UC-Berkeley vs. UChicago vs. Swarthmore vs. McGill

College Search & Selection
1

<p>What should I choose?
-I am obviously looking for the best place to spend my 4 undergrad years
So if anyone has particular insight/experiences to share, please do!
I have visited all 4 places, and like them all for different reasons.</p>

<p>Berkeley:
Good aspects:
-California!!
-weather + location (urban)
-beautiful campus
-plenty of opportunities available at such a big school
-diverse, yet 90% Californian and 50% Asian-American (very different numbers than the other ones -- no judgment whatsoever)
Bad aspects:
-big classes + feeling of being overwhelmed + distance w/ professors
-far from home
-expensive</p>

<p>Swat:
Good aspects:
-small, individualized classes + professor attention
-better advising/support/mentoring
-close to many cities/other East Coast universities
-beautiful campus and nice weather
Bad aspects:
-very small, could feel confining, does it get old?
-tough getting As
-expensive
-not very good food
-do ppl take time off?</p>

<p>UChicago:
Good:
-their philosophy:love of learning and life of the mind
-near Chicago
-beautiful campus
-ideal size (not too small, not too big)
-is the core a bad or a good aspect??
Bad:
-expensive
-I feel people work allll the time
-weather</p>

<p>McGill:
Good aspects:
-diverse
-unexpensive
-nice situation in Montreal
Bad aspects:
-very large (same as Berkeley for large classes, unavailable profs...)
-party life too distracting</p>

<p>-I love the urban setting but do not mind Swarthmore's more remote campus, as it is as far from Philly as UChicago's metro ride downtown
-am looking for an intellectually stimulating environment where people love what they study, but also know how to take a break and have a good time
- in terms of academics, even though you have to be more proactive in some places, it is quite similar
-diverse student body</p>

<p>How important is the name of your undergraduate university. McGill is only 4 grand a year because of my French nationality. Is that automatically a competition killer, or is the education I can get at Swarthmore and Chicago definitely better and worth the 50G?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>all 4 are great schools. I would go to McGill just because it’s so cheap and has good rep in the States. If money is not an issue, U Chicago is where you want to be</p>

3

<p>I’m a B.Com 2008 alumnus and here’s my opinion re: McGill.</p>

<p>It’s inexpensive and located in a fun, not-too-large city. There will be distractions no matter what school you go to. There’ll probably be partying no matter what school you go to (except perhaps BYU). I’ve found that the single aspect I’ve grown to appreciate the most in hindsight was the amount of freedom and choice that a larger school like McGill offered. If you chose to work hard and play hard, you could. If you didn’t, there would always be other like-minded people amongst such a large student population. At some of my friends’ universities, they had homework and attendance in their classes and dorm curfews to boot! That’s a bit too much micromanaging imo.</p>

<p>As for large class sizes, it really depends. The majority of my classes were less than 50-75 people, but some first year courses that qualify as pre-reqs for multiple programs will undoubtedly be large. Psychology 100 with Don Donderi? Massive. A 400-level brand management class in marketing? Intimate. Pick your battles accordingly.</p>

<p>One last note: the city of Montreal also offers quite a few options of activities (indoor rock climbing, trapeze, drinking, theatre, dance) and it’s rather inexpensive for you to partake in most of them (unlike going to school in NYC etc). Right outside the city are ski hills in the Laurentians (Tremblant, Saint Saveur, etc) or you could go the other way to Jay Peak in Vermont or Placid in New York. McGill Outdoors Club even has it’s own house in Shawbridge! It also is located in a prime location to take a cheap bus or train ride to Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, Boston, and New York.</p>

4

<p>What is your intended major?</p>