to be in. Some say hard, some say easy. More importantly, you have to adapt well. To me, Ontario education system suits me more, thus it's easy.

All the best. You will probably have no problems dealing with those assignments and tests. Hard work is the key to success (though I'm the laziest among all, proven =D) :)

[Scrmath]

Hey guys , i was just wondering

i went to taylors the other day to the icpu block and had a chat with the staff

they said that JPA chooses our subjects for us
from the taylors website they already have the cookie cutter build for engineer
im wondering whether i am allowed to choose one of my own subjects
because in the list they allow us to choose one subject of our own

its recommended that you take computer science

however i was planning on taking up maybe history or economics

i am wondering
provided i do well for my additional subject , will it affect the chances of my application when i apply for uni because they recommend to take computer science which im not really keen on . im applying for U of T and i heard it was quite difficult to get there .

so would taking econs as an additional sub affect my chances of getting to U of T ?

From my experience, we can only choose between comp sci and business leadership..u cant choose econs..

[bush]

Jangan pergi McGill untuk menuntut pengajian ekonomi.........

[twinkle4_ever]

Wow... Good job CPU seniors in helping juniors...

Well, I am a CPU senior too. I will be going to Brock University and will be taking Tourism and Environment. So, if there is any tourism scholars at Taylor's, I would like to answer their questions...

Good luck, Juniors.. CPU will be fun and awesome. Do take part in activities. You will learn a lot by doing so.

[kykoay]

Jangan pergi McGill untuk menuntut pengajian ekonomi.........

That would be me. Don't worry I am not declaring it as a major concentration but will go for the honours courses. With 400/500 level classes mandatory, it doesn't suck that much. But won't stay for Grad School at McGill.

[davidchak]

Wow... Good job CPU seniors in helping juniors...

Well, I am a CPU senior too. I will be going to Brock University and will be taking Tourism and Environment. So, if there is any tourism scholars at Taylor's, I would like to answer their questions...

Good luck, Juniors.. CPU will be fun and awesome. Do take part in activities. You will learn a lot by doing so.
Wow, I didnt know JPA sponsors that too to Canada! Thats really good!

[bush]

That would be me. Don't worry I am not declaring it as a major concentration but will go for the honours courses. With 400/500 level classes mandatory, it doesn't suck that much. But won't stay for Grad School at McGill.

I still think you can find something else more significant to do at McGill if you are not there yet.

[Trident]

guys i have a quick question
i heard in the north america , people can take dual degrees
so im wondering
where are the unis which offer dual degrees (specifically engineering + business/ econs)
would jpa allow us to take dual degrees?

[catnfish]

guys i have a quick question
i heard in the north america , people can take dual degrees
so im wondering
where are the unis which offer dual degrees (specifically engineering + business/ econs)
would jpa allow us to take dual degrees?

No dual degree. JPA would say NO. They won't allow anything that will lengthen your course, like Co-op, and even exchange. Take a minor if you want, but you probably need to go for Summer school in order to fulfill the credits.

[davidchak]

No dual degree. JPA would say NO. They won't allow anything that will lengthen your course, like Co-op, and even exchange. Take a minor if you want, but you probably need to go for Summer school in order to fulfill the credits.

Actually, the contract did not explicitly says that you cant do co-op or exchange - so long as you keep it under 4 years (and 120 credits) it should technically be fine. But then again, the JPA officer said no to it....so i guess better listen to them xD

But having an engineering + another degree i dont think thats possible - engineering alone needs a lot of credits, you probably wont have enough credits left to do another major.

[catnfish]

Actually, the contract did not explicitly says that you cant do co-op or exchange - so long as you keep it under 4 years (and 120 credits) it should technically be fine. But then again, the JPA officer said no to it....so i guess better listen to them xD

But having an engineering + another degree i dont think thats possible - engineering alone needs a lot of credits, you probably wont have enough credits left to do another major.

Okay, co-op is definitely not allowed. JPA scholars are not allowed to work under the contract. This explains why JPA doesn't let any scholars to enter Waterloo. Well, something to correct about what I mentioned, exchange is allowed, but not in winter term. You can go for the 5-weeks exchange in summer under your own expense. JPA will not pay for it.

Erm, I agree about what you said, must keep it under 4 years. But are you sure it must be 120 credits? As far as I know, we are allowed to take any extra credits in summer and JPA will pay for it. The extra credits usually are to fulfill minor requirement, if you plan to take any, since you might have insufficient elective credits in winter. I guess it won't be just 120 credits in this case.

Okay, co-op is definitely not allowed. JPA scholars are not allowed to work under the contract. This explains why JPA doesn't let any scholars to enter Waterloo. Well, something to correct about what I mentioned, exchange is allowed, but not in winter term. You can go for the 5-weeks exchange in summer under your own expense. JPA will not pay for it.

Erm, I agree about what you said, must keep it under 4 years. But are you sure it must be 120 credits? As far as I know, we are allowed to take any extra credits in summer and JPA will pay for it. The extra credits usually are to fulfill minor requirement, if you plan to take any, since you might have insufficient elective credits in winter. I guess it won't be just 120 credits in this case.

Wait! LOL! Heard from somewhere, Toronto guys are allowed to do Co-op. At least some seniors already did it. What the? Anyone knows why? This is what JPA's ways of doing things? I sent several emails to different JPA officers when I were in pre-u to ask about co-op, and all replies negative. :notrust

[davidchak]

Actually, I heard that some US or UK scholars did exchange program - of cuz, any extra cost incurred will be their own responsibility.

As for working, I actually know a few Canadian scholars currently working with their professor, paid job, but academic works. I think so long as it does not affect ur study (although, I WOULD highly recommend against doing this as the contract explicitly say no), u can work. (it seem like their policy is that they close one eye, open one eye on this matter)

EDITED:
Oh, and on the 120 cedits thing, I think that vary from unis to unis, but the standard 4 years degree is usually 120 credits (30 credits per year) That one I think really is in the grey zone, because if u can squeeze 400 (example) credits in 4 years, they would need to pay more, but its still within 4 years? So technically, u can do two degree also, because contract didnt say no, and u can do as many credits u want as long as u keep it under 4 years.

[catnfish]

Actually, I heard that some US or UK scholars did exchange program - of cuz, any extra cost incurred will be their own responsibility.

As for working, I actually know a few Canadian scholars currently working with their professor, paid job, but academic works. I think so long as it does not affect ur study (although, I WOULD highly recommend against doing this as the contract explicitly say no), u can work. (it seem like their policy is that they close one eye, open one eye on this matter)

EDITED:
Oh, and on the 120 cedits thing, I think that vary from unis to unis, but the standard 4 years degree is usually 120 credits (30 credits per year) That one I think really is in the grey zone, because if u can squeeze 400 (example) credits in 4 years, they would need to pay more, but its still within 4 years? So technically, u can do two degree also, because contract didnt say no, and u can do as many credits u want as long as u keep it under 4 years.

Working with professors, is on-campus, JPA won't really care much. Co-op is considered working off-campus with companies while studying. I thought JPA won't allow, but heard from seniors, JPA allowed some scholars for co-op last year. I guess it's some kind of exceptions for them.

120 credits, I guess it varies like you said. 400 credits I don't think it's possible. At least, for UBC, the maximum credits allowed for each summer is only 12. So the most it won't be around 120-160 credits in 4 years. To meet the credits requirement for dual degree, would probably need more than 4 years.