<p>So I've come ask a forum full of strangers on advice with what to do with my life. :) I have a similar thread on SA, but since I'm thinking of US or abroad for grad/med school I kind of want to know this board's opinion too since it's mostly US bound orientated. </p>
<p>All the schools have their pros and cons and I just can't decide between the three. The programs I've been accepted to are...</p>
<p>McGill - Life Sciences with a tentative major in Anatomy and Cell Biology
U of T (Trinity College) - Life Sciences (specialization in Neuroscience)
Queen's - Science</p>
<p>McGill has Montreal (in my opinion, the most vibrant city out of all three), diversity, international recognition, academics but I don't know how easy or hard it is to get a GPA of 3.8+. It's also the most selective out of all three. The school is also pretty big and I've heard stories to first year students having to write quizzes on the floor because of space limitations. Also, I've been told it's not easy to get any volunteer opportunities outside the "McGill bubble" because preference is given to bilingual students.</p>
<p>UT has Trinity College which I think will foster a more close knit feeling in such a large school. It'll also be easier to get volunteer jobs in Toronto because of the connections my family has with all the hospitals downtown to CEOs, Dean of Medicines, Head of Research etc. Though, it reputedly is the hardest school out of all three because of the insanely large class sizes (which is a big con for me). It's also less diverse and more of a commuter school so I don't think it'll be as 'fun' as McGill.</p>
<p>Queen's the smallest out of all three and has pretty good school spirit. The program is the smallest out of all 3 and the science buildings and facilities are all new. Out of all 3, I think Queen's should be the easiest to get to know my profs and to get a high GPA. Kingston isn't as big as Toronto or Montreal and doesn't have the same atmosphere. It also doesn't compare to McGill or UT for international recognition.</p>
<p>All the schools are amazing. U of T has Toronto, as well as a very well known everything…</p>
<p>I would say visit the campuses and go with what is the right fit for you. I know you have to decide soon since the deadline is May 28, but at least try and get to one or two of the campuses. Since they are all very comparable in terms of academics and other opportunities (minus some small differences like the ones you mentioned), you should go to the school that feels right for you and that you will be happiest attending</p>
<p>If you want to organize your thoughts I suggest rating the schools.</p>
<p>Make a bunch of categories in things that matter to you (prestige, cost, location, academics, etc.), weight them according to the value you place on them, and give them scores. </p>
<p>I think Queens is the only good school in Canada that I wouldn’t mind attending. This is because I am a fan of small to mid sized universities, with small classes, more undergrad attention, and a strong campus fee. Queens is not perfect in this regard but it does beat our Mcgill and especially U of T. But, like I said, this is due to my preferences. All three are academiaclly great schools.</p>
<p>You spread misinformation. “Canadians are not eligible for need based financial aid in the US.” Nuh-uh. </p>
<p>McGill isn’t necessarily more selective than Toronto. Keep in mind their quota for students from Quebec and how easy it is for them to get in. Some programs at Toronto require a 92%+ entrance average (Engineering Science). I also wouldn’t worry about class sizes because they’ll eventually get smaller. You also got into Trinity, which is another tip factor. Your family’s connections in the city close the deal.</p>
<p>@Electronica, Im not hatin’ at all, I just agree with tomofboston</p>
<p>and where did he say Canadians dont get aid in the US? I didnt see that anywhere… May wanna check your sources? :S</p>
<p>And, @darksoulz, you will be well of at any of the three, so go where you fit best… chances are youll know based on your gut feeling on campus. If you cant visit in time or something like that, do what Electronica suggested and allocate “points” to the different attributes of the unis depending on their importance to you</p>
<p>May I suggest you give us some information about yourself and your future aspirations?
As you might have noticed, each university has it’s own following and asking us for our opinion won’t help much since we all have different views of what matters when choosing an university.</p>
<p>You already have the objective factors analyzed, it seems, so maybe if you tell us about yourself we can give you some insight. After all, what worries you most (as I notice it) is the opportunities you will be able to access during and after your education, and if you tell us your plans we might be able to share a “my buddy in McGill did this, my cousin in Queen’s was allowed to do this, and my neighbor in Toronto managed to do that”.</p>
<p>well UofT is hard to get a good GPA at. But the good thing is with US med schools MCAT is much more important than what it is worth in Canada. So, you can take a hit on the GPA (not a big hit), but a solid MCAT will make up for it. </p>
<p>There was this guy on the Canadian premed forum from McGill with a ~3.7 GPA and 36 MCAT I think…and he got interviews at A LOT of US med schools (Cornell was one I think, Case Western, Vandy). Just an example I could think of. </p>
<p>All 3 would have solid reputations, so you would stand out from Canadian applicants at US med schools. So, for US med schools a good rep. school helps (all 3 of your schools have that, but McGill + UofT have more of that US rep…more people know about them).</p>
<p>As you said, I think I need to look at the subjective factors now. Grad school or med school is a definite thing. I’m not sure if I want to go into research or medical (I’ll probably figure that out in the next couple of years), so I want to get my hand in on some undergraduate research. As much as I love Queen’s and it’s undergrad focus I don’t think it’ll provide the same opportunities as UT or McGill. I don’t really know how easy it is to get into some research at McGill but in Toronto, I think I have a better opportunity to do it. If I do go to McGill, I’ll probably do some research during the summer as I’m pretty sure I’ll get a research position/internship at Sunnybrook Hospital (talked to the VP of research about it). </p>
<p>I also want to spend a summer or term abroad so I don’t know which school facilitates that easier.</p>
<p>I do want some of a party scene. I grew up in Toronto so UT doesn’t really interest me in terms of the city. Montreal by far a better city with a better party atmosphere (drinking age at 18!).</p>
<p>But yeah, tough decision. Sorry for the ranting. :)</p>
<p>You hate Toronto.
You have an internship ‘guaranteed’.
You desire to party.
You love Montreal.</p>
<p>There, I exaggerated some verbs to make it simpler to distinguish your preference =P</p>
<p>Not knowing French won’t be an obstacle because you are Canadian and have plenty of opportunities in other parts. The most important factor is that you have the connections in Toronto, so you are not throwing away any opportunities. If anything, you are in for making more connections at McGill, thus broadening your choices.</p>
<p>As a Commerce student, I found the McGill list more interesting, but UofT had some really impressive ones too (U of Tokyo, Kyoto U, Helsinki, Geneva). That’s just my opinion though, I don’t even actually know how the system works/</p>
<p>Thanks for the simplification. It helped! BTW, I can speak French (IB and all). I just don’t really trust it outside the realm of ordering food or just superfluous chit chat. =/</p>
<p>I have tours scheduled for both UT and McGill and I guess I’ll decide after visiting and seeing the atmosphere and everything.</p>
<p>@chimp1992, I applied to Health Sci. Didn’t get in. If I did, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gone there. I’m not one for study groups, not that I’m a loner but I find them sometimes counterintuitive (well at least for sciences; for the arts, they’re pretty awesome).</p>
BTW, I can speak French (IB and all). I just don’t really trust it outside the realm of ordering food or just superfluous chit chat. =/</p>