I’m having trouble deciding between U Mich, UCLA, and U of T. I’m a Canadian citizen so U of T would be the cheapest, but money is not really a concern for me. Among my fellow canadian peers, I heard U of T was kind of a gpa killer but I don’t really know much about the other 2 schools other than what they put on their website. I’m planning on majoring in biology and would like to go to med school eventually, but if not, then at least grad school. Which school is best in terms of undergraduate research opportunities, classes, professors, getting a job afterwards, etc. for a biology major? I’m not putting much importance on the weather, the community vibes, or tuition fee in making this decision because I want to optimize my education and i don’t really have a preference to where I want to live. but if you go to any of these schools and have a lot to say about the campus atmosphere or something like that, it would still be very much appreciated! Thanks
Have you already been accepted? Or, will you be applying in the fall?
Toronto is a world class school in a world class city. Why pay so much more to attend a school that isn’t really any better? Unless you are very wealthy, save your money for something else. Also, don’t think Michigan or UCLA will be any easier to maintain a high GPA.
I’ve been accepted to all three.
I echo @rjkofnovi ‘s comments.
I also think you would be more informed by speaking directly to faculty members at each school rather than asking a bunch of anonymous and biased people on CC.
Where are you planning to apply for med school? You’ll be fine with any school (with the caveat about GPA below) if you are applying to a Canadian med school. I don’t know whether you’ll be eligible to apply for US med school. I’m sure someone else on CC knows.
Your GPA and your MCAT score will be the most important things that determine whether or not you get into med school. The threshold to get into a PhD program is somewhat lower than to get into a MD program. For neither of these programs will the name of your school be that important. eg a 3.7 at U of T = a 3.7 at UCLA = a 3.7 at UMichigan
GPA caveat. I’m a U of T grad. My husband and son are too. DH and DS went to med and law school respectively. DS graduated from U of T last year and is at an ivy law school. He’s a dual citizen. The average GPA in a U of T course tends to be in the 2.7-3.3 range (B- to B+). I found a source to find the average GPA in UMichigan courses at https://gradeguide.com/ For example, first year general chemistry (CHEM120) at U Michigan has an average of an A with 71% getting an A, 16% getting an A+ and 8% getting an A-. That is way way higher than the curve at U of T. I have no idea how accurate that website is though. I’d investigate the average GPAs for both UCLA and UMichigan before you decide.