Queen’s University wasn’t always my top university of choice, nor was the program that I’m currently in. I got accepted to all 5 of the Canadian universities that I applied to with my applications ranging from Waterloo’s Biomedical Engineering Program to Western’s Medical Science program and Life Sciences at McMaster. Initially, I was focused on attending McMaster for their iBioMed program which is a dual degree in both Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences. Yet, despite this initial focus, I ended up at Queen’s, a university that wasn’t among my top program choices at the time.
I believe that when choosing a university, it's extremely important to keep an open mind while considering multiple factors such as:
- Whether or not you want to be away from home
- Program, residence, and off-campus living costs
- Internship and co-op opportunities
- Study abroad opportunities
- Scholarships and financial aid
While you may have a dream school (which in my case was McMaster), you should remain open to the opportunities and experiences that other universities have to offer. In my case, Queen’s wasn’t the school that offered me the most financial aid and scholarships. In fact, the difference between what other schools offered and the amount Queen’s offered was noticeable. However, I chose Queen’s because of the caliber of the program and the opportunities that this university provides. Queen’s has numerous extracurricular, academic, internship, and volunteering opportunities. A case in point is the fact that I have the opportunity to type this blog post and share my experience. Although I didn’t end up at McMaster, I truly am grateful that I chose to attend Queen’s; if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have met all the amazing people that I have, formed bonds with the professors and faculty that I have, or have participated in the many opportunities that I am grateful to have. If you’re a high school student and you’re Queen’s isn’t on your radar, don’t cross it off as an option just yet; remain open-minded and this university will surprise you. If you come here, you’ll be exposed to so many experiences that you might not have had anywhere else, experiences that will help to shape you as you go through your degree.