<p>I have to choose between going to Vassar and going to McGill and I just can't to decide which would better at the level of location, atmosphere, education, internship opportunities, reputation and all that jazz...Please help?</p>
<p>Those are two quite different schools. </p>
<p>Hopefully you have visited both schools. If not, Vassar is a small LAC on the northern fringe of metro New York City. Despite your intentions, you will seldom get into NYC and your life will center around campus and Poughkeepsie. Vassar will likely have a “warm and fuzzy” environment with small classes and people around you to help you out all the time. Vassar is only 8% international (I checked their website). If you are not the Vassar type (whatever that is), you will have a hard time fitting in.</p>
<p>McGill is a large research university in the middle of downtown Montreal. Success there requires you to be an independent and assertive person who will seek out opportunities and help if needed. You cannot count on people to offer you help without asking for it. McGill undergrad is 25% international and is often described as a mini-UN since many Canadian students are the children of recent immigrants. 40% of Quebec students are francophone too. At McGill, if you don’t fit into one group, there are dozens of other groups to associate with. There is no such thing as a typical McGill student. </p>
<p>Winter in Montreal is cold and snowy but Poughkeepsie winters are pretty drab too. Social life at Vassar is pretty much confned to campus but McGill offers the incredible experiences of Montreal that surround the campus.</p>
<p>Check out the other threads on the McGill and Vassar sites for more info.</p>
<p>Thank you tomofboston 
I’m really starting to get a clearer idea of the “feel” of both universities.
The thing is that most people where I’m from haven’t heard of Vassar and keep urging me to go to McGill because it’s more internationally recognized and is higher up in the uni ratings list so they’re saying I would get a better degree/education…I was just wondering if that’s actually true. I mean, does McGill have a much better reputation than Vassar? Because if it is in fact more widely known, then I would have more job/internship opportunities in the future if I were to graduate from McGill…
any insights?</p>
<p>Outside the US, McGill would definitely be better known than Vassar. In fact, I thought Vassar was still a women’s college until I met an alum a few years ago when I worked in NYC.</p>
<p>That does not mean that you would get a better education at McGill. The schools are so different in orientation and size that it really depends on what your learning comfort zone is and what type of environment you would prefer. </p>
<p>As for internships, if you do not speak French, off campus internships in Montreal would be rare. McGill would have the connections to arrange internships elsewhere though. In terms of post graduate opportunities and jobs, a McGill degree will open doors in the US and overseas.</p>