Hello! I just got into both McGill Arts/Sci and UofT St. George Arts/Sci and I can’t decide which I prefer.
I’m going into math/compsci and am not expecting any significant aid from either college (I’m from the US). I’m not really considering any other colleges.
From what I’ve heard UofT has the edge in rankings and funding, but McGill is happier and in a better location. Which is better for careers, name recognition, specialized programs, research, etc? Which would you recommend?
Both are fine in terms of quality. I really think that the rankings in this case are based on factors that really will not affect you. Employers would be impressed by a degree from either school. The main thing for you to determine is whether you would rather be in Montreal or Toronto, and the extremely large U of T campus, or the slightly less daunting McGill campus. Both schools are known for their rigour. Some call U of T impersonal, others find it stimulating.
There is plenty to do in either city, though to be honest, you are probably going to be so busy you won’t have much spare time.
2 things do you care about sports? Keep in mind McGill will be paid in US dollars so that may make it cheaper depending on where ether US dollar is at, Montreal is a great city.
@TomSrOfBoston - my bad I assumed it was Texas ( and what they say about assume is true here) I still vote for McGill, nicer city, much more European. I have been to Toronto many times but it lacks the charm of Montreal and I think McGill has a better rep in the US, if that matters to the OP.
In terms of the quality of the education, the reputation, and name recognition I think that both are excellent. I would not worry about small differences in rankings when comparing two excellent and highly ranked schools. McGill might be marginally better known in some parts of the world even though Toronto is slightly higher ranked. Academically both are excellent schools and both are going to be academically very demanding.
“Which is better for careers, name recognition, specialized programs, research, etc?”
Both are excellent.
I think that it comes down to which city you would prefer to live in for four years. Personally I would pick Montreal. However, I can understand some people choosing Toronto.
Montreal is of course a bilingual city in a French province in a bilingual country. Toronto is English speaking and is not all that different from what a large US city might look like if you could clean it up, lower winter temperatures, and reduce the crime rate a bit (Minneapolis might have almost managed all of the above).
McGill is large, but is not as large as U.of Toronto.
Congratulations! This is a difficult decision between two great schools.
I’ll jump on the bandwagon and say it doesn’t matter which school you get your degree from. The only thing I can think of that might affect your decision would be if one of the schools has a particular specialty track that would interest you. For example, Toronto has a list of Computer Science programs such as Data Science Specialist, Focus in Artificial Intelligence, Focus in Computer Vision, etc., McGill has programs such as Computer Science and Biology, Computer Science and Games, Joint Major in Physics and Computer Science, Joint Major in Math and Computer Science, et al.
When I was in high school a million years ago, I visited Montreal and just happened to end up on a tour of McGill, which I had never heard of before. I loved it, and somewhat seriously considered going there.
Just to stick up for the city of Toronto (though i happen to prefer McGill, for reasons of my own), it is now one of the bigger cities on the continent. The GTA is up around 6M people, and there are plenty of things to do. The eating is excellent, with superb Chinese, Indian, and Italian food, among many other types. It is also relatively safe. The downtown campus is in a very central area, and is close to just about everything, while still having it’s own, identifiable, campus, with parks, trees, and charming ivy covered buildings. Subway system stops right at the campus, and is fast, clean, and efficient.
The art gallery, museum is right on the edge of campus, as is the OCA (Ontario College of Art). Nightclubs, theatres, arenas(Leafs and Raptors) are a quick subway ride away, or in some cases, a walk away. The days of Toronto being a stuffy conservative city are in the rear view mirror. It's all growed up, and then some.
It is a more expensive city than Montreal by a longshot. Housing is near NYC levels, which is something to consider once you move out of dorms and get your own place after first year.
U of T CS is highly ranked, but i have heard disturbing stories about the pressure that students are under there.