Canadian Ivy League

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The Canadian Ivy League, or "Canadian Ivies", is an informal term used to describe five or six selective Canadian universities that resemble the Ivy League of the United States.^[1] The label is derived from general rhetoric, and there is no strict list of the schools included in the group.

The universities are among Canada's oldest and largest endowed institutions; having strong reputations in both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, and drawing thousands of international applicants each year.^[1][2]

The attraction of the Canadian Ivies is "a much better life experience" for some, lower tuition costs for others, and having alternative university choices for others.^[3][4]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Foundations and comparisons 2 Gallery 3 Cooperation and athletics 3.1 Work with the Ivy League 4 Rankings 5 See also 6 External links 7 References

[edit] History

[edit] Etymology

According to the Fiske guide,^[5] the top three universities in Canada are Queen's University, McGill University, and the University of Toronto.^[6] The publication also remarks that these schools exhibit the highest required marks for admission, as well as the lowest acceptance rates in Canada.^[5]

These schools are among Canada's oldest universities, having noted selectivity,^[7][8] maintaining some of the country's largest endowments, and all being closely placed in Central Canada (similar to the locations of Ivy League schools in New England).

David M. Thomas also refers directly to these three universities, along with the University of Western Ontario and Dalhousie University as the "Canadian Ivy League" in his work, "Canada and the United States: Differences that Count."^[9]

On an individual basis, in independent publications, speeches, university-based articles and everyday media, most of the schools have consistently had a reputation as being Canadian Ivy or counterparts to schools in the American Ivy League.^[10][11]

In recent years, the University of British Columbia has also been marked along with the "Canadian Ivies" for its attraction to international students.^[3][12][13]

[edit] Foundations and comparisons

Institution	Founded	Location	Athletic nickname/team	Undergraduate enrollment	Postgraduate enrollment	Motto
Dalhousie University	1818	Halifax, Nova Scotia	Tigers	12,060	3,460	Ora et Labora ("Pray and work")
McGill	1821	Montreal, Quebec	Redmen and Martlets	23,758	8,756	Grandescunt Aucta Labore ("By hard work, all things increase and grow.")
Queen's University	1841	Kingston, Ontario	Golden Gaels	13,500	3,800	Sapientia et Doctrina Stabilitas ("Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times.")
University of British Columbia	1908	Vancouver, British Columbia	Thunderbirds	39,860	7,851	Tuum est ("It Is Yours" or "It is up to you")
University of Toronto	1827	Toronto, Ontario	Varsity Blues	63,000	10,185	Velut arbor ævo ("As a tree through the ages")
University of Western Ontario	1878	London, Ontario	Mustangs	25,000	5,000	Veritas et Utilitas ("Truth and usefulness")

[edit] Gallery

McGill University, located in Montreal, Quebec.	Queen's University, located in Kingston, Ontario.	The University of Toronto, located in Toronto, Ontario.	The University of Western Ontario, located in London, Ontario.
Dalhousie University, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.	The University of British Columbia, located in Vancouver, British Columbia.

[edit] Cooperation and athletics

Five of the six Canadian Ivies were founding institutions of the Group of Thirteen (G13), a collaboration of the leading research universities in Canada. With the addition of Dalhousie in 2006,^[14] all six schools are members of the extensive research body.

McGill, Queen's, Toronto and Western are members of the Old Four (IV) consortium of Canadian universities, established in the 19th Century.

McGill and Queen's maintain a partial academic and considerable athletic rivalry, also being the only Canadian universities to share a publishing house, the McGill-Queen's University Press.

In the early 2000s, several of the universities began a joint marketing campaign in the United States under the name Canadian Ivy (or Ivies).^[2][15][16] The University of Saskatchewan, in contrast, curtailed efforts to recruit undergraduates primarily in Minneapolis, Minnesota after the two year campaign netted none for the school. Perceived competition with the better-funded Canadian Ivies was also a factor, according to the school's recruiting director.^[17]

[edit] Work with the Ivy League

The first game and invention of North American football occurred between McGill University and Harvard College in May of 1874.^[18] McGill also maintains a bilateral partnership with Dartmouth College for student study abroad programs.^[19]

The Queen's School of Business maintains a joint MBA program with Cornell University's Johnson School of Management.

[edit] Rankings

All of the universities are highly regarded in Canada, with most having notable international recognition, and some having highly significant international prestige.^[20][21][22]

Within Canada, the Old Four schools in particular have historically performed well in the Maclean's annual university rankings. There, they are evaluated in the highest of three peer groupings, as Medical Doctoral universities - "Those in the Medical Doctoral category have a broad range of Ph.D. programs and research, as well as medical schools."^[23] In recent years, the Old Four have dominated the top positions in the rankings^[24][25]:

Year	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
2008	McGill	UBC and Queen's
2007	McGill	Queen's	Toronto
2006	McGill	Queen's	Toronto
2005	McGill and Toronto		Western
2004	Toronto	McGill	Western
2003	Toronto	McGill	Queen's and Western
2002	Toronto	Queen's	McGill and Western

[edit] See also

• Queen's-McGill Rivalry
• Public Ivy
• American Ivy League
• Old Four (IV)
• Group of Thirteen
• University and college admissions

[edit] External links

• The Loonie, The Dollar, and What They Both Mean for U (if you're university-bound)

[edit] References