gisaster25

I'd choose UWO - even without that sweet financial package! UWO (aka. Western) is - actually - well known and has a great international reputation, better than Indiana or Vrije Universiteit's, and their highly selective admissions process (broadly speaking - not sure about your specific program) attracts some of the best students in Canada and beyond. I doubt your other choices can claim such selectivity. I'm a Canadian who shelled out the big bucks to attend an American Ivy for undergrad. Fantastic experience, but I wouldn't have tossed that kind of money at Indiana. I now live in the Netherlands and plan to attend Erasmus Univ. Rotterdam for an MSc. If you were choosing programs based only on school location, I'd absolutely pick Amsterdam. It's a great place to live. But I don't know how easy it would be for you to go on the North American academic job market (yes, the Canadian schools also participate) with a doctorate from VU Amsterdam, if that's your plan. If you're serious about doing research in computing, you'll have plenty of opportunities near London, ON - especially in Waterloo or Guelph (both 1.5 hrs. away) or Toronto (2 hrs.) as a student or after you graduate. My 2 cents. Good luck with your decision!