<p>Help guys! Having a hard time deciding between JHU and McGill! I've narrowed it down from about 6 other unis including the UK and am conflicted between the two :(</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins
Pros
- Greater prestige and recognition
- Smaller student body
- More resources and connections + research opportunities?</p>
<p>Cons
- More stressful/competitive environment
- Is Baltimore a safe place to be? (heard of cases just around the campus)
- Costs around 60k USD per year</p>
<p>McGill
Pros
- Montreal city!
- Love the blend of European culture and also being in a bilingual city (took Ab Initio French in IB, so hoping to not let it rot)
- Costs about a half of Johns Hopkins</p>
<p>Cons
- Less insurance about future opportunities (just the impression I get)
- Still haven't gotten a decision about my application to the faculty of science (but I've been admitted into the faculty of arts and science where I'd be able to pursue the cognitive science route and still take some neuroscience courses though not as intensive as in the science faculty)</p>
<p>I may be wrong about some of my above information so please do correct me! Both are renowned for research in the field of neuroscience and I like the interdisciplinary idea and courses that are offered to me in both schools - although not being admitted into the faculty of science at McGill narrows down my choices which is annoying.</p>
<p>I'm looking for one that could help my chances of going on to grad school in the US (which I assume JHU would better prepare me for) but would the cost be worth it? Plus at the same time I want to have different living experiences around the world (I'm from Malaysia btw), so if I would be going to the US for grad school anyway I might as well experience Canada, and Montreal is definitely a more exciting place to be compared to Baltimore IMO.</p>
<p>I'm really conflicted and the deadline is fast approaching! Any advice would be greatly appreciated! :D :)>- </p>
<p>JHU without a doubt. Far more career opportunities with an American degree as opposed to a Canadian one. Grad schools will prefer to have seen JHU imo. But if money’s the concern go McGill. Baltimore is also a very cultured city. If you can visit both to see which you prefer 
best of luck </p>
<p>The “prestige” that McGill holds in the US is very high, so if you can survive (it’s as tough as JHU academically even if it’s less “competitive”) then you won’t have any trouble with grad school. However, remember that ultimately it’s what YOU do in college. Choose the college where you think you’ll be able to perform best.
Another issue is cost: if your family can pay 60k comfortably then you can flip a coin, but if costs are a concern, then JHU is unaffordable, in particular if a lot of that money would be debt (loans). There won’t be a difference between both wrt grad schools. I’d say a more personalized environment and better research opportunities at JHU, but a more stressful environment. How would you pay for JHU? Out of pocket or loans?
It really sounds like you want McGill more than JHU anyway and since it’s cheaper, then there’s no reason to hold you back.</p>
<p>McGill is not as inexpensive as you seem to think. Your tuition and fees would be $35K. Residence and meal plan would add another $13K to $18K on top of that. So, total would be $48K to 53K. Montreal will be a more expensive city to live in too. </p>
<p>Go for JHU if money is not your concern. Both places will be academically challenging. </p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys! :)</p>
<p>@MYOS1634 My parents are willing to pay for my undergraduate degree, including for JHU, but I wouldn’t say that they’re paying it ‘comfortably’.</p>
<p>@bouders If I choose the Bachelor of Arts and Science degree (which I’ve currently been admitted into) then the tuition fees would only be about $18k CAD plus the exchange rate from CAD to Malaysian Ringgit is lower than from USD to MYR.</p>
<p>This actually brings up another concern about McGill is the lack of lab experience and science components if I were to enter into the BASc, and it would be significantly hard to transfer into the faculty of life sciences as I’ve been told by a McGill representative. In JHU though, switching majors would be no problem at all.</p>
<p>I’m a Singaporean at McGill here. I’d say that you can probably find undergraduate research opportunies here if you get good grades and talk to professors etc. and that it probably isn’t worth straining your parents’ finances for a degree at JHU. (Even though I do think that you might have a better time at JHU!) After first year, you can get an apartment near McGill for $600/month and you can save on expenses by getting groceries at PA or chinatown.</p>
<p>@stargirl1711 are the professors at McGill easily approachable and how willing are they to help an undergraduate out would you say? As I understand, classes at McGill would be quite big and less personal. What are you majoring in btw? :)</p>
<p>You don’t go to McGill for personable, approachable professors. I mean, they’re not hostile, but their job isn’t to help undergraduates. They may have only 1 hour of office hour for all their classes and delegate office hours to TAs. Their job is to lecture clearly so that you can take good notes, then ask question during sections.</p>