<p>I'm a Canadian student who is going to stay in Canada to study, and I still have a few weeks to decide where I want to go next year. I know some of you might not know about the schools/etc but I am just looking for advice from a different perspective, as my friends and people my age seem to be all over the place with their advice (omg go here so we can plan a shopping trip together!). </p>
<p>Option A: University of British Colombia
-won a merit-based entrance scholarship for $10,500 (I could still go to school without it, but the recognition is always a good thing)... I wouldn't have to touch my RESP until second year due to a few other minor scholarships from my high school and province
-gorgeous campus, rainy weather but generally warm
-closer to home (home is the next province over)
-amazing exchange and internship program, as well as co-op for my intended major
-amazing first year programmes, but this would mean not taking my IB english credit (I would still probably take my HL chem and HL history credit, but I'd have to take 1st year econ and poli because I haven't taken those at the IB level. This is okay with me because the reading list for "Arts One" looks amazing and the first year programmes have really small classes... 4 person tutorials with a prof and TA, and 100 person lectures, which is great compared to the 300+ scenario that seems to be first year at other places)
-good extracurriculars
-young, fresh vibe, good community because of a more "isolated" campus (20 min bus from downtown Vancouver) and starting to get a lot more attention for research, etc.
-new library
-2010 Olympics, thus more $$ being pumped into city infrastructure + etc, also a good opportunity to work/volunteer (and party)
-only 50 people allowed into the International Relations major, which is what I intend to go into (that or Poli Sci), so it is fairly prestigious
-smaller MUN team
-smaller music school, therefore easier to get into ensembles as a non-music major (which I want to do)
-more opportunity to play club field hockey (their school team is one of the best in Canada and I would never make it because they all play on the national team... but BC has the largest number of clubs in Canada)
-oh, and my friend tells me they have a particle accelerator, which is probably only cool because I'm in IB (teehee)</p>
<p>Option B: McGill
-no scholarship :(
-apparantly the campus life is a bit lacking because it is downtown, but downtown Montreal can't be that bad
-could work on my french (I've been in immersion since the age of 5)
-really freaking cold (but hey, I like boots)
-brand new Arts internship program (I asked and they make you design your own internship... that scares me a bit)
-no co-op for my program
-would definetly take IB credit here (could graduate faster... which I honestly don't care about... I genuinely enjoy school)
-HUGE poli sci/international relations faculties... more course variety? (and a sweet MUN team, but I could still go to McMUN, which is their annual conference, with the UBC team... hmmm...)
-international reputation and prestige, steeped in tradition (older feel)
-further away from home
-very prestigious music programme, it would be tough to get into an ensemble
-McGill/Montreal + field hockey = almost non-existant</p>
<p>I have friends going to both schools. My boyfriend of four years is still waiting to hear from the faculty he wants into at McGill (architechture), and he's also considering UBC and Dalhousie (accepted to both... Arts at UBC and Architechture at Dal... Arch at UBC is only offered after 1st year). </p>
<p>Some days I want to go to UBC, some days I want to go to McGill. Originally I thought I wanted to go to McGill because of their MUN club (I have been to 3 high school level conferences there), but it lost some of its appeal after I didn't get any recognition from them whatsoever after a ton of hard work in IB (predicted 43 with a 95% avg) and a lot of great ec's (Mayor's Youth Council, music, sports, MUN, etc). I know McGill has a crappy scholarship programme, and I think the Quebec gov't hates them because they're anglophone and thus doesn't give them enough money. </p>
<p>My mom isn't really helping me decide either... she says she has to "take a look at the programs" they offer and then talk to me, and she has done neither (it's been about a month since she started saying that). I think she might be afraid of the whole experience because I am the oldest kid in my family (and the only girl... I have one little brother) and she is really worried about me going away. We've talked about it a few times and mostly just agreed to think about it some more. </p>
<p>Any opinions on which would be a better choice? They both sound amazing and it's driving me CRAZY!</p>