First of all I cannot find two places that are so different like this… now lemme explain why I’m torn by the two…
So a little bit about me… I will do something related to the humanities (e.g. Philosophy, French, History) or perhaps Physics or Computer Science (if to be practical). I plan to stay in the academia eventually, but after undergrad I have to find a job and save money for grad schools.
Reed (visited and loved it)
- I love their intimate vibe; small discussion-based classes; calling profs by their first names; visited Hum 110 and conferences and thought it were better than ones at all the other LACs I visited (eg. Amherst and Wellesley; Reed’s conferences are so much more intense)
- people so attractive and intellectual… they know the stuff they are passionate about. I’ve talked to prospies and current students they are hipsters poets philosophers; it’s the opposite of what you find at mainstream party schools.
- However, Reed didn’t give me any aid. In this sense I’m concerned that Reed doesn’t have an alumni network as strong as big universities like McGill. Guys tell me about the Life After Reed Center (or something like that), how helpful is it? I guess Reed doesn’t focus on career development (which is a good thing!!! I don’t want to go to a pre professional school where I live up to the social norm), only prepares you for grad schools. But heavens forbid! Lol -Practically I need to work to save money for grad schools…!
McGill (accepted to Faculty of Arts + Engineering)
- Way cheaper than Reed, which might allow me to go straight to grad schools without the need to work and save money. Yay.
- better resources than Reed; slightly more career oriented than liberal arts colleges(right?).
- BUT i dunno if i’ll like the big class sizes. I’ve heard you can make effort to approach the profs intimately (which people like me def will!)
- I’m a Reedie at heart (meaning that I have a quirky and weird personality) so don’t know if it’s easy to find my people in a large university like McGill. Montreal is def not mainstream so that kinda comforts me in this sense.
I love both Portland and Montreal. I’m from Boston so I can go colder or warmer no problem lol.
Thanks.
Those are two very good schools, for different reasons of which you already seem mostly aware. It may come down to costs for you; what is this difference exactly? How much can you and your family afford, preferably without the need to take on student loans? I now notice you say full pay for Reed; if McGill is significantly less, it would likely win out. Reed at full pay will be very expensive…
I was the type that chose large research university over smaller, expensive LAC for undergrad, but that is a very personal choice. I like both schools, but I’d personally be attracted to McGill, with its offerings and reputation, with Montreal, etc. You should be aware that the Canadian higher education system resembles the European system a bit more than the U.S., in that at a large research university, it is not expected that students would develop close relationships with professors often, especially in initial years. In the U.S., that is actually possible – with smaller programs within the campus, as well as cultural expectations that permit direct contact, and reward self-motivated student-faculty relationships – at larger universities. That could change with later research projects, advanced work, etc., at McGill, and the structural difference should not necessarily dissuade you: McGill provides an excellent education, one of the very best Canada has to offer. Reed is also an excellent LAC, and sometimes, from what I’ve seen, I feel it should be ranked higher than it is (probably due to some of its unique policies and reporting, which Reed is subsequently – and perhaps unfairly – punished for).
It will not be easy to find your people at a larger university, but you will have a better chance at it.
What kind of graduate school do you want to go to? PhD vs professional schools? If it’s the latter, just go to McGill and save your money. The PhD option would make a better case for Reed, as any PhD program worth going to would fund you fully, but I would still go to McGill. If money weren’t a concern, I would just go to Reed, but since you applied for aid it sounds like that money is a concern.
Hey international95, thanks for your input and can you elaborate the point that “any PhD program worth going to would fund you fully”- do they really? And I’m not sure the difference between PhD vs professional either, were you referring to the latter as getting a master degree? I’m a theory person I’m not practical at all lol. So I might enjoy PhD more.
Tbh my family can afford Reed but just that it’ll be rough after the four years if I don’t get a full paid grad school or a well paid temporary job. I just want to make sure if a Reed education is worth doing all that. (If I can’t afford it at all i would’ve ruled out Reed completely. )
My biggest concern is that I would find all the freaking mainstream people at McGill who go to school just for partying. I need intellectual people. Lol. And I’ve already found a lot of them at Reed both prospies and current reedies. @International95 btw did you go to Reed too? (Seeing your profile pic as reed’s mascot)
It is true that for the natural sciences and humanities (not professional or med school, which are usually quite expensive), you would not want to take a graduate school offer for a PhD without something close to full funding – lack of funding is typically an indication that a given department doesn’t really value you as a candidate. For the best PhD candidates, that type of near / full funding is normal.
That said, you would still be much better off without financial hardship from undergrad. Graduate school is long, difficult, there can be gap years with the dissertation, extra living costs, and stipends usually only cover basics, if that. Having a burden of debt, or even lacking a financial cushion when you could have had one from another very solid undergrad degree isn’t recommended.
I don’t have the impression McGill is one gigantic party, at all, nor “mainstream.” Maybe you have that impression from being a Canadian citizen, but it is not mine. McGill offers one of the most prestigious and rigorous educations in Canada. And from the previous post: I also don’t get the logic that you can’t find your people at a large university… wha? This condemns all large universities for finding like-minded students, from McGill to Berkeley to Michigan to…?
Truuu it’s just that all those whom I’ve talked to have appeared to me as mainstream. But I get you though; I basically knew nothing about grad schools except the notion that I def want to pursue a grad school education. Now I’m much more informed. Are you a McGill graduate btw?
Unrelated, but if you did the IB, for instance, know your major and are committed to being disciplined about the classes you take and the work you do, you can probably graduate in three years, depending on your major.
By professional schools I mean business, law, etc. Master’s degrees are earned en route to the PhD. PhDs that are worth taking up are fully funded.
McGill is probably a lot more career-oriented. Reed has career services, though, and if you make proper use of them they can do wonders for you.
That all said, a lot of what will happen after four years will be determined by you. If you are positive that you would not want to do go to a professional school, just a PhD or so, Reed could be a good decision.
I am not a McGill grad, but my undergrad and grad both are peer institutions of McGill (in the U.S., large research universities with the highest Carnegie classification, extensive research). The further one progresses in academia, generally the more familiar one becomes with other institutions of roughly the same caliber.
Reed does do well with PhD placement. But I do not think it worth the outlay in this case. And as I said, I have a very healthy respect for McGill. It just may take a little more focus on your part, but as you’ve been admitted, you ought to be capable of succeeding. Best of luck-