<p>My daughter, currently a h.s. sophomore, is strongly considering attending McGill. We live in Southern California, and are planning to visit McGill this summer. We were initially planning a July visit, due to some other commitments, but when I spoke with someone at McGill recently to book a tour, she mentioned that the campus will be fairly quiet in July. She said that if we were able to schedule our visit for late August, we would get a better feel for what the campus is like when school is in session. We could reschedule our trip, but not without some difficulty. This will also be my daughter's first college campus tour, and I was hoping others could comment on how important it was in their decision-making to actually visit the campuses they were considering during the actual school year.
Thanks!</p>
<p>College campus tours are great. My McGill tour was kind of half-heartedly put together as well because I came during a weird time, however it reinforced my desire to go there. It was nothing like I expected it to look and feel (the brochure doesn’t do justice). If it is possible, it is nice to go when class is in session, as the school is confined to a small space within the city, and most classes are within 5 minutes of each other, thus it will absolutely give you a feel for what a normal day is like. If this is not possible, a tour without students, as mine was, is also very informative, and may be even better/less overwhelming. It would allow you to take in the grandeur of the ancient campus without being distracted by bustling students.</p>
<p>Either way, definitely go, it sealed the deal in my decision.</p>
<p>I believe that most universities prefer that you visit during the academic year so that the student get a feel for the bustling campus, get a chance to talk to students and to sit in on actual classes. McGill and Montreal are GORGEOUS in July, but as you were told, summer classes are limited and many of the summer students may not be actual McGill students, but rather visiting students. I imagine that class visits may be hard to arrange.</p>
<p>That said, July is incredible in Montreal. There are major festivals all summer long: jazz, comedy etc. You will get a good feel for the city and its people. The McGill campus will be green and lush but relatively laid back compared to what it would be in late August or later. </p>
<p>My first visit to Montreal was in the summer and I fell in love with the city and campus. When McGill made my short list, I returned with my dad in February for another visit. I still loved it despite it being Ferbruary in Montreal! I was from Boston so the extra trip was not a major inconvenience. If changing your summer plans is a problem, I’d say go in July, and if McGill makes your daughter’s short list, plan to revisit in the winter.</p>
<p>edit: Campus offices are usually closed on Fridays during the summer.</p>
<p>Thanks klmnop and Tom - after reading both of your responses, I think we’ll stick with our original plan to visit in July. A second visit in winter is not a bad idea if McGill is on my daughter’s short list by her senior year - -just hope the cold doesn’t scare a thin-blooded California girl away! (Though truth be told, since both my husband and I grew up in colder climates (Toronto and NJ, respectively), we both feel a few years in a place with actual WEATHER is not a bad thing for a young person who has never experienced it, to experience!)</p>
<p>for those of you that can’t visit, here is a good video advertisement for mcgill. a bit corny but the message is true and comes across well. it also offers some pretty good scenes of the city and campus, and covers a lot of questions people have had already or might have.</p>
<p>Part 1: [YouTube</a> - McGill Up Close, Part I (click on Campus Videos below to access Part II)](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSySp1hIq2E]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSySp1hIq2E)
Part 2: [YouTube</a> - McGill Up Close: Part II](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs41LVaskQI&feature=related]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs41LVaskQI&feature=related)</p>
<p>makes me miss it, enjoy!</p>
<p>and in case you had any questions about the city, press play [Traveller</a> | Tourism Montreal](<a href=“http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/MontrealTV]Traveller”>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/MontrealTV)</p>
<p>more cool mcgill images [YouTube</a> - Get Smart (2008) McGill University (Steve Carell - red car) Scene](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWPtEJmbK0k]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWPtEJmbK0k)</p>
<p>Thanks! These are all great :-)</p>
<p>im from southern california as well…</p>
<p>i went to visit in the winter b/c really that is the season you have to see if you can handle back there? If you are 100% always from SoCal never lived on the east coast… well the weather is slightly different…</p>
<p>in any event i would highly recommend visiting in the winter because it gets mega cold and montreal is kind of a weird city in the winter (they dont sand sidewalks etc… so walking gets kind of tough… its almost easier to walk with ice skates).</p>
<p>[McGill</a> University - Videos, Photos, and Visit Reports](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vibe/mcgill-university/]McGill”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/vibe/mcgill-university/)</p>
<p>You might get some good tips in this section. And please post a report after you do visit.</p>
<p>I wonder if visiting in the winter might not scare some students away when in reality, with time, they would adjust to the weather. I had a roommate from San Diego in Boston - she could not believe that her face actually hurt! Being from the northeast, it was something that had not occurred to me - you just accept this sensation on your skin (and cover up as best you can) after a period of adjustment.</p>
<p>weather is weather. as ive said before its not siberia, nor is it LA. if you absolutely cannot stand the cold, don’t go to mcgill, or anywhere in the northeast/midwest/mid atlantic. if you are unsure, have a visit duirng the winter. the campus is beautiful with snow and the city is just as lively as ever. unless you are an agriculture student or a tropical species biologist, the weather should not be a major facotr in your decision of mcgill (by the way the agricultural campus is beautiful as well). there are hundreds if not thousands of kids who go to mcgill without ever experiencing snow beforehand, and they learn to love and embrace it. think of it as just another new experience in 4 years full of them. the cool thing about going to school in the northeast is that during the year you will go to school in sandals and shorts on one day, a sweater and pants on another day, and a thick winter jacket and boots on another day. keep an open mind, be prepared, and enjoy.</p>
<p>Well said, everyone. We will definitely plan on a second visit during the winter, but don’t want to make the weather a deciding factor for our daughter in her choice. She doesn’t seem concerned about the cold, and is excited about living in a more cosmopolitan city. Additionally, her Dad and I feel, having grown up back east ourselves, that a few years in a place with real weather is probably a good thing for our native SoCal kid. She will definitely learn, firsthand, what it’s like to live somewhere where you can’t wear shorts and flip flops 3/4 of the year, and when she gets to the point in her life where she is evaluating possible job opportunities that would mean relocating to other parts of the country, she will have some real lilfe experience to aid in making those decisions. </p>
<p>And we will definitely post after our visit! </p>
<p>PS Ambush – are you attending McGill now? Or hoping to attend this fall? If the latter, I wish you good luck!!</p>
<p>i’ve wanted to go to mcgill since i was 12 because i would be the 11th from my family to attend (that said, legacy doesn’t count) so familial pressure was really what was driving my ambition. this past fall i went to the open house and after already having seen five other schools, i knew mcgill was the place for me. the raw energy and enthusiasm that the teachers and students have at mcgill is something that seems so rare in comparison to what i saw elsewhere. they really love their school and when i got accepted just a few weeks ago i cried knowing i too would have a similar experience as the students i saw at the open house who adored their school. the open house is in october or november…i strongly suggest going up for it, it is well worth it.</p>
<p>In case you can’t make it to Montreal for a winter visit.</p>
<p>Winter beauty:
[Winter</a> scene on Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/mr_quan_nguyen/2131310906/]Winter”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/mr_quan_nguyen/2131310906/)
[Winter</a> day, early afternoon on Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/mr_quan_nguyen/368500497/]Winter”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/mr_quan_nguyen/368500497/)
[McGill</a> University on Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/maloneyurbanadventures/3248795043/]McGill”>McGill University | David Maloney | Flickr)
[The</a> Angel on Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/louismusacchio/2556919701/]The”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/louismusacchio/2556919701/)
[on</a> Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/hwtstudio/3241001891/]on”>Untitled | Heng Wee | Flickr)
[Day</a> on Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/mr_quan_nguyen/2342434707/]Day”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/mr_quan_nguyen/2342434707/)
[Already</a>? on Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/mlledonna/2450497959/]Already”>Already? | Donna Peng | Flickr)</p>
<p>occasionally i’ll explore flickr and choose a mcgill/montreal scene as my desktop wallpaper
enjoy the photos everyone and try to go for a visit</p>
<p>Well, better late than never, I wanted to post a quick follow up about our campus visit to McGill this summer! We stayed right across the street from the campus at the Omni – loved the hotel, loved the location. We took the offiicial campus tour our first day – we, and more importantly our daughter, were very impressed! We then spent the next couple of days touring Montreal – rented bikes and road along the Lachine Canal, went to the Old Port, scoured some vintage/thrift stores, and of course, ate some wonderful meals! We then returned another day for a second tour of the residence halls – Douglas Hall, Royal Victoria, New Rez and Molson Hall. My daughter fell in love with Charlie, who gave us the tour of Molson Hall - he is quite a character! We finished up at the Student Store and bought a McGill sweatshirt :-)</p>
<p>As for the English/French situation, my husband does speak French, so he tended to speak French first every place we went and people then answered in kind – unnerved my daughter initially since she was not hearing as much English as she expected to off-campus. But once I ‘gently’ reminded my husband that it might be good for our daughter to see that you could navigate Montreal quite easily speaking only English, he cut back a bit on the French, and all was fine :-)</p>
<p>We then continued on to Quebec City for a few days and love it as well!</p>
<p>Thanks again to everyone for their help in planning our trip.</p>