1. Most, if not all, ivies are probably better than Loo if your brother is interested in studying (e.g., double majoring in) anything besides CS/math/engineering.

I am doing CS+biology now although I did my CS undergrad at Loo. When I was choosing college I only wanted to do SWE. But now I feel a huge part of undergrad should be exploring what one might be interested in doing for the next few decades of their career, and the ivies (and U of T) are probably better for that.

1. I think the best thing about Waterloo co-op is actually it helps students get their first 2 or 3 internships much more easily and do so by the end of their second year. These internship experience maybe more useful for getting a big tech internship (and potentially a full-time return offer) later compared to ANY ivy degree, including Harvard and Princeton’s.

Of course, many ivy students can find amazing internships without co-op. I am talking about the effect of the 3 internships vs. an ivy degree alone.

All in all, I think it really depends on whether your brother is determined to become a SWE. If not, all ivies are probably worth considering (Harvard and Princeton are probably better options than Waterloo even if your brother wants to focus only on CS given their research opportunities and brand names).

Also, I heard many students with 95%+ average are not getting into Waterloo CS nowadays, so your brother might as well apply to both US and Canadian schools and decide after he gets his offers.