<p>I'm trying to transfer to Mcgill from a community college in Texas (Lone Star Community College). I'm really interested in their Anatomy and Cell Bio and Physiology programs. I'm so nervous I won't get in and I was hoping some of you could help me out :(</p>
<p>My high school GPA was about a 3.5-3.7.</p>
<p>My current college (been attending for a year) is a 4.0.
I expect to be able to maintain this 4.0 GPA until I transfer next year.</p>
<p>My classes I'm taking/have taken so far are:</p>
<p>College Algebra: 99
Trigonometry: 99
Precalculus: 99 (I was on a roll lol :P)
Calculus 1: 94
Calc 2: Taking right now
Chem 1: 95
Chem 2: Taking right now
Bio 1: 97
Bio 2: Taking right now
General Psych: 98
Physics 1: Taking right now
I also plan to take physics 2, possibly a genetics class, general chem, and maybe some french before transferring.</p>
<p>My SAT score is a 2060 (The median for Mcgill)</p>
<p>My ACT score is a 33.</p>
<p>I also have really good recommendations from past science teachers which I plan on sending too. </p>
<p>I'm so nervous I'm not going to get in, and McGill is my dream school. I'm especially nervous since I'm a transfer student and I'm not sure how the consider transfer students...</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks so much to anyone who reads this and take the time to help me :)</p>
<p>I think you should try WashU at St Louis or Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Vanderbilt and school like that. I think with your stats, you have a great shot at those schools and they are rich so they can give you need-base financial aid.</p>
<p>mcgill is not as good as those schools and is much much poorer, so even if you do get a scholarship, it won’t be much. Use mcgill as a backup choice I’d recommend.</p>
<p>econgrad is correct that his suggested schools are much more generous with financial aid than McGill is, especially for a US citizen, so it would be a good idea to apply those schools or ones like them, unless you have considerable means. </p>
<p>econgrad is also correct that you should probably get into McGill. Your test scores might devalue the course marks you have: normally in Canada a person with class marks like yours (94 to 99% in relatively tough courses) would have higher ACT and SAT scores. The implication is that perhaps the community college is quite generous with marks. Nonetheless, you are definitely well above the minimum qualifications for McGill. </p>
<p>Just in case you are not aware, Paigems: econgrad consistently devalues McGill’s status. Many respected rankings of world universities rank McGill higher than “WashU at St Louis or Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Vanderbilt and school like that.” For example, QS ranks McGill at 19th worldwide with NW at 26th, Carnegie at 34th, Wash U at 75th and Vanderbilt at 134th. TES 2008 has McGill at 20th, NW at 33rd, Carnegie at 21st, Wash U at 60th and Vanderbilt at 101st. However, depending on what one is looking for in a college, you may have a much better experience at the colleges that econgrad suggests. Certainly more hand-holding happens at them (and that is not necessarily a bad thing, particularly if you are coming from a relatively small community college). With their wealth, they are able to offer more individual attention than most students get at McGill. They are all very good universities, but don’t have quite the international stature of McGill nor settings as unique as Montreal.</p>
<p>Thank you violindad. I know US schools are more generous with financial aid than McGill, but well…I really have my heart set on McGill. By the time I transfer I will have about approximately $68,000 towards school there. Assuming that it will cost me $100,000 for three years (if I receive no aid) I will be about $32,000 in debt by the time I’m done with my undergrad degree. I’m not sure if that’s too much…I do plan on probably being a doctor, so maybe the large salary from that will make up for it :P</p>
<p>Seriously though, is $32,000 in really THAT bad? I’m sure I’ll receive some in course scholarships which will lower that amount…What do you guys think?</p>
<p>Also, just a random question, how much is transportation there? Like the metro/bus/whatever they use there to get around lol.</p>
<p>Most students live in the ghetto, the plateau, and places near the school. So you buy a bike for $100 and you are good to go, until winter hits.</p>
<p>Metro is $2.5 per ticket, or you can get an OPUS card. BIXI is cheap too, but the bikes are big and clumsy.</p>
<p>The way you explained the metro thing makes no sense to me econgrad, sorry :/</p>
<p>Would someone mind giving me some advice on my financial situation? How rare are faculty/general scholarships once you’re attending McGill. It would be really helpful to me if I would be able to receive one sometime in the 3 years I’ll attend there.</p>
<p>I’m a transfer so I’m not eligible for entrance scholarships unfortunately. I’m only eligible for government and private loans. I will be eligible for scholarships once I’m actually there though…I just don’t know how likely it is for me to get one…and if so for how much…</p>
<p>Most McGill students don’t need to spend much on transport in Montreal as most walk almost everywhere (to school and to nightlife of which there is an abundance within walking distance of McGill). You will probably hop on the metro occasionally, but it won’t really add up to much unless you choose to live past a walkable distance to campus (which isn’t such a bad idea given that rents drop quite a bit when you get away from the walkable neighbourhood). </p>
<p>The scholarships that most of the students that I know of at McGill tend to be relatively small by US standards because they are proportional to the tuitions that Canadians pay (there seem to be lots of $3000 scholarships and the largest I have heard of from McGill is $10000 per year although there could be larger and you can stack some scholarships). </p>
<p>In terms of living expenses, it is a lot cheaper if you can find a roommate. Most of the leases tend to be 12 month leases which makes things expensive. You can sublet, but some of the students have said that because there are so many sublets available in the summer, it is very difficult to find a subletting tenant. Residence is expensive (and the compulsory meal plan is very expensive) and, in any case, residence is only available to first years due to space shortage. </p>
<p>I guess the $32 000 of debt depends on how much more debt you will incur in med school and on whether that debt is interest free until you graduate? In Canada, student loans are generally interest-free until a student is out of school. If you have to pay interest, it can really accumulate by the time you finish med school (so the $32 000 could balloon to well over $50 000). Most Canadians would be very reluctant to incur that much debt prior to med school, but if you plan on practicing medicine in the US, your earnings will be considerably higher than here.</p>
<p>My parents don’t want me to get a room mate my first year since I won’t know anyone and it will be like rooming with a complete stranger And now this whole having to pay for 12 months of an apartment is even more costs to worry about…</p>
<p>I’m not 100% sure yet if I’m going to med school. I may just graduate with my 4 year degree and start working to pay off loans. Would that result in less debt down the road than going to med school?</p>
<p>Also, do you know how often they hand out scholarships at McGill. If I were able to get two $3,000 scholarships that would be awesome…</p>
And now this whole having to pay for 12 months of an apartment is even more costs to worry about…</p>