Ask a McGill Alumnus

<p>Remember that at McGill, unlike most big city Canadian schools, half the students are from outside the city: out of province Canadians and Internationals. They do not commute back to their parents home. Even many Montrealers live away from their home. The McGill ghetto is the area immediately to the east of the campus.</p>

<p>^</p>

<p>Yea that I like. Everybody where I am just goes home to their parents house in the city, there are little to no out of province people. Which is why I was weary of another urban campus. Hearing that the ghetto is immediately next to the campus is another good thing. Is it pretty compact or are the students dispersed over a wide area in the ghetto?</p>

<p>To add to the above, I’d just like some semblance of community</p>

<p>Reading the archives of this forum I find things like “the students are generally apathetic to the school- there is no sense of school spirit or community”</p>

<p>Which is making me wonder if McGill would be right for me</p>

<p>i disagree. where there are not pep rally’s a lot of students participate in many school-related events and are active in the mcgill community. there is definitely a lot of pride for students at mcgill, most of which feel they are at a superior institution than the majority of their peers elsewhere (whether this is true, who knows). the mcgill name is not something you will shy away from in the future, but you will be proud of the successes of fellow mcgill alums and never fail to mention a bit of news from the school. if mcgill had been more of an urban campus like nyu or uoft (in the sense that classes are dispersed among inconspicuous buildings), or if it had not the centralized student ghetto and nearby plateau, it could have easily developed the reputation for an apathetic student population. this is not the case, the close habitation of students, combined with the small, cozy campus results in a high student density and a sense of community. as has been stated before, the lack of a ncaa div I football team does not mean students don’t have spirit… it is a different atmosphere, it is a different country, it is a different lifestyle at mcgill and the spirit is expressed differently. just wait until frosh and carnival, the spirit is self evident.</p>

<p>^
Thanks so much for posting that. I feel a lot more comfortable now. The exact thing I wanted to avoid was an NYU situation!</p>

<p>I’m a parent of a student recently invited to join the class of '14. I have been saving money in 529 (US) plan, but up until now I’ve not thought much about how to take money out for the purpose of paying for tuition in Canadian funds. I would be interested to know whether there are any established practices for addressing the exchange rate risk, as even during the last few months there has been considerable movement in the value of the CDN vs. US dollar. I will continue my search, but in the event that anyone has some ideas, they would be appreciated.</p>

<p>I’ve recently been accepted to McGill class of '14, and I’m so excited!!
I’ve never taken any French lessons before, but I have taken 4 years of Spanish in high school. Would it be possible for me to take any French classes at McGill? I read that there would be some sort of placement test if you want to take French as a second language. What is that test like? Thanks! : D</p>

<p>^Miltonite: Look back to post #190 to ~193, if you still have some specific questions I can answer them.</p>

<p>^boxingbunnie: anyone who wishes to take french as a second language can at mcgill, unless you are fluent. the test is composed of written portion and an oral comprehension/speaking portion, and provided you have no previous knowledge, you will undoubtedly do poorly and be placed into the beginners/intro course… which is fine and is expected. Don’t worry about the test cause it’ll be like taking a differential calculus exam after learning how to subtract… you’re better off doing poorly so you are placed in the correct level. The most important thing is to find the dates for the placement exam and register, because they are usually before classes begin I believe and if you are not registered or you miss the exam, you cannot enroll in the class.</p>

<p>im looking to take the most basic spanish next year to satisfy the language component of the arts program for freshman…do i need to take a placement test for that</p>

<p>all foreign language classes require a placement test</p>

<p>Hi, Mc.Gill is literally my dream school. I love everything about it!</p>

<p>I have dual citizenship in the US (lived here for 12 years) and in canada (born in montreal, quebec).
Anyways, I am applying next year for underclassmen class of '15, and I know they have a limit on international students.</p>

<p>My question is, because I am Canadian, and born in montreal, am I still considered an “international” student, who has to pay the “international” tuition fee?
Will my application be limited to a quota just like the other “international” students?</p>

<p>And any advice on what I should do to have the best change of getting into Mc.Gill. Should I move back to montreal? Is there a special way I should apply? What can I do so they see I am not just another international student, but a canadian citizen born in montreal. (I know they want most of their students to be from quebec)…I would love more information on this… Thank you.</p>

<p>This topic has been addressed in another thread, ie the advantage of a Quebecois Birthplace. Do a quick search with “born”, “Montreal” and maybe “tuition”. I forget offhand, if you can’t find it I can look later. But basically, you qualify for Quebec tuition as long as you can prove you were born in Montreal. I would call to ask if you should apply as an international or quebec, but I believe you should apply as a quebec student and organize the necessary documents so they are ready when necessary.</p>

<p>What are schools similar to Mc.Gill in that its an english university and has a good reputation and still in quebec or ontario / but preferably near montreal?</p>

<p>I will be so happy if I have the opportunity to apply as a quebec student!! </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/mcgill-university/457379-canadian-citizens-us-going-mcgill-residency.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/mcgill-university/457379-canadian-citizens-us-going-mcgill-residency.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Is this the thread you were speaking of?</p>

<p>Does anyone know if an international student born in montreal has the opportunity to apply with other quebec students, or are they forced to apply with all the rest of the internationals? </p>

<p>also I heard…
Mc.Gill Mainly looks at years 10-first semester of 12?!?
Focusing most consideration on 11th grade (junior year)? Is this true?</p>

<p>This is upsetting for me, because as a freshman I took challenging classes that most sophomores/ juniors would take (those classes only had like 3 other freshman, and the rest sophomore/juniors) - and I did very well in those classes. Does this mean taking those classes, and doing well would have gone to waste??</p>

<p>Okay, so on the website it says that for Canadian students outside Quebec (me) cost is 19,100 / term. The Minerva website asks ME to suggest the amount of money I’m asking for. Do people normally ask for full ride or is that asking too much for McGill? I would say I’m low-income…how much do most people get?</p>

<p>I’m taking my first SAT in june, and another in the fall.
What SAT score should I aim to for mc.gill?</p>

<p>powerbomb- define “low income”.</p>

<p>I thought I was seemingly low income until I saw a scholarship I applied to say 60,000 total income and below is their norm. Guess I’m not low income enough.</p>

<p>What are the possibilities of getting a scholarship at any schools on a need basis if one parent were to quit their job for a while, then miraculously finding a new one after the scholarship was awarded. Or do they catch on to these things?</p>

<p>coffeecup</p>

<p>ITS MCGILL NOT MC.GILL</p>