UBC vs McGill - science or engineering?

Student Lounge International Students
1

Hello,

I would really appreciate some insight coming from people who have a better understanding of Canadian Universities than me.

I’ve recently been accepted to UBC’s Bachelor of Applied Science (first option), and to McGill’s Faculty of Science (BSc Phys, Earth, Math&Comp Sci)(second option). I am an international student coming from Brazil, and I’ve been dreaming of studying abroad for some time now.

Let’s get to the facts:

  • I have enough money to pay for the student fees, so don't consider that as a decisive factor
  • I didn't really know what I wanted to study and decided it'd probably be engineering (since I love math and physics) (but I am also REALLY into humanities/social sciences)
  • Right now, my plan for the future is not to become an engineer but to build my career in research, and possibly become a university teacher. If I were to study in Brazil, it'd be easier to achieve that through engineering (since research isn't taken seriously here, and at least engineering has more of a structure to provide what I wanted)

-If I had gotten into mechanical engineering at McGill (my first option) I would have gone there without a doubt. From all I’ve learned through the internet, Mcgill seems to be a place I’d adapt really well and have a great lifestyle, whereas UBC always seems to be cold and distant (with less of a community sense, I feel). McGill became kind of my “dream university” but I have got to be real and think about my academic future, not only about my impressions from afar.

  • at McGill, It'd also be easier to adapt since my best friend is going there (to study arts) and we've been dreaming of living that together - but I'm also pretty talkative and would probably manage to make a friend at UBC as well

Considering that, I’d like to have your opinion on whether I should study science at McGill (the university of my dreams on a course I don’t really know that well) or Engineering at UBC (the course I believe could suit me best on a university that I do not have nearly as much excitement to get into). Of course, my impressions are not necessarily accurate, and I can be off about all of them, so I really wanted to shed light on them.

2

Congratss!!! Were you rejected for Mechanical Engineering?

3

Engineering is a professional degree in Canada. There wouldn’t be much opportunity for research, unless you did a masters or PhD.

I’ve only visited the campus of UBC once, long ago, but I’ve never heard that it’s cold and distant.

4

I would have to agree with @bouders. ENG is more something you get your undergrad degree in, then go out and work. With your interests, I am surprised that you didn’t apply for the College of Arts and Sciences, but it’s not really a big difference. Probably just a matter of two or three courses over the span of 4 years.

McGill is a truly urban University smack dab in the middle of Montreal. Very international in feel. Truly diverse. Very rigorous academically. My son loves it, except during exam time, when his feelings are a bit more mixed, depending on his results. There is some swearing during our phone calls, I won’t lie. Overall, he feels he made the right choice going to McGill, though.

UBC is really more of a suburban campus. It is on a point jutting out into the Pacific ocean, and ringed by log strewn beaches. There are snow covered Rocky mountains in the distance. When seen on a sunny day, it is truly magnificent. Vancouver is a verdant, gorgeous city. When the cherry blossoms come out in the spring it is beautiful. Be warned that the winters, while mild by Canadian standards(seldom snows), are gray and drizzly. Vancouver is also a more isolated city than Montreal. Seattle is near, but that’s about it for big cities. Montreal is relatively near Toronto, and the cities in the NE USA such as NYC and BOS

McGill is big but somewhat compact. I am assuming that you will not be taking courses at the Macdonald campus, which is a 45 minute drive away? Better make sure. UBC has a much bigger area, and almost 50% more undergrads. Since you would be in an ENG school you would be spending your time in those buildings, though, which would make the school seem smaller.

Back in my day the UBC ENG school had a bit of a White frat boy, study hard, play hard rep that was known for some outrageous pranks. I think that has changed drastically, though. UBC is now very Asian, as is Vancouver in general. It is also very rigorous…probably about the same as McGill. In both schools, unless you are truly brilliant, you will be working your ass off most of the time, so the peripherals aren’t that important.

Hope this helps.