<p>I have heard a lot of really good things about Mcgill, and I was wondering what university it compares to in terms of prestige.</p>
<p>Do you all think it is comparable to Michigan?</p>
<p>In a word, McGill’s prestige level can be described as: VERY.</p>
<p>The school as a whole is top notch in its various programs (which are you interested in taking?), and they recently bought a historic hotel and revamped it to provide suit style residences to its students.</p>
<p>I would personally say, in my opinion, that it is more prestigious than UMich (it is touted as the “Harvard of Canada”), but I could be wrong depending on the program that you are interested in taking</p>
<p>As well, McGill costs less than UMich in general, if that is a factor for you. Since youre in CT, you qualify as out of state/international for UMich and McGill, respectively. </p>
<p>So, costs for McGill (tuition, books, res and meal plan plus incidentals) puts you in and around $29,000 CAD (thats the high end of things… usual costs are more like $20,000 CAD)</p>
<p>UMich runs you about $25,000 US… While it may seem like less to begin with, if you factor exchange rate (which is always fluctuating… its near par now, but I doubt it will stay that way) then McGill might be a better choice financially for you</p>
<p>I am a McGill alumnus so I am biased. Overall, McGill is academically equal to UMich at the undergrad level. Both schools are very large publicly funded universities. Both schools will have large freshman classes and a lot of administrative red tape. </p>
<p>If you are into big time athletics, UMich is for you. Ann Arbor is a great college town but if you are looking to daytrip to a big city, you have Detroit (yuk). Montreal is a fantastic city and McGill is located in the middle of downtown yet has a real green campus, quite unique. McGill is 25% international (half American), 32% out of province Canadian and 17% of students are French mother tongue. Some have described it as a mini UN. Also, the drinking age in Quebec is 18 so you are free to party in the city. No need to sneak booze into the dorm. </p>
<p>McGill will give you the chance to experience a different culture while being only 40 miles from the US border. You can choose to learn French or not, it is not a requirement. </p>
<p>McGill is the Harvard of Canada only in the sense that it is the number one ranked school in Canada. Only Harvard is Harvard. In fact, after losing $9 billion of its endowment in the recession, even Harvard can’t afford to be Harvard anymore. </p>
<p>Check out the McGill threads on CC especially “Ask a McGill Alumnus” and “The City You Will Live in for Four Years”.</p>
<p>Vastly overestimated.</p>
<p>@Electronica:
Thank you for that detailed and fact based assessment. I am sure it will help the OP.</p>
<p>Well, we have established McGill’s academic rankings (Thanks @tomofboston… I wouldnt know for sure since I didnt attend)</p>
<p>But, for prestige, I do believe it has a good prestige factor. Just based on the fact that you, a CT native, have heard so many great things about it proves its prestige factor. For instance, the University of Toronto or Queens University are both very good universities and are well known, but the prestige factor is slightly lacking in the fact that they arent as well known as McGill…</p>
<p>I don’t see how it’s as good as Michigan.</p>
<p>I’m biased because I’m more informed about my areas of interest.</p>
<p>Economics (from the archives of EconPhd.net, a popular ranking based on research output used by many prospective grad students before it shut down) - Michigan (16th in the world) vs. McGill (131th in the world, below ordinary Canadian schools like SFU and York)</p>
<p>Engineering (USNWR) - Michigan (Tied for 7 & 8th in the U.S.) vs. McGill (second in its own city)</p>
<p>Business (USNWR) - Michigan (12th in the U.S.) vs McGill (simply not as good)</p>
<p>I do agree that McGill does have a good level of prestige in the U.S. for a Canadian school but it is on the decline.</p>
<p>@ElectronicaL
“I do agree that McGill does have a good level of prestige in the U.S. for a Canadian school but it is on the decline.”</p>
<p>Again, source of your determination of decline?</p>
<p>Ontarians have been saying that McGill is in decline for 40 years. Yet it is still rsanked #1 by Macleans. What does that say about the rest of Canadian Higher education?</p>
<p>Imma guess the source of the info is the same source that brought you “Vastly overestimated”</p>
<p>McGill is ranked the top public university in North America in a ranking that’s largely based on reputation surveys. What does that say about how overrated it is?</p>
<p>I’m from BC not ON.</p>
<p>It says nothing about being overrated, it is a rating. </p>
<p>Actually, the Times QS survey weights peer review 40%, which is not “largely”.
[World’s</a> Best Universities: The Methodology - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-the-methodology.html]World’s”>http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-the-methodology.html)</p>
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<p>Um, the question was about prestige so what more does one need to answer than than ‘reputation surveys’? </p>
<p>In the QS rankings, it is ranked 15th in the world, with a 100% )highest level) in terms of academic peer ranking. I would trust the opinion of academics worldwide to rate the prestige of a college over say, some anonymous person on a web forum.</p>
<p>UBC got 100. Harvard got 100.</p>
<p>Is Harvard’s prestige equal to UBC’s now?</p>
<p>That ranking fails tremendously.</p>
<p>They place 40% on a number that puts UBC on equal footing with Harvard. How is that not largely?</p>
<p>Anyway, don’t overestimate McGill’s name in the U.S. It’s not as well known or prestigious as most believe.</p>
<p>@starbright</p>
<p>What is the open-enrollment state university that is able to place their undergrads into top doctoral business programs? The one you alluded to and then wouldn’t name in another thread.</p>
<p>Im beginning to think Electronica just has some grudge against McGill… or at least a grudge against agreeing with any of the opinions/facts posted on this forum</p>
<p>Wait, dont they have a term for people who do that on CC?</p>
<p>Why would I have a grudge? I just disagree that it’s more prestigious than Michigan. I would rate Michigan’s prestige among the top 5 public universities in the U.S. McGill isn’t up to that level in my opinion. Again, I’m biased because McGill is weak in the areas that I care most about.</p>
<p>I dont know why you would have a grudge, but since all your replies to this post are simply to either prove someone wrong or make McGill look like some awful community college, I would say you most definitely portray having a grudge.</p>
<p>Nah, no grudge. McGill is fine (up there with U of T and UBC) but I’m annoyed by how overrated it is.</p>
<p>Edit: 100 posts!</p>
<p>What college are you going to?? Cause, I personally think UBC is more overrated than McGill (complete personal opinion, I know of its world rankings etc.)… UBC has a GORGEOUS campus and I think that sways a lot of people’s opinions into thinking the uni as a whole is better.</p>
<p>Idk I haven’t been admitted anywhere yet.</p>
<p>Well good luck! Hope you get into the schools you want :)</p>