Ankitkumar72
global rankings (like QS or Times Higher Ed) look at a lot of things — research output, faculty reputation, citations, international outlook, etc. But they don’t always reflect how competitive undergraduate admissions are.
For example, UofT, McGill, and UBC are world-class research universities — that’s why they rank so high. But Canada’s admissions system is more stats-based and less holistic than the US (where Ivies look at essays, extracurriculars, recs, leadership, etc.). So if you meet their grade cutoffs, chances of getting in are decent — especially for international students who apply early and meet the requirements.
Meanwhile, Ivy League schools are super selective not just because of academics, but also because they admit a small number of people from a huge applicant pool using a very subjective process.
So in short: rankings ≠ selectivity. A school can be top-ranked for research and academics, but not be as insanely competitive to get into as some US schools that care about your “whole story.”