<p>I live in the US but have Canadian citizenship so McGill is about a third of the cost of JHU/ND (I didn't get any financial aid). I am interested in majoring in either economics or political science and then going on to grad school. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>McGill is well respected (maybe the best in Canada) but it is very large and impersonal–more comparable to a large flagship public university in the US. A small university like Hopkins would be a very different experience. Is it worth it? It depends. If you have to borrow the difference, I’d say probably not. But if your parents can afford it and are willing to pay for your education, I’d say go for it.</p>
<p>any other thoughts?</p>
<p>Bonanza put it perfectly. To add a bit: do you want to live in Montreal, a truly unique multicultural, bilingual city where you will live in the city and can wander most anywhere without worry about your safety. Or do you want to live in Baltimore where you will spend most of your time on a beautiful campus in the middle of a very high crime city?</p>
<p>What I am saying is that Montreal is a major part of a McGill education; Baltimore is largely irrelevant to a Hopkins education.</p>
<p>My daughter’s boyfriend is a student at McGill. </p>
<p>He loves the Montreal location, loves the city, and has become very familiar with it.</p>
<p>He does not love the advising (or lack thereof) at McGill or the lack of interest the professors show in undergraduates. Some act completely surprised that a student wants to meet with them and ask a couple of questions about the course material. He thinks the focus is overwhelmingly on graduate students.</p>
<p>Definitely mixed reviews.</p>
<p>I both agree and disagree with TomSr’s comments. He is correct that, for some students, Baltimore is largely irrelevant to their Hopkins’ education. Some students rarely leave the campus area either because they are too preoccupied with their studies and campus activities or, in some cases, because they are fearful of the city. That, IMHO, is a minority of students and I think they are shortchanging themselves. Despite its problems (which, BTW, are not that much different from Philadelphia, DC, and a host of other cities), there are absolutely wonderful areas of Baltimore and a plethora of great things to see and do–often at low or no cost (e.g., the two major art musuems are free—other than the Smithsonian, where else does that exist?). It is a quirky, funky, unpretentious sort of place. The students who do venture out (which are the majority I believe) and who exercise good judgment (clearly there are places you should not go and you shouldn’t be out alone in the middle of the night anywhere outside of the campus’ protected area) have a much enriched experience. Most of those grow to like if not love Baltimore. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if TomSr’s point was to say that Montreal is a vastly better city than Baltimore–its hard to disagree with that. Montreal has a European feel that doesn’t exist in any American city. But if you don’t speak French, you can get by but will be at a decided disadvantage.</p>
<p>There is a huge difference in cost between McGill and the other two. Since you have received no aid from either JHU or ND, your family EFC must be pretty high. Can your parents cover the full cost of one of those two, or do they expect you to have some skin in the game either with student loans or by working during your summers and/or the school year? Until you sit down with your parents and have a real heart-to-heart about the money question, you won’t know whether JHU or ND are even real options for you.</p>
<p>My parents are able and willing to pay for my tuition. However, if I were to attend McGill, they would also be willing to help me out with grad school.</p>
<p>Law, Med, MBA, or Masters in Public Administration or the like you would almost certainly have to pay for yourself. If one of those is your goal, then saving money now makes sense. If you are considering a Ph.D. in another subject area, the simple truth is that if you aren’t good enough to be offered full funding by the graduate school it is because the department doesn’t think you are good enough to get a job in that field after you finish the Ph.D.</p>
<p>Can you visit McGill so that you have a better idea about what you might be choosing if you decide to go there?</p>
<p>Since your parents are able and willing to pay full-freight, you could try McGill for a year or two. and then transfer out if you really are unhappy. Considering that you have been admitted to JHU and ND this time around, you probably would have the grades, etc. needed for a successful transfer in the future.</p>
<p>McGill is much more European (think LSE, Sorbonne) than American in feel. Big classes. Less personal attention. No hand holding. Off campus housing dominates. Montreal is as much your campus as McGill. </p>
<p>But quality of programs and faculty are great. You’ve got to be a pretty independent type to thrive there. Very different from Hopkins (campus with a bit of city thrown in). Light years removed from Notre Dame which is all about the campus experience.</p>