Hi- I am just about to go into my second year at McGill University and am absolutely hating it. I am from California and the only reason that I attended was because my dad wanted me to go there for the cheap tuition (they wouldn’t pay for any other schools). As dumb as it sounds, the weather is the number 1 reason that I want to transfer out (I have seasonal depression). However, that is not the only reason, I am far from home, haven’t found a solid friend group (though I was a very social, popular person in high school), I don’t love the city of montreal (people there are quite rude), I am far from all of my high school friends, the University is extremely hard, and it is impossible to speak to an academic advisor as they are always busy. I also just want that quintessential American college experience that McGill doesn’t offer. My dream would be to transfer to University of Southern California, however I emailed the transfer advisor and he said that the average GPA for transfer is a 3.6, however most of these transfers attended easy community colleges! McGill is extremely hard and I had a cumulative GPA of 3.21. I’m not really sure what to do, but would really appreciate some advice! Is there anyone out there who has transferred out of McGill to an American school or into USC from a non community college? Would really appreciate some help.
To clarify, your parents are suddenly willing to pay for USC?
No, however I am willing to take out student loans in order to be happy at school
You cannot afford USC because no one will loan a student $72K per year.
You can only take out $6500 per year on your own.
Transfer to a California community college.
Since you are at the only school your parents would pay for, the first step is to figure out if there is another school they would pay for or not.
I’m guessing you’re in McGill because you applied to expensive schools the first time around. Where do you qualify for in-state tuition?
Like McGill but totally understand your situation. Grades are not easy to come by there which unfortunately limits your options (i.e., places like USC, UC’s and even top CSU’s will be a tough transfer). You may have to consider coming back to community college to get your GPA up and then make the move to USC or a UC/CSU. If you have some AP credit combined with your McGill credits this should just be a 1 year move. Otherwise consider some less selective CA privates or publics but not sure if your parents will pay the costs for private - would they really pay for USC after taking the McGill route?? If so try USD, SC, etc.
I have a D18 and we visited McGill in July. Great academics, pretty campus, but my daughter and I both agreed that very different than US school experience. I also have a close friend who’s son just graduated who felt like you do - he stuck it out and has a great job now but also wanted to return to his state u. Anyways, explore all your options and if you do stay make the most of it as it is a unique learning experience that most US kids don’t have.
Apply for transfer anyway despite the GPA. Talk with admissions along the way and make a case for the GPA. Everyone knows McGill is competitive and challenging so your stats should hold up for transfer. It sounds like you are there for this semester? If so, just keep the grades up and work on your transfer.
It is unfortunate that your father forced you to go to a school you did not want to attend.
Your complaints are:
1-Weather: cold and snowy winters. Well, that’s Montreal.
2-McGill is hard. Very demanding academics that surprise some due to lower admission standards compared to American peer schools. There is no grade inflation.
3-Montrealers are rude. No they are not.
4-Inability to find a circle of friends. That is your fault. Your negative attitude about your situation likely turns others off.
5-Lack of the "quintessential American college experience ". That is obvious and McGill does not pretend to offer that.
6-Inability to speak to an academic advisor. You need to be proactive and follow the published information.
I listed the above for the benefit of others who may be considering McGill. It is not for everyone but it can be a great experience for the right student.
This is a quote from an American student review in Niche:
I second Tom Sr.'s points, as someone who just visited McGill, and has more than a passing acquaintance with the city. It is not for everyone, but what place is?
I know a few people who attended McGill. Most of them loved it. To reply to a few points that OP made:
- Weather: It is Montreal. It is clearly very different weather than California (and I have lived in both places). Personally I prefer having seasons, but I can see that anything in the North would take some getting used to for a person from California. You need good boots and a good coat.
- Academics: McGill is hard. The people that I know who loved McGill said that McGill is hard. They also said that they learned a LOT. The people that I have heard say that they hated McGill said that McGill is hard (I don't personally know anyone in this category). A's are hard to come by. The good news is that if you do well there then employers and graduate school admissions will know how difficult it was to have done well there.
- Montrealers are rude: I have heard this from some other people who speak no French at all. In my experience if you speak French even quite badly Montrealers become significantly less rude. I have seen folks from Montreal be very helpful and very welcoming. I have gotten very good service in stores and restaurants and met many very kind people. In my experience if you go in anywhere and ask a question in French they will immediately switch to English and be very helpful. I do understand that the "switch to English" part is a hint of my ability in French.
- Inability to find friends: This could happen anywhere. You need to get out and find friends. There is a LOT to do in Montreal and a LOT to do at McGill, but you have to do something and you need to be positive.
Regarding transferring and cost: If you are still legally a resident of California, then the California public universities will still be just as affordable as McGill. Admissions there probably does know how hard McGill is and thus IMHO it is probably worth at least trying to transfer (although it is way too late for this fall). Most other universities in Canada will be easier than McGill (Toronto being the obvious exception), and most will also be less expensive than McGill for an international student (assuming that you are not a Canadian or dual citizen). The extreme west coast of Canada (such as U.of Victoria, Simon Fraser, and UBC) will have weather that is a bit less of a shock for a California native. There are a lot of very good California public universities and a lot of other very good universities in Canada.
I do understand that a 3.21 at McGill is almost certainly significantly more difficult to pull off than a 3.6 at a community college in California. Sadly, I would be surprised if admissions at USC would fully appreciate this fact.
I would add that UBC is also a grind for students. UVic, SFU, less so.
You said your parents “wouldn’t pay for any other schools.” Before you consider transferring, you need to tell them how you feel and ask if they are willing to pay for another university. If they are NOT, which is their right, then be very thankful they are paying for McGill and make the best of it. McGill is one of the top-rated universities in the world. Not many students have their education entirely paid for, or get to attend such a high-ranking university, or live in such a beautiful city with so much to do.
Even if you had gone to a “quintessential” American university, possibly in the middle of nowhere, you still might have had difficult classes or challenges making friends. There are tons of students at quintessential American universities who complain about these same things. Work on those issues same as you would at an American university – get help with your classes, and make more efforts to find and connect with other students who share similar interests.
I suggest staying at McGill and looking into every exchange program possible. If you can get away from there for a year or every other semester to a sunny location, then the remaining time in Montreal might be more tolerable for you.
Sorry that McGill was chosen for you, instead of the other way around. My son found his way to McGill on his own, and has just started there as a Year-1 student for the fall of 2017. He is ecstatic to be in Montreal at long last. How wonderful to hear him say, “Outside of Harvard, I can’t think of any other school I’d rather be than at McGill!” I expect that his positive attitude will make a big difference in his experience there. Thank goodness, he found the right fit for him.
My Daughter attends McGill. Shes in her final year. If you do end up toughing it out, I would highly recommend looking into joining a sorority or fraternity. The Greek scene is not huge there but it does exist and My daughter was not the sorority type (her words), but joined as a way to expand her social circle. It’s not the only option but it made a world of difference for her.
I didn’t find Montrealers to be rude at all either on numerous visits. And my daughter loves the city. But it is cold and the winters are long. It has been frustrating dealing with the bureaucracy within mcgill so we have seen some of what you refer to. However, the experience has been so overwhelmingly positive that it seems like nit-picking
I concur with @froggalicous. My son is a U0 this Fall and just said to me “McGill is the best decision I’ve ever made”. He loves his dorm (in Upper Rez)…social but he is able to close his door to his room and have privacy when he needs it. He has a lot of work…it is definitely a challenging school academically…and he came from a killer public high school (4-6 hours of homework per night). He adores Montreal…but he is definitely a kid that loves cities. That said, McGill is definitely not for everyone.
If you have your heart set on USC, then you need to work with admissions and figure out what they need to see from you. Admissions loves when kids take control and advocate for themselves…especially from transfers. Best of luck!