The Absurd Ranking Game
Johoon attended Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada over a decade ago. This very institution, around the early 1990s, led a coalition of several universities to refuse participation in Canadian university ranking activities. The most authoritative magazine in Canada, "MICLEAN," holds a status in Canada comparable to that of "Time" magazine in the United States. "MICLEAN" conducts annual university rankings to demonstrate its absolute authority. However, that year, its painstakingly compiled rankings faced protests from Memorial University of Newfoundland, arguing that their survey data did not accurately reflect the teaching conditions at Memorial University, resulting in the university being excluded from the top 20.
Memorial University of Newfoundland, along with several other universities that also had objections to the rankings, reached an agreement: from then on, they would no longer provide any relevant data or information to "MICLEAN." Their withdrawal lasted for 56 years. During this period, "MICLEAN" repeatedly negotiated with these universities, hoping they would return to the rankings, as there were simply too few universities in Canada, and the absence of these ten or more schools weakened the ranking's strength.
The negotiations continued until 1997, when both parties finally understood each other's positions, and the negotiations were brought to the table. The colleges led by Memorial University of Newfoundland agreed to return to the rankings. However, they had one requirement: they could never be ranked lower than 20th. This demand did not stump the shrewd "MICLEAN," which invented a classification ranking method: universities primarily focused on undergraduate education could be ranked in one category; universities with affiliated medical schools could be ranked in another category, while those without medical schools could be ranked in yet another category… It is estimated that over 80 universities across Canada made it onto the list, all within the top 20. The absurd ranking game ended with a happy resolution, which is indeed a delightful outcome.
Thus, the question of which universities in Canada are truly good schools became an interesting one. The seemingly rigorous ranking lists turned into mere decorations, while the prestigious schools chosen by the public through casual voting better reflected the actual public opinion.
Top Universities Are Hard to Enter
Waterloo University is widely recognized as a prestigious institution by public consensus. However, gaining admission to Waterloo is no easy feat. This is especially true for the Computer Science program, which is situated between the Mathematics and Computer Science departments, where the academic requirements are almost stringent. The average score required for high school graduates in their final year must reach 94.1. Such high scores are unimaginable for many Canadian students. Johoon, a graduate of the University of Science and Technology of China, once tutored a third-year Canadian student in mathematics. When Johoon wrote "sinx-n" on the paper, the student exclaimed before he could even speak, "I know this problem!" Johoon looked at him in confusion, and the student proudly declared that the answer was 6. Johoon was puzzled, and the student explained that by removing one "n," it simply becomes "six." If third-year mathematics is like this, how well can high school graduates perform? Gaining admission to Waterloo University is also challenging for many Canadian nationals. Even the general engineering program requires an average score of 91.8.
Western University’s IVEY Business School claims to be ranked 12th in the world, thus also positioning itself as an Ivy League institution. This formal MASTER education attracts many Canadians and Chinese individuals.
IVEY Business School has high score requirements, but many students meet these scores. However, the number of spots is limited, leading to a peculiar phenomenon occurring in front of the IVEY Business School before the start of each academic year. When the admission list is released, those who did not make it do not leave; they wait in hopes of filling a spot if someone drops out. When the semester begins, some still linger, hoping that someone will not show up for class, creating an opening. A girl from Taiwan was notified on the second day of classes that she could enter the classroom.
The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is not very impressed with IVEY Business School, claiming to be the top business school in Canada. Of course, gaining admission to it is extraordinarily difficult.
Networking Opportunities Are Priceless
In fact, the fierce competition to enter these prestigious schools, aside from studying and receiving a good education, is also fueled by the preference of major companies for graduates from these institutions. More importantly, the vast network of connections that these prestigious schools offer attracts an increasing number of newcomers.
Graduates from these prestigious schools currently occupy important positions in key sectors such as banking, insurance, finance, and government in Canada. When resumes from junior students are submitted to them, they immediately view these resumes differently because they understand the caliber of education that these students have undergone.