Flood of U.S. students eye university in Canada

NEW YORK • For some college-bound students distressed by the election of Donald Trump, Canada is calling.

Colleges from Quebec to British Columbia say applications and website traffic from the United States have been surging since Trump’s victory Nov. 8. Although many Canadian schools had also ramped up recruiting in the U.S. recently, some say dismay over the presidential election has fuelled a spike in interest beyond their expectations.

Lara Godoff, a 17-year-old from Napa, Calif., said she scrapped any notion of staying in the U.S. the day after the election. “If we live in a country where so many people could elect Donald Trump, then that’s not a country I want to live in,” she said.

Applications to the University of Toronto from American students have jumped 70 per cent compared with this time last year, while several other Canadian schools have seen increases of 20 per cent or more. U.S. applications to McMaster University in Hamilton are up 34 per cent so far.

“We can’t ignore the election results, but I think there are other strengths that are attracting students to the university, as well,” said Jennifer Peterman, senior manager of global undergraduate recruitment at McGill. Students are also drawn by the school’s diversity and Canada’s affordable cost of living, she said.

Although it’s too early to say how many U.S. students will enrol in Canada next fall, some colleges expect to see more Americans on campus.

Traditionally, Canada hasn’t been a hugely popular college destination for Americans. In 2014, it drew about 9,000 students from the U.S., compared with 57,000 from China, according to the Canadian Bureau for International Education.