McGill
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Anonymous
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My DC is seriously considering McGill, although still waiting on a few more decisions.
Would love to hear from folks whose kids attend, or are thinking of attending, for pros/cons/tips/considerations. |
Anonymous
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I know a lot about McGill. Most of it is as good as it looks. However, it is very much a public university - which means sometimes enormous class sections and/or unavailability of desired classes. Also, much less hand-holding with residential life than in the U.S., leaving kids to fare for themselves in a foreign country while trying to navigate the world of leases and apartment searches.
But otherwise, spending four years in Montreal at a great school like McGill is a great (and affordable) way to go. |
Anonymous
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My DC's best friend from high school is at McGill (as well as a few other friends). It's great school in a great city. The PP is correct, though, that it is a large school and the kids who succeed are able to navigate that by themselves. A kid who needs a lot of hand holding may not be quite as successful or, at lease, might have a longer transition period. Also, one thing that is often noted from the kids I know there is that the classes are quite challenging. The saying is that "McGill may be easier to get into, but it's hard to stay".
Absolutely worth considering. It's a good school that is very well respected. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thank you! Anyone else? |
Anonymous
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Brilliant, urbane, sophisticated student body. By happenstance a number of friends' DCs went there, all recently. They expect and promote a highly adult, mature look and feel. They don't house you after first year and if you're not local, it isn't cheap, but it's cheaper than the top US privates. Those kids are super impressive.
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Anonymous
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I responded on the Canadian universities thread.
I went there and had a fantastic experience. It's challenging and there is little coddling, so works best for students who are good at time management and used to rigor. I had zero issues finding a job in the US or getting into a top Ivy grad program--my degree has served me well. Living in Montreal is not "cheap" maybe, but in general much cheaper than major US metro areas (NY, DC, Boston, etc.) and Toronto. Kids make friends first year in residence, then usually split off with some subset of their closest friends as roommates in years 2-4. I paid about $450/m sharing with one other person (in CAD, and it's a very favorable exchange rate). Perhaps unlike in the US, they expect you to be able to manage yourself as an adult at age 18. That is the legal drinking age, and many school events involve beer and wine (e.g. frosh week, wine and cheese events with departments, etc.). There were a few US students in my cohort who had never had alcohol before they arrived and went a bit hog-wild in the beginning, but they matured relatively quickly. |
Anonymous
| DC graduated a few years ago and I cannot say enough about the quality of the education and value of living in a city like Montreal. The perfect college experience for the non SLAC, non Greek, urban type of kid. DC was in a small major as well so never had a class over 50 people. The school is Hard and the weather is Brutal. It’s also an expensive plane ticket (try Amtrak -long but cheap). But it feels like a school full of grown ups. Definitely the best deal in education that I’ve ever encountered. |
Anonymous
| great school. my husband’s cousin just got in and is thrilled; it’s her dream school. i know someone else who went and loved it. doing well as a freelance journalist now. mcgill and UT are generally underrated as options by US applicants. |
Anonymous
| I'm not the OP but have a sophomore that wants to go abroad for school and I think McGill would be a good fit for a kid that wants to do international relations. Thanks for this information. We are also looking at St. Andrews as well. |
Anonymous
| DC has two friends there now. Both have dual citizenship so are paying the Canadian tuition rate so it's a fantastic deal. It seems to be a good fit for both, but they are both serious students - one wants to be an academic. Most of the people I know who have gone there are hard working serious types. It definitely doesn't seem to have much of a party vibe to it, but that may just be the people I know. |
Anonymous
| I went there in the 90s so not sure how relevant my experience is now, but I echo what the PPs have said. Great school, great city. You definitely need to be a self-starter and have the ability to manage your time well, but I didn't find it hard to keep up. I know it's stating the obvious but it does get very cold and you go for many months without much sunlight, so if your DC has any seasonal affective disorder type tendencies it wouldn't be the right place for her/him. It was also nice to get a non-American perspective for a bit - even though Canadians are not that different from us, it is a different country and the school has a very international student body so it was eye-opening - even for a kid from DC who was exposed to a lot of international types. I had a great experience and was very well-prepared for grad school. Congratulations to your DC OP! |
Anonymous
| I believe that McGill has a French requirement. Easy peas you for some. Non-starter for my kid. |
Anonymous
I don't believe there is a French requirement at McGill. |
Anonymous
There is no French proficiency requirement at McGill for undergrads. All classes are taught in English, except ones that need to be taught in French (i.e. a French class). |
Anonymous
I have a DD who is seriously considering McGill. She is currently a junior in high school and is aiming for eventual French fluency. Even though McGill's classes are taught in English, are there opportunities to speak/improve conversational French in Montreal outside of the school's French department? |