American Students in Canadian College (apartment, rent, purchase)

[AVERY BEAN]

Hello,
I'm in the process of moving back to Washington state from the flat & dull Midwest. I've been basing my choice of town on proximity to graduate school. Then, when I remembered how close Bellingham was to Vancouver, I was wondering if some of the smaller towns north of here would be close enough to applying to UBC is possible; though, I would still live in WA. Saying if, the program was structured in a way where one did not have to be on campus every day. I've read in other threads that border crossing can be terribly long, just waiting to get through the inspection process. Anyone on this forum in such a situation, or know anyone that has made this cross-border academic choice? Any other practical issues one should consider will also be appreciated.

UBC looks to have an outstanding program in the areas that I'm interested in, and it would be easier for me if I could commune, yet still have a regular job in the states. It looks as if school lending for direct enrollment of international students is really tight right now.

Thanks in advance for any info or suggestions you have on this matter.

[stlouis8]

As a student who has lived in Vancouver I wouldn't recommend it. The border line ups would take between 30 minutes to an hour and the commute from the border to UBC another 1 to 3 hrs depending on traffic. This would be in each direction and doesn't include the drive to and from the border on the American side.

If you want to attend UBC while working it would probably be better to apply for a student visa to work in Vancouver and either stay in a grad school residence at UBC or rent you're own place in Vancouver. I'm thinking this wouldn't cost you much more when you factor in gas and the precious time wasted commuting.

By the way, UBC is a great school and the tuition can be cheaper in Canada, especially if the American universities you're considering are private. Good Luck!

[Robynator]

I agree - I would definitely not recommend it. I wouldn't even consider that as an option.

I mean, you could purchase a Nexus Pass which allows you to bypass the long lineups, but even then, a Bellingham to UBC commute is not an enviable one at all. Bleh! Rush hour from the border to UBC would be brutal too. It could add hours to your already long commute.

Not only that, but UBC has rigorously implemented a strategy to prevent people from commuting by car. They got rid of most of their parking lots and charge those who use the few remaining lots up to $12 a day. That's not much, sure, but it adds up when you're commuting.

If you're going to look into studying at UBC (which I highly recommend - UBC alumni here ) I would look into living on campus or renting a home/apartment in Vancouver. When you study at UBC, you get a transit pass so you wouldn't even need a car. Transit to/from UBC is fantastic and well-served.

And as mentioned already, chances are UBC's tuition is even cheaper than any tuition you'll pay in the USA, even if you apply as an international student.