Jan 03, 2017 07:57 AM EST By Jane Reed, UniversityHerald Reporter

Before Donald Trump won the elections as the next president of the United States, many Americans were already thinking of moving out of the country. It started as a joke at first. After Trump won, American citizens teased said they are going to move to Canada if Trump wins.

What started as a joke is now turning into a serious conversation. Back in November 9, 2016, Canada's immigration and citizenship website crashed.

It appeared that millions of Americans are already planning to make a life in Canada, as reported by Fortune. The immigration process may take years and is considerably expensive but that does not stop American teens from applying to Canadian colleges and universities just to escape the inevitable.

President-elect Donald Trump will soon take his seat in the White House and the Oval office. And not caring if it takes a huge amount of resources and time, American students are looking to escape the United States for at least four academic years.

Colleges and universities such as the University of Toronto have received applications from American citizens, as reported by Heat Street. These applications are up as much as 70 percent and these schools' systems had to adjust to the volume of requests. Although the University of Toronto did hold a panel last year to attract more American students, they most likely did not anticipate a huge jump in admissions.

The escape from Donald Trump is most likely not based on fear but on principle. According to one student from California, she wants to stay in a campus that is safe for women, citing that Trump may most likely ease laws against sexual assault.

On the other end of the spectrum, it looks like American colleges and universities are seeing a dip in foreign admissions. According to reports, Donald Trump's impending presidency is most likely the same reason as American students' intent of applying overseas.

Watch the video below where Stephen Colbert jokes about moving to Canada:

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