McGill vs UBC Life Sciences

Colleges and Universities A-Z McGill University
1

I am a BC resident who lives in Vancouver and is trying to decide between going to McGill and UBC for sciences. I took IB in grade 11 and am doing Chem HL and Bio HL certificate (personal reasons for dropping to cert) and have a 95% average at a school that is known for being difficult within the district. I potentially want to go to med school, but understand that I may find another passion and that Medicine is the stereotypical go-to. I have already decided I do not want to go to U of T due to its extremely competitive reputation and grade deflation as well as huge class sizes. Just as a side note, I would live on residence either way so the cost is very similar.

For McGill, I can speak French pretty fluently and I believe it would be an amazing experience to travel somewhere new and experience a different culture. McGill has a work hard/ play hard reputation that I kind of like but am a bit introverted (ie I like my own time and space every once in a while and am not super into partying in high school) so I’m not sure about it. Being from Vancouver, the weather seems pretty rough (I like to do outdoor activities like walking, running, skiing etc). However, its reputation is excellent and not many people from my high school go (I’d say less than 10 with a graduating class of over 400), which appeals to me for some reason in comparison to the many many many that go to UBC (i think more kids come from my HS than any other). McGill also seems to have a greater school spirit. I think a new experience would be good for me and would push me out of my comfort zone. I am planning to visit in the spring to see if I enjoy the campus environment.

For UBC, I love the campus and the fact that I would live in rez, far enough that I wouldn’t have to deal with my parents but also close enough to visit and spend some time. I do however live 20 minutes away, know the city and many people who go there which would be within my comfort zone. I am a bit interested in Greek life (my mom was in a sorority and has talked to me about what a great experience it was for her when she went to UBC) and UBC’s is far more prevalent than McGill’s. The UBC residences and food also seem nicer and newer than McGill’s but I feel like there is a lack of community in comparison to McGill (IDK if this is right please let me know). I also like that at UBC I would have access to the mountains, beach and forest. UBC also seems to have a good student support network. However, it would be really hard to get residence for the second year and with Vancouver housing prices I may have to move back home (which I do not want to do!).

Some other factors I have thought about are the gyms ( I workout pretty often), intramurals and different clubs, class size, grading difficulty, travelling abroad and coop opportunities, but have not done enough research into either school to find info on them. Finally, I realise in my comparison that I have not focused on academics to a great extent but this is because I have heard such different things from different people and feel like I will get an excellent education at either institution.

Any response is appreciated. Thank you in advance for any help!

2

Based on your hobbies, UBC seems better. McGill is very intertwined in the city of Montreal, and the weather much of the year doesn’t make it easy to go out running etc. Have you visited McGill? To me it didn’t seem to have much of a campus.

3

I think that visiting Montreal / McGill is a good idea. Both schools are so strong that it is hard to choose between them without actually seeing both.

I think that your analysis seems quite good and well thought through.

You will need warm winter gear for McGill. The difference in perception between -15C and dry versus 5C and raining might be less than you expect. You will also need flights back and forth to get to McGill.

I don’t think that there is a bad choice here.

4

Both schools, as you know, are vg to excellent academically. I would say that you might be in for a shock if you think that either is much different in terms of grading compared to U of T. All three are very rigorous schools. The good news is that Canadian Med schools recognize this, and will make allowances when it comes to admittance.

It’s really about what sort of experience you want. I disagree with the poster above about McGill not having a campus. It does, with historical buildings, but is far more urban than UBC, which is somewhat sequestered, and suburban.

My son chose to go to McGill rather than (among others) the local State flagship. Partially, he wanted the more urban experience, and partially he didn’t want to go to school and see a lot of the same faces that he went to HS school with. Not sure how much he wanted to get over 1000 mi. away from his parents, too, LOL. Bottom line is that he wanted to challenge himself, rather than stay in familiar surroundings.

Only you can know what you want in that respect. UBC is a great school on a beautiful campus, near an interesting, safe city.

Montreal has pretty tough winters, of course, but people who don’t know the lower mainland don’t know that is pretty grey and gloomy from Nov-Mar, too. McGill gets out of school pretty early(end of April), so you can always get home and enjoy the glorious summers on the lower mainland from May-Aug.

I think it’s really about how much you are up for challenging yourself, and trying something new. My son was more than ready for the challenge, and has met a ton of new people from all over the world. Other students might be better off staying with the familiar.