Getting into McGill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty much, but the actual cut-off varies every year. The mininum requirements are listed. If a kid is right at that threshold, it might be tricky.

However, if your child is way above the requirements, then you can consider it a safety! This is really comforting for kids, considering the comparative unknowns and subsequent stress of US college admissions, where you never quite know what magic formula of extra-curriculars will push you over the edge. My son was in that situation. He was accepted, but ultimately decided it would be too cold for him in the winter (he's cold-sensitive), so he went somewhere warmer. My younger kids are considering McGill, however - they love the cold!

My kid got in with 1520, 4.7 (weighted) from DCPS; he probably could have gotten in with slightly less on SAT/GPA from what I read. It's kind of off the radar of most US-based students.

No essays, and pretty quick application.

This may answer my concern - the website for the metrics are for unweighted GPA - my kid has 4.65 weighted but falls below the 3.8 unweighted GPA that they state is the cutoff (and ACT score is far above the cutoff). Did your child's unweighted GPA meet the cut off?

Yeah, they were almost a 4.0 unweighted. I honestly don't know what the cutoff would be. Number of APs would matter as well (had 13), and language may count for a bit (French AP). That being said, passed on the offer for a number of reasons, including distance (miles, and cultural difference between DC metro and Montreal)

For a French-speaking college student, is there a better city than Montreal? I guess maybe Paris?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty much, but the actual cut-off varies every year. The mininum requirements are listed. If a kid is right at that threshold, it might be tricky.

However, if your child is way above the requirements, then you can consider it a safety! This is really comforting for kids, considering the comparative unknowns and subsequent stress of US college admissions, where you never quite know what magic formula of extra-curriculars will push you over the edge. My son was in that situation. He was accepted, but ultimately decided it would be too cold for him in the winter (he's cold-sensitive), so he went somewhere warmer. My younger kids are considering McGill, however - they love the cold!

My kid got in with 1520, 4.7 (weighted) from DCPS; he probably could have gotten in with slightly less on SAT/GPA from what I read. It's kind of off the radar of most US-based students.

No essays, and pretty quick application.

This may answer my concern - the website for the metrics are for unweighted GPA - my kid has 4.65 weighted but falls below the 3.8 unweighted GPA that they state is the cutoff (and ACT score is far above the cutoff). Did your child's unweighted GPA meet the cut off?

Yeah, they were almost a 4.0 unweighted. I honestly don't know what the cutoff would be. Number of APs would matter as well (had 13), and language may count for a bit (French AP). That being said, passed on the offer for a number of reasons, including distance (miles, and cultural difference between DC metro and Montreal)

For a French-speaking college student, is there a better city than Montreal? I guess maybe Paris?

Not better, but the other option is Louisiana.

[Anonymous]

Kinshasha if you get desperate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I am reading it seems to be mostly grades and SAT scores above a certain threshold, so if you qualify based on those, would you be in automatically?

No if you are above their GPA/SAT threshold cut-off, you still have only a 45% chance of getting in. So roughly 50/50 if you meet the cut-off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I am reading it seems to be mostly grades and SAT scores above a certain threshold, so if you qualify based on those, would you be in automatically?

No if you are above their GPA/SAT threshold cut-off, you still have only a 45% chance of getting in. So roughly 50/50 if you meet the cut-off.

So, if you're above the threshold, what is it based on? ECs? Or does it help if you're way above the threshold?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty much, but the actual cut-off varies every year. The mininum requirements are listed. If a kid is right at that threshold, it might be tricky.

However, if your child is way above the requirements, then you can consider it a safety! This is really comforting for kids, considering the comparative unknowns and subsequent stress of US college admissions, where you never quite know what magic formula of extra-curriculars will push you over the edge. My son was in that situation. He was accepted, but ultimately decided it would be too cold for him in the winter (he's cold-sensitive), so he went somewhere warmer. My younger kids are considering McGill, however - they love the cold!

My kid got in with 1520, 4.7 (weighted) from DCPS; he probably could have gotten in with slightly less on SAT/GPA from what I read. It's kind of off the radar of most US-based students.

No essays, and pretty quick application.

This may answer my concern - the website for the metrics are for unweighted GPA - my kid has 4.65 weighted but falls below the 3.8 unweighted GPA that they state is the cutoff (and ACT score is far above the cutoff). Did your child's unweighted GPA meet the cut off?

How is that mathematically possible?

School district gives +1 point for honors classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I am reading it seems to be mostly grades and SAT scores above a certain threshold, so if you qualify based on those, would you be in automatically?

No if you are above their GPA/SAT threshold cut-off, you still have only a 45% chance of getting in. So roughly 50/50 if you meet the cut-off.

So, if you're above the threshold, what is it based on? ECs? Or does it help if you're way above the threshold?

It certainly helps if you're way above the threshold. Obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I am reading it seems to be mostly grades and SAT scores above a certain threshold, so if you qualify based on those, would you be in automatically?

No if you are above their GPA/SAT threshold cut-off, you still have only a 45% chance of getting in. So roughly 50/50 if you meet the cut-off.

I don't think that's true at all. There are no essays, no extra-curriculars under consideration. This is a European-style uni. They don't want to get to know you. They only judge based on scores, grades and types of courses you've taken.

If you meet the requirements for that particular program, then you do have a good chance. But I've never seen an actual probability attached. My understanding was that it was way more than 50% if you were at the threshold.

We did not actually put this to the test, since my kid was way above the threshold. Also, we're French, and we love Montreal. Some words aren't the same as in France, and the Quebec accent sounds a little peculiar to our Parisian ears, but it's rather endearing.

[Anonymous]

No rec letters required?

[Anonymous]

McGill lines up applicants to each faculty in rank order by rigor/GPA and test scores. It then rolls down the list until it hits the number of offers that faculty can make (say, 2000 names down the list if the faculty of science has 1000 slots open for first years and expects a 50% yield), draws a line under that applicant, and makes offers to everyone above the line. The "minimums" that McGill publishes are the stats of the group of accepted applicants just over that line. The line moves around a bit from year to year depending on the applicant pool, but it's pretty reasonable to assume that you have a 50/50 shot at acceptance if you have exactly the "minimum" stats from the previous year, that you'll almost certainly be accepted if your stats are meaningfully stronger, and that you'll almost certainly be denied if they're meaningfully weaker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I am reading it seems to be mostly grades and SAT scores above a certain threshold, so if you qualify based on those, would you be in automatically?

No if you are above their GPA/SAT threshold cut-off, you still have only a 45% chance of getting in. So roughly 50/50 if you meet the cut-off.

I don't think that's true at all. There are no essays, no extra-curriculars under consideration. This is a European-style uni. They don't want to get to know you. They only judge based on scores, grades and types of courses you've taken.

If you meet the requirements for that particular program, then you do have a good chance. But I've never seen an actual probability attached. My understanding was that it was way more than 50% if you were at the threshold.

We did not actually put this to the test, since my kid was way above the threshold. Also, we're French, and we love Montreal. Some words aren't the same as in France, and the Quebec accent sounds a little peculiar to our Parisian ears, but it's rather endearing.

Is your child there? How do they like it? We're French as well so the tuition discount is very attractive. I am just worried it will feel European in a bad way: not as much campus spirit and fun as a US school.

[Anonymous]

It's a good target school for kids that don't have deep ECs, awards/honors. They don't look much at WHO your kid is; just the scores. I would research further the implications of going to school in Canada for the future (major dependent, cultural and system differences).

[Anonymous]

Is it true that the French requirement is still just specific programs? That's what I see online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no French requirement for 2025 according to their website.

Even with no french requirement, won't a kid feel socially and academically isolated without French?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no French requirement for 2025 according to their website.

Even with no french requirement, won't a kid feel socially and academically isolated without French?

No