<p>I don’t think you’re going to get one specific answer from this thread. These are both great schools for completely different reasons. Both probably have some benefits in the job field by name or alum networking, and both are considered to be “good schools”. </p>
<p>But there’s no one-size fits all answers because they’re fundamentally different. The only similarities are the obvious: A college, has winters, teaches students, and is considered good. </p>
<p>But size, location, style of teaching, opportunities, etc are very different.</p>
<p>Maybe an all freshman dorm at McGill(?) would be great, or maybe your son would prefer Conn’s all grades dorming so that freshman are down the hall from sophmores. Maybe your son wants something metropolitan, and maybe a smaller town would be fine. Maybe he wants a specific meal plan at McGill and maybe he doesn’t want to even deal with whether or not he has enough meal points at Conn. Maybe he doesn’t mind (a significant amount of) grad students being on campus, and maybe he wants an undergrad focus (Conn has like, 34 Grad students.) </p>
<p>Maybe he wants a University, and maybe he wants a small liberal arts college. But he got into two good schools, and now it’s just figuring out which one he’d like more. And none of us can answer that question.</p>
<p>I understand what exactly you mean. And yes, S will take the decision, but the reason for posting ( or for any other parent) is I am trying to myself understand the choices( as I have no previous experience of the college in states or canada).
And I am sure there are many parents like me, who are doing the same, trying to seek the answers.</p>
<p>Conn is a pretty school with nice kids that’s sort of next to nowhere - except the Coast Guard Academy. New London genuinely sucks and that’s a 5 minute car ride away. </p>
<p>I would not describe Conn College as “remote”. There are other LAC’s that are in a lot more remote locations than New London. While NL is not a garden spot, it is half way between New York and Boston, and it’s easy to travel up and down the seaboard via Amtrak. (Full disclosure - I grew up in the area.) And yes, the winters are generally milder, but this winter proved to be an exception.</p>
<p>We visited Conn last summer, and while it was not a good fit for my son (“too preppy” he thought), it has many positives, depending on what you are looking for. I was impressed with their “hands-on” opportunities, the sciences, the arts, and sports facilities. There seemed to be a vibrant social scene, although hard to tell because it was the summer. I think Conn is well know for graduate schools and employers. It’s reputation has greatly improved since I was looking at colleges, and it had just turned co-ed.</p>
<p>Which I understand, but you’ve started this thread at least two different times in the Parent forums. No one can give you an answer. And while you’re trying to understand the options, you’ve already been given most of the things we can answer. (And in your other thread(s), as well: Connecticut or McGill, Views on Connecticut, College or University, and this one, Anxious Mum) Now, the ones that ask “Does Conn have a good vegetarian selection?” or “What are McGill’s fees like?” are things people can answer for you. But we really can’t tell you that one school is the “right” one over the other. I don’t really know what answer you want from anyone here. I certainly hope the parents wouldn’t decide for your son, which is the better school, since these are two different types of schools, in two different countries.</p>
<p>Is New London a little podunk? Sure. (Crazy thing was, I told myself for years I wanted to go to school in a large metropolitan area, like New York City. Total turnaround on that one.) But there are nearby things I did like, as well- Niantic has a huge used bookstore, Mystic is beautiful, and if I hopped a train I could go see Boston, or New York, and come back to someplace a little slower. (Seconding mom2sons above- It could’ve been a lot more remote, and it’s really not. It’s no middlebury or grinnell, that’s for sure. It’s just a small town. But it had a comicshop, so it wasn’t too small for me.) But you could also want a big city 24/7. McGill is great for that.</p>
<p>My son is waitlisted at CC and it is his # 1 choice. He loved it when visiting.</p>
<p>As an executive in the southern part of the US I can tell you that I never heard of Connecticut College before my own son’s college experience. I have however heard of McGill and have a very high opinion of it.</p>
<p>If I would have had fresh out of college applicants come to me with both colleges on their resume, I would have given some preference to McGill.</p>
<p>So… I don’t think graduating from McGill and not being a US University puts it at a disadvantage. Many people consider it the Harvard of Canada. </p>
<p>I think it does really come back to Yurtle’s post of being at the place that fits him best, because he will get a great education at either and have many of future opportunities from either.</p>
<p>Also - if I remember correctly, McGill has some specialized 6 year degree programs where they essentially ensure you can pursue a graduate degree without going through an additional MCAT, admissions process. I don’t remember the details, but it was something I looked at probably 2 years ago that I found very interesting and advantageous for kids who were set on going to more than 4 years of school.</p>
<p>Our small-town D2 wanted a city experience, an international focus, and a diverse student body. I suggested McGill and we mused about it for awhile. But it was ultimately the “freshman housing only” factor that made us drop it from the list.</p>
<p>A little harsh there yurtle. The OP is looking for a variety of opinions - some info she can’t find on the schools’ respective websites. That’s what CC is for, for heaven’s sake.</p>
<p>OP seemed confused as to how respected McGill is within the U.S., and parents (also employers) and students on these forums are well-equipped to answer that question. They can most certainly assauge her fears that McGill is just as good of a choice as Conn. College in terms of employment and graduate studies prospects in the U.S.</p>
<p>Now, whether they can assauge her fears that her son can handle only 1 year of on campus housing, a huge university, a big city atmosphere, Canadian winters, etc., well, that is another story ;). But it seems like S is leaning that way…and if S is forced or pressured one way or another, he may harbor some serious anger and regret, especially since the two choices are so vastly different. Perhaps that is the place Yurtle is speaking from.</p>
<p>One additional point. While Montreal is a great city and has its temptations, the drinking age in Montreal is 18 which has the perhaps counterintuitive effect that there is much less binge or problem drinking at McGill. People drink like adults and out in the open. Much healthier.</p>
<p>She has asked about Conn v McGill twice, Just about Conn once, and the differences between Colleges & Universities once. In every possible way, there is almost nothing that hasn’t been said in one of these threads. I don’t know what else she is looking for- I assure you BOTH schools are good schools. But the purpose of this thread:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Has already been asked and answered by several people in other threads. </p>
<p>Call me crazy, but you can only really answer one question in so many different ways. </p>
<p>And since it feels like the OP is just trying to have good reasons to sway her son- </p>
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</p>
<p>She’s had many a good word put in for McGill, and we can all agree its a respectable school, and she has been told many times over that it looks good. So why worry?</p>
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</p>
<p>Probably. I feel that if someone just said “X school sucks, don’t go.” The threads would be done and over with. I doubt I would recognize this student on campus if he went. But I wonder that there is no right answer I would feel comfortable giving, for reasons others have stated in other threads:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
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</p>
<p>So she’s already had these:</p>
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</p>
<p>Answered. </p>
<p>1.) Not always true.
2.) Yes, Conn is smaller.
3.) Also not always true.
4.) Conn will walk you through applying for Grad school. It doesn’t make it harder for Mcgill. (Mentioned elsewhere.)
5.) Sure.
6.) Probably (stated elsewhere.) </p>
<p>But ultimately, either the OP’s S is hoping to go to McGill, in which case, the OP said they were rooting for it too, and they have knowledge that it’s a great school, OR the OP’s Son is on the fence and now has the ability to compare, or the OP is trying to decide for her son, or convince him one way or the other, neither of which I feel comfortable doing. </p>
<p>Which is why I’m asking: With those statements already been confirmed, or disproven, and several different discussions of the differences, what exactly are we supposed to be saying? The OP already says she likes McGill, and her son is leaning towards it. If true, it’s a great school, case closed. If the son is leaning towards conn, there’s nothing to worry about, it’s also a great school and people have said why and how. If the OP is looking to “prove” that one school is better, It’s not going to happen. </p>
<p>As for not finding this info on the websites, I don’t know about McGill, but most everything about Conn is online. I wrote my “Why Conn?” Essay before I got the chance to visit, and did it based off of information online.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to be rude or harsh, I’m just not sure what else needs to be said. This (to me) is all on the websites. And the other threads of “Which would you choose?” Well, everyone will have a different opinion because they’re wildly different.</p>
<p>I would agree with Yurtle. Seeing the mom’s other postings she’s just dithering and asking basically the same thing over and over again. Maybe people just haven’t given her the answer she’s secretly hoping for. Kind of like my mother-in-law, who will edge around questions over and over again because she didn’t get the answer she wanted, rather than coming out and directly telling you what she thinks.</p>
<p>@ Yurtle: Thanks for your answer. I again understand what you mean and where it comes from.</p>
<p>In my previous post, I was asking about the general ideas which I myself had no clue about in terms of expectations. ( when the college choices came out) When picture started getting clearer, and I started to seek answers from the forum, and talk to my friends, some very specific questions came up.
The links that you have posted, that everybody can see. If they were enough, there was no need for college coonfidential. We wuld have all gone on the website and got our answers. After all we are not dumb. We can read and understand.</p>
<p>So I ask. I dont see any problem with this.
Am I not free to ask? And are you not free to not to answer?</p>
<p>If yes, then where is the problem ?</p>
<p>As a mum , with very limited resources, one income family, and with no knowledge to belt myself with, I am just very worried about commiting myself beyond myself. Parents out there will know what I mean. So, the anxiety of the choice, to gain the suitable school. </p>
<p>So My Secret is" With the help of the kind strangers out there , if I can understand all the aspect, I should." And I can tell you, there are many parents like me out there, only that I am seeking help.</p>
<p>So please there is no need for these harsh comments, you have a choice not to answer. As simple as that.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help. You have some very informative replies. I gained a lot from them.</p>
<p>But again, I wasn’t being harsh intentionally, I’m only trying to understand what you want, since the six or so things you listed were all answered. </p>
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</p>
<p>I especially didn’t mean to imply you were dumb. Someone else commented that CC was here to fill in the blanks of information not on websites. But I listed the links to the sites, since questions seemed to be about PG/Careers/Opportunities/Research chances/Alum networking/etc. Almost no one from Mcgill or Conn has said anything, all we’ve seen are outside sources telling you “Well one school has this…” </p>
<p>All I did was try to show that perhaps while CC is great for outside opinion, since you’re asking about specific things, it would be better to look at the websites for what actually happens. The only clarity CC can give you is the perspective of an individual person or the “general outlook” on a school- many of them never having been to either college. </p>
<p>Believe me, I know it’s hard to be in a one-income family, and not have much of a way to find out about colleges that were farther away. But if there’s one thing about CC that I can tell you, it’s that while opinions from others can be very helpful, they’re still just opinions. What worries me is that this isn’t your choice, but your son’s. And since you haven’t told any of us what he wants or likes, or is looking for, there’s no way we can suggest what is suitable. Both schools have economics degrees. But beyond that, there’s only so many things we can generalize about what’s different before you get repetitive answers. </p>
<p>You’re free to ask. But there’s no need to re-ask the same question in a different thread- you could have continued your first one. I <em>have</em> answered, to which you said later on, that you were rooting for McGill. You’ve asked again, and people have given you almost the exact same answers.</p>
<p>I feel like it’s not helpful if we don’t know what we’re supposed to be telling you that hasn’t already been mentioned or isn’t on the school websites. I’d rather know how I could help you better than just saying “Well, Conn is a small LAC and McGill is a big uni.” over and over.</p>
<p>I’m re-reading the threads, and while I see people say their child has a 3.0 in McGill, but know kids who have a 4.0 at Conn…well a 4.0 is still no easy feat at Conn. The normal average of classes is 4 a semester, because even just four is a LOT of time, effort, and work. Even this doesn’t seem to make one school the better option- “whizzing through” is totally subjective from an outside perspective (Alum friend has strong objections to the term “whizzing through anything” at Conn). Many Conn kids are athletes or do a strong amount of extra curriculars in addition to schoolwork. So where does that put McGill? They’re both intense and academic schools.</p>
<p>Like another poster above, my D was turned off by Conn College’s overly preppy atmosphere when she visited (and she spent most of a day there – going to class, eating lunch, going on the tour and info session, meeting with the study abroad office folks, and with an athletic coach). Not just a clothing thing (lest you interpret “preppy” as that), but she felt there was an entitlement atmosphere that bugged her. She ended up at another LAC with a different vibe that has been a good fit for her. And I’m sure Conn College has some students that are different from what she encountered. But it seemed worth mentioning, since another poster above also picked up some of the same atmosphere.</p>
<p>We didn’t visit McGill, but it is well known in the US (I would agree with other posters that it is at least as well known as Conn College, and I think more so once you get out of the Northeast).</p>
<p>@ yurtle I read your post . Thanks once again. </p>
<p>I think we both are right in our own ways because the apprehensions and skepticism stem from different life situations. And we are surely exposed to some very different ones. So I understand.</p>
<p>You asked about my son’s preference, he wants to go for Mcgill, but still undecided as many others out there. The problem is as he does not stay in the same country as me and his school has a strict ’ no cell ’ policy, so it gets very difficult to have an open detailed communication with him. Net connection is also sort of shaky.</p>
<p>Yes, these situstions can be heart wrenchingly difficult for a one income family when it is a matter of long term commitment . Thats why I am myself not just worried but also scared. May be thats why I asked the same questions. May be I am just trying to assuage my fears, I am not sure. I think it happens when you have only yourself to bank on, not with ur own decisions ( which is relatively easy )but with somebody else. </p>
<p>However, thanks once again.</p>
<p>@ intparent: So true, one size doesn’t fit all.</p>
<p>I think the secret question is, “am I (the OP) going to be able to handle my baby boy leaving home, especially if he leaves the country for a big, scary city?”</p>
<p>The secret answer is, “yes, you will both do fine regardless of which school he chooses.”</p>