Help choosing between UCLA and McGill 6 hours!!!

College Search & Selection
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Hey there guys! I got admitted to both of these schools for economics and need help choosing. Obviously, they’re complete opposites climate-wise, but that’s just one consideration. Here’s what I’ve thought about so far:

-cost wise they are not completely apart, although McGill would be around $12,000/year cheaper
-I’m from NY so while SoCal is beautiful and would be really nice climate wise, Montreal 's winter wouldn’t come as a shock
-I’ve been able to visit UCLA and overall the campus is nice and the students are very approachable and friendly
-I think I like the housing situation at McGill more. I stayed with a friend at UCLA and there’s not much going on between floormates whereas after reading about McGill, there seems to be a much stronger sense of camaraderie in the freshman dorm rezs on the hill
-Academics at both places, especially for my program seem comparable
-McGill is a lot more urban while UCLA is on the edges of LA/less integrated with the city, and I think I vibe with the former more. Plus I’d really like to live in a bilingual/francophone city like Montreal.
-Something I’ve noticed at UCLA is staying with my friend there seems to be more of a cliquey vibe among his friend group which reminisces of high school, not something I want to deal with. However as I’ve approached various people on campus skateboarding, playing piano, whatnot and asked to just join in and talk about school here, they seem a lot more chill and open.
-Overall UCLA seems like a good school and is a known quantity at this point whereas I feel a slightly stronger pull to McGill but haven’t had the chance to visit and see how student life is there

My parents aren’t closed to the idea of double depositing to give me a chance to
What have your guys’ experiences, if any, been with these two schools? Would you say my observations are more or less accurate, or have I just seen the wrong side of things? Are students at McGill happy as well or just depressed (lol)? Any advice to help me decide?

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Actually, at UCLA you didn’t. Read your admission letter carefully or look on the UCLA website. You are only admitted into many popular majors such as Econ (or Psych, Comm Studies, etc) after completing a set of prerequisite classes with a specified gpa once you are a UCLA student.

But put that aside as well as your other concerns. As a CA taxpayer I am 100% sure that UCLA is your best choice! I’m hoping to raise $1 million for UCLA this year and time is running out. I just need 10 OOS students to commit to the school; their OOS tuition will help fund the school for our CA students. I hope you’ll help out for my 2019 campaign!!

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We were looking at UCs for D16 and visited UCB and I’ve been in the UCLA area in the past. D16 and I didn’t see any advantage to paying thousands more for a UC vs a top Canadian school. Certainly, that would be different if we were paying in state tuition for a UC. Since you seem to like McGill better and it is cheaper, I’d go with McGill.

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For Arts at McGill international tuition is about US$16,000/year. OOS tuition at UCLA is about $42,000/year. Did you get financial aid at UCLA which is virtually impossible for an OOS student?

Montreal is an amazing experience for an American student but you must be an independent self starter.

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@mikemac , I realize these could be real or fabricated scenarios, but let’s just present as though it were real because we just don’t know for sure.

Yes, @basil775, you’ve been admitted to the Pre-Econ major. You’ll have to maintain a 2.5 in the prereqs to be admitted to the major. Really tough I realize….

You’d be about 4-5 times closer to your home if you attend McGill as compared to if you were to decide on UCLA. Perhaps this would be more comforting to you.

You stop just short of elaborating on whether the extra $12k/year is amenable to your parents, even if they’re willing to forward a double deposit. Never been a big fan of this – I don’t know if a Letter of Continued Interest would apply. But if the tuition involves leveraging, fugget about it. (In my best NY accent.)

UCLA is indeed on the peripheries of LA city proper, but there are wall-to-wall communities surrounding it, so it’d be tough to determine when you’d be outside of LA and when you’d still be in it. It works to the University’s advantage that it isn’t immersed in downtown in The City’s heart, because the smog via the inversion layer doesn’t quite affect the campus as badly, being closer to the shore. As Siri would say, from campus to beach would be “seven miles as the bird flies.” (Or maybe it’s five, though driving down Wilshire will take you about eight or nine.)

Therefore, the person who referenced LA’s horrendous smog in a prior decision between another university and UCLA didn’t quite comprehend that the University is immune to a lot noxious air that can indeed cancel a lot school activities. The Woolsey fire did indeed accomplish this, and they were pretty close to campus.

So don’t look to get out of class, unless a water main breaks, in which you can go surfing down Bruin Walk.

However, It sounds like you would really love to practice your French and live in a dual-language city, so if that’s the case, best of luck at McGill.

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Dunno why anyone would pay UC’s OOS fees for a basic major like Econ.

The only possible downside with a Canadian Uni is if the OP might be interested in law school down the road. From what I’ve read on the web, CA colleges tend towards a C/C+ curve, so A’s are a lot more limited than what is typical at a top private in the US. Since law school is 95% GPA+LSAT, a lower GPA at a Canadian college can be a disadvantage.

Why not a SUNY and save a whole bunch of money?

1 Like
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If OP had said Rhetoric at Cal, would have stated your first sentence differently? :slight_smile: I don’t think anyone would say differently if, again, leverage or divesting from parents’ retirement were involved.

And to the contrary, Economics is a wonderful major at UCLA (McGill too undoubtedly). It’s mind-stretching; good for doubling up with another major, even life sciences with premed track; its theoretical basis would make finance (edit elide “look”) easy. It’s just a good solid major which will keep a student’s options open.

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That’s exactly my point. Econ is wonderful at dozens and dozens of colleges, including SUNY’s. No need to pay OOS rates just for an Econ degree.

OTOH, my recommendation might be different if the OP was interested in a specialized major, such UCLA’s Theater/Film program.

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Yes, UCLA gives money to OOS students. Looks like the OP was one of the lucky ones who got it.

It appears that you prefer McGill, so go on ahead go with it. Congratulations on having this choice.

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@TomSrOfBoston So I’ve heard that the support from administration isn’t the best when it comes to career advising, but like for someone that thinks they are more or less capable of taking initiative on that front, should it be at a level where it’s manageable? Also is there support among students/friends at McGill that fills the vacuum on a more mental health type level?

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As an Arts student career services comes under CaPS:
https://www.mcgill.ca/caps/
I am not familiar with UCLA career services. Focus on career planning at McGill is not as intense as at say Northeastern University but the resources are there. What type of career are you contemplating?

As for social aspects my son lived in Rez first year and that formed the core of his friendships. McGill sponsors many orientation activities the most well know is Frosh. As at any large university there is such a diverse group of students that most everyone finds their “crowd”.

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@basil775 . . . Hope you weren’t offended by my infusion of levity concerning a very important decision for you. Congrats on McGill; it sounds like the perfect place for you.

A Correction on one of my earlier posts, besides my grammatical faux pas, per Siri: “Nine miles by car or six miles as the crow flies [to the beautiful green Pacific from UCLA].” Edit: It’s actually closer to ~ 5.25 mi.