PP with DC at McGill - one more point.

McGill is most definitely not trying to emulate a U.S. university, as one PP remarked. If they did, then boy oh boy there's a whole laundry list of things they should be doing differently: getting rah-rah about their sports teams, considering a kid's extracurriculars on the college app, adding more dorm housing and providing more hand-holding of students, eliminating the weekly "open air pub" on the college green for students (which unfortunately stopped during the pandemic...my DC loved OAP nights...), accepting tuition payments in US dollars -- the list goes on.

From everything I've seen, Canadians in general and McGill specifically are quite secure in their "Canadian-ness" and are not trying to be American.

My DC goes to McGill.

Pros:

Montreal has a vibrant arts community, so it's an amazing city for any kid involved in the creative arts (visual, music, film) - my kid is arty and recently mentioned to me that people say that this is the current "trifecta" of cities from an arts perspective: Berlin, Melbourne, and Montreal. I've had someone in the art world remark to me, after hearing that my kid is at McGill, that "Montreal today is like Berlin in the 70s." Meaning, a creative hot spot. Anyway, it's a great environment for an arts-oriented kid to be in.

Montreal is a very affordable city, with rents and food prices well below what one sees in NY and DC. It is safe (b/c no guns!) and lively. It's a very park-oriented city, and every park is filled with families, people reading on blankets, etc. Also lots of cozy cafes. With the parks, cafes, charming neighborhoods, and le French everywhere, it feels very much like Europe. French is NOT required for McGill, my DC has friends that never studied French and they are just fine.

Montreal is not so far! Only 1 hr 20 min flight from DC. If your kid is looking at Boston/New England schools, it's really not that much different.

McGill overall is a good school. My DC has had some great classes, some meh classes. Some small seminars, some ridiculous lecture-hall classes with hundreds of students. But overall, enjoyed it. Like any big public school, it's bit bureacratic -- but it teaches kids to navigate the system and advocate for themselves. Kids love off-campus housing and living the independent adult life. Most freshman live in dorms, but after that, they are happy to be off campus. There's an active rental community, and TONS of good housing.

McGill is very affordably priced - plus historically the exchange rate was pretty favorable to the US dollar. It came in at just a bit higher than instate tuition for us.

Cons:

The winter. But, my DC recently said that the winter is not that big of a deal...the kids don't mind the cold like we old'uns do.

Getting the visa thing and currency thing sorted out at the beginning of freshman year takes some navigating...but it's doable and there's a very helpful community of non-Canadian parents on Facebook that helps each other out.

I hope my DD winds up at least applying here. I love Montreal. Plus it's a foreign city where someone could refine their French skills, but is also a short flight from DC. She may also apply to some schools in Europe, which I think would be incredibly exciting for her and we'd love to visit, but I know we wouldn't see her as much and it makes me terribly sad.

I really liked the campus when we visited (this was several years ago and she was too young to visit as a prospective student). I agree that comparisons to NYU are apt, though I think I'd feel more comfortable with her in Montreal than NYC, to be honest. Partly because of costs (Montreal is expensive but it's not Manhattan) and it's also just a slightly calmer, less challenging city. More akin to Boston or Chicago for sure.

Anyway, would love more feedback on what the undergraduate experience there is. My DD is interested in museum studies.

Anonymous wrote:The whole “McGill is only for independent kids, not sheltered kids” spiel is so insufferably condescending. Guys, McGill really is not all that. You’re making fools of yourselves.

For every successful McGill grad, I can point to several I know who are painfully mediocre and go about boasting how they went to a Canadian Ivy.

How so? do you work in admissions for a grad school or in HR?

Mcgill girls are hot and put out.

Montreal is an insane city for nightlife

The whole “McGill is only for independent kids, not sheltered kids” spiel is so insufferably condescending. Guys, McGill really is not all that. You’re making fools of yourselves.

For every successful McGill grad, I can point to several I know who are painfully mediocre and go about boasting how they went to a Canadian Ivy.

My brother attended McGill and graduated in the early 2000s. Finance/Econ degree. No problem landing a lucrative finance job in the States after graduation. One of DH's brothers went there but is considerably older so not sure how relevant his experience would be.

I will echo the people who say it's a good fit for US students who are independent and don't need a lot of hand holding. If your kid has been sheltered and has not been exposed to a lot of different cultures and/or doesn't navigate new situations well, it's probably a poor fit unless you have a close contact in Montreal who can be on standby in case of illness or homesickness or whatever. My brother had traveled extensively before going there, spoke decent French, and was an independent kid so it was fine for him. Also, it gets really cold there, and dark in winter. I remember him getting one of those SAD lamps for his dorm. If your child likes warm weather and sunny skies year round, McGill is not the place for them.