<p>Accepted to Mcgill Bcom and qualify of Quebec Tuition which is about $4K + Room and board</p>
<p>Instate Calif. and wondering if living in Montreal is the way to go. Son interested in business/finance and accepted to UC Davis, UCSB, Occidental College, Univ. of San Diego and Santa Clara Univ all for business and econ.</p>
<p>What do you all think? He seems to want to seek a career in finance and investments.</p>
<p>I am leaning toward McGill because of price and global reputation. Note sure if the others are worth the price, etc... compared to Mcgill.</p>
<p>We may be in the same boat but haven’t heard yet from McGill engineering. My kid qualifies for Quebec tuition too, current set of accepted schools are much more expensive. If he gets in, it will be McGill vs. everything else.</p>
<p>To me, a big issue is fit: would your son thrive in a huge school? In a city with an international population?</p>
<p>Yes, the international part and the city are a big draw. The cold on the other hand is not…</p>
<p>Some California students have reported “culture shock” even when they enroll in schools in New England and New York. Cold snowy winters and having to use public transportation take some getting used to. Being in Montréal is an amazing experience if you come with an open mind and are receptive to some new ideas. You both must have Canadian connections if your students qualify for the lower tuition so they should have some familiarity with Canada already, which some American students lack when they arrive. </p>
<p>Desautels has an international focus and there are good alumni connections throughout Canada and the US. As for the size, McGill is about the size of the larger UC’s and other major state flagships. A phrase I heard and repeat is that “McGill requires its students to grow up fast. For some it’s frightening, for others it is just what they are looking for.”</p>
<p>Thanks Tom. We are dual citizens of the US and France and my son is already fluent in french hence he can get the Quebec rate which is quite a bargain. Any thoughts about McGill vs the other schools I indicated. Also, I am concerned that most dorm housing is not really offered after freshman year. Doesn’t that take away from the ‘college experience’?</p>
<p>McGill is not known for its Business/Finance but it has a solid reputation for providing a great overall education. If your son wanted to (and could) stay in Canada for a while upon graduation, it would be (relatively) easy finding a job in Toronto where he could gather some great experience. McGill also has a good reputation in NYC, so he would probably end up with good options.</p>
<p>UCD and UCSB are great choices too. The quality of the education is going to be similar at all three, with the big difference the weather, obviously. Montreal can be brutal from Dec to Mar (a notch worse than Toronto), so McGill and UCSB are polar opposites there. I’m not sure what dollar value I’d place on the weather, but it would be large. Also, if he’s interested in grad school right away then the cost differential becomes more important. </p>
<p>The amount of the cost savings for McGill would be paramount, for me. How much are we talking here, per year, factoring in travel and extras, if you don’t mind?</p>
<p>The tuition for McGill Bcom OOS is around $40,000CAD, but he qualifies for the $4000 rate, plus room and board.
Also, he may qualify for a 'major renewable scholarship as well which is still pending’Travel back and forth to Calif. should probably run about $5K over the year which would include parent visits. I guess cost for winter clothing need to be factored in. The UC’s have in state tuition of about $15K plus room and board for which we are full pay. The privates are much more expensive.</p>
<p>Trying to determine if McGill is worth the drastic change, but he probably wants to work in investments and likes city life. Although we know it is quite different when you are in the middle of it on a daily basis. </p>
<p>That’s a pretty large cost savings. Has he mentioned any grad school plans? </p>
<p>Have you and your son visited Montréal? </p>
<p>While Desautels is not Wharton or NYU when it comes to finance, the CA schools you list would be much less recognized in that field. Since your son is bilingual, he would have opportunities in finance in Montréal that are not open to most American students.</p>
<p>Also, at most US residential colleges, especially urban schools, a majority of 3rd and 4th year students move off campus anyway, even if on campus housing is guaranteed for 4 years. </p>
<p>Yes we’ve visited but it was the summer and loved it. He is leaning towards McGill. Since you graduated from McGill, which dorm would you recommend to live in first year for a Bcom freshman? Not sure if proximity to the Desautel main building is important or not… I think he would benefit more from a dorm feel to get a real college experience as opposed to the hotel like dorms that seem to be newer. If he gets the major scholarship I think he will get priority for the dorm choice.</p>
<p>The closest rez is RVC, which is a traditional residence hall and mostly coed now. I lived in Molson Hall in upper rez. It is all single rooms and was a good experience. The climb up the mountain was a challenge in the winter though. Second year I lived in the McGill Ghetto east of campus and then moved to the Plateau with a room mate. The Ghetto is in effect a McGill community. </p>