Hey everyone,
I was just recently admitted to McGill University and I’m still very excited about that, however, in the few days after my acceptance I have been doing more in depth study on the university and I was hoping someone (preferably a graduate or current student) could clarify a few questions that I have.
It seems that everywhere I check says the same thing about the schools workload being incredibly difficult. This is fine and what I would expect out of a top university, but does it completely jeopardize a social life? Because yes I will work very very hard, but I would also rather not die and as some direct quotes that I have seen are "this school will kill you" it's a bit worrisome. So don't get mad at me or anything, I'm 100% ready to work very hard, I'm just curious as to how you guys balance the life there?
Grade "deflation", or as I have seen others say, "no grade inflation" seems to be a reoccurring trend in every thread on every blog ever posted about McGill. GPA isn't a huge concern of mine, I'd rather go entirely for the knowledge that a university has to offer, however GPA does have its role for grad school acceptance and that's another worry of mine. I'll try my best at the school, but from what I've heard it's extremely hard to have a 3.7 and anything higher... What is your experience with a grad schools and a lower McGill GPA (3.2-3.4) seems to be normal? Is there a chance that grad schools will acknowledge that McGill has a tough grading system or maybe is all of what I have read just jargon posted by upset students and you just have to work hard?
McGill vs. Concordia?
I'm currently a second semester senior in the IB program.. For anyone that went to McGill after IB, how do they match up (in workload, transfer credits, anything else!) ??
Thanks so much for reading this, excuse my possible ignorance… I have done a decent amount of research, but still very curious, and what I have read online about the school seems very daunting, but also amazing. (Still my number one pick) These answers will be incredibly helpful!
1- The workload at McGill is heavy. As a public university admission standards are not as high as at a comparable private American university. Those who complain about the workload are mostly students who just made the admissions cut and they are upset that they cannot coast by like hey did in high school. McGill requires you to mature quickly and be a self starter. There will be no one nudging you to do the work.
(Getting a 3.7 or higher is difficult at all top schools.)
2- There are no easy A’s at McGill. Grades are often on a curve. If you are in the top 25% of admitted students then you will likely be in the top 25% of the course grade curve. I was admitted for an MBA at INSEAD. A friend, also from Massachusetts, was admitted to UMass, BU and Tufts medical schools with a 3.4 GPA from McGill, although he had a very high MCAT score.
3- McGill vs. Concordia?
Think UCLA vs. Cal State, Los Angeles; Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan; Cornell vs. SUNY Geneseo etc.
McGill has a stellar reputation worldwide. I would definitely say it is worth the additional work, it will open doors for grad or professional school after you are done. Besides, Montreal is a fabulous city to live in, great people, food, entertainment, and culture but still familiar. Fortunately the city is still reasonably priced.
Concordia is a fine school but not in the same league, and it is further away from downtown, plus has lots of commuters.
Workload is definitely a lot but not unmanageable. During finals you probably won’t be at any parties, but many people go out on the average weekend during the semester. Just because we have a lot of work, doesn’'t mean there’s so much that everyone is doing it on friday nights. No one really coasts through classes, but high GPA’s are possible, though not super common. A lot of people (especially Americans) underestimate how difficult it will be, but once you understand that it’s not the end of the world to get below an A- (which is a 80%- check out the GPA scale, it’s different) and adjust your study habits accordingly, you will be alright.
Honestly grade deflation doesn't concern me too much. Yes, classes are hard, but I find that, in my personal experience, you get what you earn (though I'm not in engineering, where I hear the curves can be brutal.) Graduate schools understand that some universities are harder than others.
There's not even a debate. If you got into McGill, got to McGill over Concordia, unless the artsy scene is really important to you or something (though you can find that at McGill as well).
I did AP, not IB, and the transfer credit thing worked out fine. Some of my friends did IB and they seem to have the same preparedness as most other people. It varies more by person than IB vs non-IB.