College in Montreal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even adding in all the other costs such as meals, housing, etc the cost stays below $40K in US dollars.

A SLAC is more than double, at 90K

My kid was interested in U Toronto and total COA would have been $62k. I don't know if the Quebec colleges are different, but I find it hard to believe that total COA would be $40k.

Toronto college pricing is ala carte. STEM costs more than a humanities degree. You have to then go find meal-plan options and price those out. You have to then look at dorms and decide what dorms look good and price those out.

Perhaps, the cost could come down to like $55k if picking the crappiest dorm and the cheapest meal plan (though, that just means you are paying more
out-of-pocket for meals).

Concordia and UdeM are much less expensive than UToronto and McGill. Also Canadas version of SLACs are called “primarily undergraduate” schools. They are all very inexpensive especially with the xr. Some might be cheaper than instate U.S.

https://education.macleans.ca/feature/canadas-best-primarily-undergraduate-universities-rankings-2024/

This. Go to one of these, establish residency, work for a couple years and do grad school as resident cheaply. And escape the horrors of the upcoming election.

Can someone elaborate why you would pick a random Canadian school like Concordia or University of Montreal?

There are plenty of random schools in the US that are very cheap. Is the plan to live and work in Canada after graduation?

I get why you attend McGill or Toronto or Waterloo...but not understanding why you pick random cheap Canada colleges that nobody knows about in the US. Again, there are 1000s of cheap, US-based random colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just visited McGill last week, and the tour guide told the group that the university plans to raise tuition for international students next year. Not sure by how much, but apparently they also plan to expand/increase merit aid as well. It sounded like the school was trying to avoid passing on tuition increases to Quebec students, but also didn’t want to overly discourage international applicants (currently about 1/4 of their enrollment).

I don’t know any more details than that, but just be aware that this year’s McGill numbers might not reflect next year’s.

Also, if people think they’re going to avoid all the protests by going to school in Canada—McGill still has a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus (even though spring semester is over), and there was an unrelated faculty protest going on elsewhere on campus. Although the latter were exceedingly polite, and cheerfully parted to let the tour group through.

Is there a lot of antisemitism on campus? Curious how things would feel for a Jewish American Israeli student.

[Anonymous]

If you know your major requires grad school it can be a smart move to get the brand name grad degree at a Canadian resident price. You get residency first at the "no name" school you seem baffled by. This was pointed out by a PP. Also if you are from upper Midwest, upstate NY or Vermont it is about the same as US weather wise but nicer people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you know your major requires grad school it can be a smart move to get the brand name grad degree at a Canadian resident price. You get residency first at the "no name" school you seem baffled by. This was pointed out by a PP. Also if you are from upper Midwest, upstate NY or Vermont it is about the same as US weather wise but nicer people.

Again…this just seems like a strange approach for 99% of US residents.

How does one get residency at the no name school? Can’t you go to U Toronto and then also get residency?

[Anonymous]

If your kid has French citizenship they get a deal on tuition - basically in state rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just visited McGill last week, and the tour guide told the group that the university plans to raise tuition for international students next year. Not sure by how much, but apparently they also plan to expand/increase merit aid as well. It sounded like the school was trying to avoid passing on tuition increases to Quebec students, but also didn’t want to overly discourage international applicants (currently about 1/4 of their enrollment).

I don’t know any more details than that, but just be aware that this year’s McGill numbers might not reflect next year’s.

Also, if people think they’re going to avoid all the protests by going to school in Canada—McGill still has a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus (even though spring semester is over), and there was an unrelated faculty protest going on elsewhere on campus. Although the latter were exceedingly polite, and cheerfully parted to let the tour group through.

Is there a lot of antisemitism on campus? Curious how things would feel for a Jewish American Israeli student.

Seemed more aimed at the administration, with “divest now” signs, plus tables to raise money for mutual aid, rather than overtly antisemitic. But someone with a student on campus should be able to say more.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, Anti-semitism is a big problem in Montreal. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/hundreds-demand-an-end-to-antisemitism-in-montreal-city-hall-protest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you know your major requires grad school it can be a smart move to get the brand name grad degree at a Canadian resident price. You get residency first at the "no name" school you seem baffled by. This was pointed out by a PP. Also if you are from upper Midwest, upstate NY or Vermont it is about the same as US weather wise but nicer people.

Again…this just seems like a strange approach for 99% of US residents.

How does one get residency at the no name school? Can’t you go to U Toronto and then also get residency?

usually you need residency for a certain length of time to qualify. Just like you can't attend UVA and declare yourself a resident sophomore year. duh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, Anti-semitism is a big problem in Montreal. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/hundreds-demand-an-end-to-antisemitism-in-montreal-city-hall-protest

Yeah, because opposing genocide is somehow antisemitic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you know your major requires grad school it can be a smart move to get the brand name grad degree at a Canadian resident price. You get residency first at the "no name" school you seem baffled by. This was pointed out by a PP. Also if you are from upper Midwest, upstate NY or Vermont it is about the same as US weather wise but nicer people.

Again…this just seems like a strange approach for 99% of US residents.

How does one get residency at the no name school? Can’t you go to U Toronto and then also get residency?

usually you need residency for a certain length of time to qualify. Just like you can't attend UVA and declare yourself a resident sophomore year. duh!

Well…you can’t get residency at all at UVA if you are under 24 and just stay in VA. Duh!

I would imagine it is even harder if not impossible if you aren’t Canadian.

Once more…why am I attending a random Canadian college to do all this vs a Toronto or McGill?

Seems like lots of bad advice on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you know your major requires grad school it can be a smart move to get the brand name grad degree at a Canadian resident price. You get residency first at the "no name" school you seem baffled by. This was pointed out by a PP. Also if you are from upper Midwest, upstate NY or Vermont it is about the same as US weather wise but nicer people.

Again…this just seems like a strange approach for 99% of US residents.

How does one get residency at the no name school? Can’t you go to U Toronto and then also get residency?

usually you need residency for a certain length of time to qualify. Just like you can't attend UVA and declare yourself a resident sophomore year. duh!

Well…you can’t get residency at all at UVA if you are under 24 and just stay in VA. Duh!

I would imagine it is even harder if not impossible if you aren’t Canadian.

Once more…why am I attending a random Canadian college to do all this vs a Toronto or McGill?

Seems like lots of bad advice on this thread.

No but you could move to VA go to a no name undergrad, work there for a year or twoand then apply to UVA grad school for in-state tuition which is the equivalent of what PP suggested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you know your major requires grad school it can be a smart move to get the brand name grad degree at a Canadian resident price. You get residency first at the "no name" school you seem baffled by. This was pointed out by a PP. Also if you are from upper Midwest, upstate NY or Vermont it is about the same as US weather wise but nicer people.

Again…this just seems like a strange approach for 99% of US residents.

How does one get residency at the no name school? Can’t you go to U Toronto and then also get residency?

usually you need residency for a certain length of time to qualify. Just like you can't attend UVA and declare yourself a resident sophomore year. duh!

Well…you can’t get residency at all at UVA if you are under 24 and just stay in VA. Duh!

I would imagine it is even harder if not impossible if you aren’t Canadian.

Once more…why am I attending a random Canadian college to do all this vs a Toronto or McGill?

Seems like lots of bad advice on this thread.

Not a single poster has advised attending any particular college. Only providing info to those who were interested already, probably for their own reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, Anti-semitism is a big problem in Montreal. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/hundreds-demand-an-end-to-antisemitism-in-montreal-city-hall-protest

Yeah, because opposing genocide is somehow antisemitic?

Jewish community centers, synagogues, and schools attacked. That is anti semitism. These local institutions have nothing to do with the policies of the Israeli government.

“ The attack adds to the growing cases of violence in Montreal since the start of the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7. Earlier this month, two Jewish schools in Montreal reported that shots were fired at their entrances.
"These continued acts of antisemitic violence are deplorable and unacceptable – and must stop immediately. We must all stand united against such vile, hateful acts," Trudeau said on X.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just visited McGill last week, and the tour guide told the group that the university plans to raise tuition for international students next year. Not sure by how much, but apparently they also plan to expand/increase merit aid as well. It sounded like the school was trying to avoid passing on tuition increases to Quebec students, but also didn’t want to overly discourage international applicants (currently about 1/4 of their enrollment).

I don’t know any more details than that, but just be aware that this year’s McGill numbers might not reflect next year’s.

Also, if people think they’re going to avoid all the protests by going to school in Canada—McGill still has a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus (even though spring semester is over), and there was an unrelated faculty protest going on elsewhere on campus. Although the latter were exceedingly polite, and cheerfully parted to let the tour group through.

This is all true. I have a relative at McGill who was recently teargassed while protesting and there is an encampment. The tuition is exceptionally cheap for Canadians, but my understanding is that the Quebec provincial government is trying to change the formula that would basically raise the price for all non-Quebecois Canadians and lower it for students from French-speaking countries elsewhere. This is apparently controversial and I don't know how firmly baked it is.

I don't know what the current tuition rates for Americans are (although it shouldn't be hard to find); I have heard from my relative that the cost of housing in Montreal is very high and most students live off campus for at least 3 years.

[Anonymous]

Born and raised in Montreal here. There is a HUGE fight going on in Quebec about Anglophone universities now. The province is trying to reduce the number of non-Francophones coming to Quebec for college by jacking up tuition for the province's Anglophone schools. This will likely devastate McGill if it takes effect, because Canadian students from out-of-province will go elsewhere. Truly a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the name of Je me souviens!