WHY STUDY IN CANADA

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Canada is the Second largest country in the world in terms of area after Russia, covering 6.7% of the earth and spanning approximately 9.9 million square km. It is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast and the Pacific Ocean on the west. The Arctic Ocean lies to its north. It is the northernmost country in the Western Hemisphere sharing borders with USA to its south. Canada has the largest coastline in the world.

The Provinces/Territories:

AThe Capital of Canada is Ottawa. Canada has 10 provinces and three territories, each with its own capital city:

The discovery and exploration of Canada is credited to the early adventurers of  England and France. However, Canada was inhabited long before these settlers came in. Canada was home to the ‘Indians’ as they were known then – now called the ‘Aboriginal People’, ‘Native People’ or ‘People of the First Nation’. In 1949 Canada joined NATO and in the same year was able to replace its British Judiciary with the Supreme Court. Today however, Canada is the melting pot of several cultures with migrants not only from Europe but from South American and Asia Pacific countries as well. Canada is made up of 10 provinces and three territories, most of which are populated by Canadians who can trace their ancestry from virtually everywhere in the world. A recent census showed that over 11 million Canadians, or 42 per cent of the population, reported having an ethnic origin other than British or French. Canada follows the Parliamentary system with the party with largest number of elected MPs leading Parliament.

ECONOMY

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The economy of Canada is largely service oriented, with 69.8% (Updated as per 2012 census) of the GDP being contributed by the Services sector. Industry contributes 28.5% and agriculture 1.7%. In the year 2010 the GDP was estimated at a whopping $1.6 trillion (2016 update). Before World War II, the economy was primarily agrarian, but with the growth of mining as an industry, agriculture soon took a backseat. Owing to its large resources of mineral deposits, it is no wonder that Canada’s major exports are petroleum, energy, natural gas, aluminum, timber besides aircraft & industrial machinery and telecommunication equipment. A healthy sign of Canada’s economy is that it exports more than it imports. 12.9 % Canadians live below the poverty line and unemployment rate is a mere 6.8% (January 2017). Today, the Canadian economy closely resembles that of its neighbor, the USA; the Canadian dollar too is gaining strength and ground against the US dollar.

STUDYING IN CANADA

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Canada is a country blessed with unimaginable physical beauty. The Canadians are proud of their land and respect their natural environment. Stress is given on maintaining the incredible surroundings. Students coming to study here will not be disappointed with the beauty that surrounds them. Geographically though, Canada is diverse. It is endowed with mountains such as the famous Rockies, the largest coastline on earth, the Great Lakes and several natural forests that have been developed into National Parks. Canada’s cities are safe, modern, of a cosmopolitan culture and are unbelievable close to their natural habitat. Almost 25% of the world’s fresh water is in Canada. There are 4 seasons; they being more distinct in the regions close to the US border. Temperatures vary from as low as -deg C in winters to as high as 35 deg C at the height of summer. Spring and fall are more moderate. Culturally too, Canada is a vibrant country. There is much to see and do in the form of public festivals and events that are held by the local government as well as the local communities. World-class theater, music, restaurants, cultural and sporting events (including cricket) can be enjoyed here year-round. Being a bilingual country where the English and French languages are equally used, Canada has a uniqueness all its own. Canada was ranked for nine consecutive years by the United Nations to be among the top 3 countries in the world in which to live and study out of 174 countries. Also, the Human Development Index survey consistently ranked Canada number one for a variety of reasons including its excellent education systems, high quality health care, low incidence of crime and clean environment..

The basic steps for applying abroad are:

• Identifying universities and the course of your interest
• Request universities for application forms
• Taking various required tests
• Arranging and preparing essays and recommendation letters
• Completing and sending application forms along with required documents
• Applying for VISA after obtaining I-20 from the college

Selecting University

While selecting the right course and University keep in mind the following points

• Your academic grades (including achievements)
• Test scores (GRE/GMAT/SAT/TOEFL/IELTS)
• Your financial capacity
• Major (Specialization) subjects that you are interested in
• Term of entry (Fall/Summer/Spring)
• The rank and reputation of the University
• The student to faculty ratio of the college
• The location of the school (Big city/Small town/Rural setup)
• The climatic conditions (not to be stressed, unless you have health constraints)

Pre-application

A pre-application is a tentative list of schools that you would like to apply to. On the basis of your academic profile, your probable test scores and financial ability compile a list of universities to which you must send a letter requesting further information. At this stage, you can write to the selected 25-30 universities. You can directly request application materials from the universities. There are three ways to get application forms.

• Requesting Application Forms via email
• Requesting Application Forms via Air Mail
• Major (Specialization) subjects that you are interested in
• Downloading from the university website

Documents Required For Admission

• Completed Application form
• Essay/s or writing sample
• Statement of Purpose required for graduates and optional for undergraduates
• Resume for MBA Students
• Official score reports of SAT/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT to be sent by ETS
• Letter from Bank stating – funds available for study
• Affidavit of Financial Support i.e. letter signed from sponsor or parent
• Transcripts and Mark sheets from College or University
• Certificates of Extracurricular Activities

Recommendation Letters

Letter of reference or recommendation letter plays a very important role in the admission process especially for Master’s and Doctoral courses. A recommendation letter is a signed statement from a person who knows you well professionally or has taught you in a subject that is related to the course you are applying to. It should list your positive and negative qualities, strengths and weaknesses, your character and integrity and other such information. The author or teacher must indicate his position, how long he/she has known the applicant and in what capacity. He/she should briefly discuss the need, importance and usefulness of the study the applicant proposes to undertake. Authors are usually asked to rank applicants in their letters of recommendation, which helps admission officers to interpret the academic credentials of foreign students. Students should obtain letters of recommendation (often on the prescribed forms sent by the institutions) from teachers who know them as a person as well as a student. You may like to request your author to give concrete examples that may show your qualities and help your case.

Statement of Purpose

The personal essays, and/or statement of purpose, also play a very important role in the process of evaluating your application for both admission as well as financial aid because it gives the faculty, assessing your application, information about you as an individual. For MBA candidates this is probably the most important criterion. In the statement of purpose, which must be concise, the student must define his or her academic goals, and/or research plans. It should include justification for choosing the academic program and specialization, and for selecting the particular college as well as the advantages and benefit of studying that particular course.

APPLICATION PROCESS

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The first step to be able to study at a recognized Canadian education Institution is to be accepted by that institution – this is usually in the form of a Offer Letter. Once a student has determined what course to study and at which universities, s/he must contact the registrar’s office at each of these universities and obtain an application form for a Bachelor’s or Professional degree. For; Post Graduate Studies (aka Graduate Studies), s/he must contact the dean of graduate studies at the universities that interest her/him. It is important to apply early.

When to apply:

Many universities have deadlines for application submission and this must be kept in mind while applying. In general, though, an international students would be required to apply around 8-9 or even 12 months before the start of classes (intake). Semesters typically start in September (fall or autumn) and in January (winter). However, some institutions have May intakes or even ‘rolling admissions’ (especially for higher education such as PhD) when students are admitted throughout the year depending on availability of the advisor or guide. Calendars with course descriptions, admission requirements and procedures, costs and scholarships are available from the registrar at each university. Engineering, optometry, medicine, veterinary medicine, law, and dentistry are fields where the first professional degree is considered an undergraduate program. Limited seats are available contingent on your academic merit. International students must have obtained very high percentage of marks for such courses, and some would even require the student to have completed at least two years of undergraduate study in specific subjects before embarking on the professional course. Entrance exams specific to the professional courses (such as DAT for Dentistry) too may be required to be given by the student.

VISA

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International students are required to obtain a Study Permit before going to Canada. The student can apply for Study permit under the Student Partners Program (SPP) of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges and the Canadian Immigration Programs in New Delhi and Chandigarh. To qualify for Study Permit Application under SPP the student should hold an unconditional offer letter from one of the universities / colleges that are included under this scheme. SPP is currently open to Indian nationals only. Allow atleast two months for your Visa to be processed.

Documents Checklist for SSP (STUDENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM):

• SPP Checklist – Attach THIS checklist as a cover sheet to your application.
• PApplication form fully completed (all questions answered), dated and signed, indicating your personal mailing address, reliable phone contact, and your personal email address (if you agree to e-mail communications).
• Original, valid passport for yourself, as well as a photocopy of the bio data page
• Family Information Form and Student Questionnaire (leaving no gaps).
• Two passport photographs with a white background for yourself and each family member requesting a visa. The photographs should have your name printed on the back, dated and taken in the past 6 months.
• Letter of Acceptance from your SPP educational institute in Canada stating unconditional admission, course title, duration of study, level of study, start date (multiple start dates, if applicable) and latest possible date of admission.
• Use of a Representative form (IMM 5476) (if applicable)
• IELTS test results taken within last 24 months with overall band not less than 6.0, with no individual band lower than 5.5.
• Photocopy of the most recent diploma/leaving certificate, and most recent mark sheets (for entire program; consolidated mark sheets are NOT acceptable)
• Copy of receipts for tuition payment provided by the SPP institution.
• Proof of funds: You MUST demonstrate the purchase of a special (GIC) from a participating Canadian financial institution, in the amount of $10,000 CAD to cover living expenses for your first year in Canada. Please consult page 2 for information on how to obtain a GIC. Official GIC document is mandatory.
• Copy of medical examination form IMM1017 if you opted to undergo a medical examination before submitting your application.

Note:

• It is mandatory to complete a medical examination prior to submission of your application. Medical results are valid for one year
• Only one application per person per semester will be processed under the SPP (Student Partnership Program). Subsequent applications for the same semester following a refusal will NOT form part of SPP processing
• To file Study Permit application under SPP, it is mandatory to show a GIC certificate obtained from Scotia Bank proving that funds to the extent of CAD$ 10000 are available as living costs for the student.
• After reviewing your application, the Visa officer will decide if an interview is necessary. The Visa interview will be taken at CHC, New Delhi