Gibson's Student Guide to Western Canadian Universities

Alexander D. Gregor is director of post-secondary studies in the Faculty
of Education, University of Manitoba, and co-editor of Postsecondary
Education in Canada: The Cultural Agenda.

A companion volume to the author’s guide to the universities of
Ontario, this book offers the only comprehensive overview of all the
institutions offering undergraduate degree programs (including those
offered in French) in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British
Columbia. It is aimed primarily at high-school students and counsellors.
The author has worked as a university admissions officer and is able to
identify the matters with which prospective students are (or should be)
concerned. The book does not presuppose any background knowledge about
universities, and does a very thorough job of explaining their structure
and character, as well as that of the various undergraduate degree
programs and program formats they offer. (This includes the nice touch
of a glossary, to help those for whom the language of university
calendars is not always transparent.) A considerable amount of space is
given over to helping a prospective student arrive at an academic and
personal self-assessment sufficient to allow a sensible career and
program choice. The prospective student is guided as well to considering
the issues of program format (e.g., co-op) and institutional ethos that
will ensure a compatibility with his or her own interests and
personality. And because the transition to university can be quite a
dramatic one for many students, the author goes to some length in
describing the first-year experience. Attention is also paid to the
special information needs of mature and international students.

Following the general information on program characteristics and
requirements, and the secrets of the application/admission process, the
book offers detailed profiles of each of the region’s institutions.
Following a brief overview of the provincial system and the individual
institutions, these profiles offer information on contact people,
student demographics, general admission and degree requirements, program
characteristics, student services, residence facilities, financial
assistance, etc.

Appendices provide addresses for information about admission tests for
professional schools (LSAT, MCAT, etc.); on sources of information on
student financial assistance; on English language testing; and on
representative admission requirements for international students.

An excellent map for a most important trip.