<p>So I have to make a decision between Tufts and McGill. Ultimately it may be a simple question of which cost less, probably McGill, but I would like to hear how other people would compare the two. As a point of reference I want to major in Political Science with a focus on the Middle East. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each in terms of academics, social environment, placement into Graduate/Law school, general quality of experience? Thanks for reading this. I look forward to your responses.</p>
<p>Tufts! an amazing school. i’m so jealous, i wish i hadn’t gotten rejected. good luck :)</p>
<p>Thanks MORGS123 my condolences. Does that mean you would pick Tufts? What would the deciding factor be for you?</p>
<p>I like McGill. Kind of like the Canadian Harvard, eh?</p>
<p>grad placement is almost identical. Quality of education is better at Tufts, at least for undergrad. Social life is better at McGill. Depends on your priorities. Also, you’ll get a higher GPA at Tufts. Not because Tufts is easier, but because the classes are smaller and they really hold your hand compared to McGill.</p>
<p>wutangfinancial,</p>
<p>Thank you for the clean cut and honest points. Could you expand upon them a little? Also I know you are current student at McGill, what do you like and dislike about the school? Are you glad you went there? Any regrets?</p>
<p>I’m also deciding between these two! If it weren’t for the cost, I’d go with Tufts in a heart beat but McGill is such a great deal.</p>
<p>McGill is just way too big for me so I’ll be choosing either Tufts or Wellesley.</p>
<p>I’m debating Cornell or McGill. I’m heavily leaning towards Cornell, even though McGill was my dream school for the past 3 years, it just all hinges on the financial aid. If they’re comparable, it’ll be Cornell, but if McGill is substantially cheaper, then that’s what it’ll be.</p>
<p>@ZFanatic
It appears no matter where you go, I’ll be there. I’m definitely going to McGill for my first year but I was GT’d by Cornell, and my parents would really like me to transfer.</p>
<p>@OP
Sorry for hijacking your thread. Honestly, I’d go to McGill, but I’m not due to endearment - I’m just not particularly fond of Tufts.</p>
<p>well, Tufts is smaller and more personalized (yet not too small). It has some absolutely amazing programs (you can apply to their medical school your sophomore year etc) and its truly a liberal arts education. Also, it has a very high academic reputation! That one always comes in hand (more people would know tufts by name over mcgill). and boston is absolutely amazing, but then again so is montreal.
i met a lot of the students there and they’re so laid back. they’re not the intellectual aristocrats i met at harvard, yet they’re so intelligent! and each in their own way. Tufts students are very out-of-the-box thinkers.
personally, i just loved tufts. it has a great community feel. I’m actually thinking about appealing, but i don’t think i’ll have much of a chance. the dowside compared to mcgill, though, is the price tag!</p>
<p>unless you are getting into the Cornell area of the rankings, I would choose Mcgill( aside from U of T and Queens, in Canada of course, depending on program).</p>
<p>I would go for Tufts. International reputation for both universities is great, but Tufts has the edge.
If I were you , definitely Tufts.</p>
<p>I am sure the OP would have already made the decision since the deadline was 1st May. </p>
<p>I chose Tufts over McGill too. Simply because the quality of education and the people I am surrounded by at Tufts is better than that at McGill. But still, McGill is a great school</p>
<p>i am faced with the same choice! o<em>0. so. bump =)
any further advice?
i plan to major in IR and minor in theatre.
mcgill appears to have neither of those o</em>0 so i’d have to major in poli.sci.
i’m under the impression that while tufts offers a better education, mcgill has a better international recognition. what about the power of alum. networks?
would my placement in grad. schools from mcgill be affected by the grade deflation?</p>
<p>@OP: I am choosing McGill over Tufts, Cornell, London School of Economics and University of St. Andrews</p>
<p>Why?</p>
<p>I can comment on the other schools if someone wants me to, but in terms of Tufts - have you actually visited it? I mean, not just talked to students? It’s not actually in Boston, it’s in Medford in an area that, honestly, is just unattractive. The Tufts campus itself is beautiful, but as soon as you go outside of it, it’s not pretty. I also applied to Tufts intending to do something in IR/polisci/econ. Yes, it has a great reputation, and I felt like I would learn a lot, but talking to people there, my interviewer, people from my high school who have gone there, it’s very clear that Tufts seems like a continuation of an American high school environment. Maybe that’s what you want? The social environment is less than mediocre - I spent a week up there with a friend and it was disappointing. McGill, I feel, is so much more of an adventure. It’s an independent school in a beautiful European-like city. If that’s what you want, go to McGill. Also, the cost difference for me is very great, which you should seriously think about if you want to pursue a graduate education. </p>
<p>If you are bright and passionate about what you want to study, you will be able to succeed in both schools. You should ask yourself where you will happiest in the next 3-4 years. Try not to be pressured by CC or your high school peers. Most people were appalled that I chose McGill over my other schools, but who cares? Don’t forget, in many cases life lessons are learned outside of the classroom, just as much as they are learned inside. I feel the most stimulating (and debt-free!) environment for me will be at McGill.</p>
<p>Great advice tkdkid! I have a huge dilemma myself. I’m having a lot of trouble deciding between Brown and McGill. I’ve done the research and McGill is better internationally for the sciences, which is what i want to major in. It is a hell of a lot cheaper, and it’s in Montreal where i would absolutely love to live for the next 4 years of my life. </p>
<p>BUT…my parents don’t know much about McGill so they don’t respect it, i’ve tried to tell them that it is one of the worlds top universities but they are too into the whole prestige and name recognition of the Ivies and apparently when i graduate i’ll have people begging to employ me??! I don’t know, would i be crazy to not go to Brown. </p>
<p>Anybody?
(sorry Jake, i didn’t want to start a new thread seeing as were all the topic of McGill vs other schools)</p>
<p>@thewarmheart - Is cost an issue for your parents? In other words, will they be able to pay for your education without taking on debt? In my situation I’d have to take on debt at other school because even though Cornell & other schools met my finaid on FAFSA, it’s not always grants. I had a lot of unsubsidized loans in the package. Plus, our EFC as determined by FAFSA was pretty high as it was. My parents make 100-150K and the EFC was 40K, which is ridiculous. </p>
<p>Also are you thinking of graduate school? You can also explain to your parents that if you want to go to grad school, you would rather have them help contribute to that part of your education. I’m very lucky that my parents were very encouraging of my choice. They have agreed to help me pay for grad school so I don’t have to take out loans because I’m paying for undergrad. </p>
<p>I also try to think about it this way (maybe this would help with your parents?): Life is short. You should be happy in the environment you are in, always, because there is no guarantee of the future. I really like this video, made my decision about this and other things in my life even clearer: </p>
<p>[Srikumar</a> Rao: Plug into your hard-wired happiness | Video on TED.com](<a href=“http://www.ted.com/talks/srikumar_rao_plug_into_your_hard_wired_happiness.html]Srikumar”>http://www.ted.com/talks/srikumar_rao_plug_into_your_hard_wired_happiness.html)</p>
<p>Hope this helps. Btw, if your parents can afford Brown, it’s still definitely an excellent choice. There’s a reason it’s so highly regarded in the states. I loved it there when I visited. Very different from Montreal, but I loved the environment (unlike Tufts).</p>
<p>Thank you so much tkdkid. This definately helped, i do plan on attending grad school and both schools will be highly regarded during admissions. I don’t know how my parents will pay for Brown, but the reason i’m so confused is because they are pressuring me into choosing it so they must not mind the price! I do agree with you, Brown is great school, i just don’t know how it compares to McGill in the science department, it seems stronger with humanities/ social sciences. I can’t visit either of the campuses because i live on the other side of the planet, so it makes it harder. I think your right, the main focus is that i plan on going to grad school which is really pricey and in the end makes a huge difference.</p>
<p>Right…thanks again, your input was super helpful :)</p>
<p>If you look at the world rankings, McGill ranks around 18th best in the world, while Brown is around 31st. Just look them up. I don’t think it’s a crazy choice at all.</p>
<p>@PhilKenSebben: That’s what I cannot understand. If McGill ranks higher than some Ivy-s, then why it is much easier to get in to McGill than to those colleges?</p>