Picking a University: U of T vs. U of W for Math PhD

[JG89]

I've been accepted to both the University of Toronto and University of Waterloo for pure mathematics. I plan on working towards a phD in that field.

I've heard that U of W is better for engineering and physics, while U of T is better for maths (applied & pure). However, I've also heard from many, many people that even though U of T is generally the more distinguished school, its pure maths specialist program (their honour's program) is extremely hard and keeps your GPA down - usually below the minimum requirements for grad school's, which is why many U of T grad's who want to go on to grad school can only go to U of T grad school.

I'm not afraid of a challenge and I consider myself a bright kid, but at the same time I'm kind of nervous about accepting the offer to U of T based on the fact that I may not be able to go to another school for grad school because the GPA is kept low.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[LewisEE]

What level do we consider "low?" Certainly you need a good GPA to get into a good grad school but if you develop other strong credentials then you don't need a 3.95.

 

[JG89]

"low" is from 3.0 to 3.3