UW-Seattle vs McGill

College Search & Selection
1

Hello everyone!

As the deadline is almost here, I need to make a decision quickly on where to go. It seems that the best choice I have in the US is UW-Seattle and I also have McGill in Canada.

UW will cost around $48K a year and McGill will cost around $43K a year.

I intend to pursue CS and I know UW has a better reputation for it. But the problem is, I am not guaranteed the major as I have been admitted to pre-science and will have to pass a certain set of courses with a certain GPA. It would be inherently risky to spend almost $50K a year when less than half the students make the cut. I have, however, gotten into the major at McGill. My intention was always to go to the US for my bachelors (as I am a US citizen living overseas) but I am not entirely sure if it would be the right decision now with the choices I have. McGill does seem appealing, but will I be at a disadvantage to apply to US grad schools or jobs with a Canadian bachelors degree?

And also, I wanted to know whether the Canadian system is more in line with the UK’s system of choosing one subject and that’s it, or the other (in my opinion) more preferable liberal arts curriculum when you can change what you are pursuing and also do other majors/minors?

So overall, I feel that if I were to make the cut at UW, it would be the better choice for my major. But I have also heard that McGill is fairly well renowned in the US, so I may not be at a major disadvantage when applying to grad schools or jobs.

Any input or previous experience would be highly appreciated.

Thank you!

2

I would suggest you choose McGIll, which is highly renowned internationally, including in the U.S. McGill would be comparable to UW in seeking grad school admission or jobs in the U.S. Some U.S. grad schools would rank McGill higher, while others would put them on par with each other; and I’m not sure anyone would suggest that UW is materially better than McGill. If you want to reduce your risk, as you say, of getting into CS, then it seems to be an easy decision. There are other factors, of course–a small difference in cost (in favor of McGill) from your post. Montreal is considered by many to be a great city to live in, especially for young people (arts, music, nightlife, festivals, European flavor, etc.). Montreal is also very cold in the winter. Some people hate the wet cold and darkness of Seattle in the winter. Whether these “soft” factors mean much to you, and in which direction, is only for you to decide. If CS is the only factor, then McGill is a great choice. In the northeast U.S. (in particular), many people liken McGill to the Ivy League (comparable to say, Cornell or Brown, but not quite at the very top with HYP). But I think it’s good advice when people generally ask “where do you think you’ll be happier” and “where do you think you’ll do well”, which is a question that only you can try to answer.

3

I would also choose McGill. It’s a well regarded institution, but more importantly, the risk at UW is too high. I continue to be amazed at students who willingly subject themselves to that.

4

“I intend to pursue CS and I know UW has a better reputation for it. But the problem is, I am not guaranteed the major as I have been admitted to pre-science and will have to pass a certain set of courses with a certain GPA. It would be inherently risky to spend almost $50K a year when less than half the students make the cut.”

I agree.

“McGill does seem appealing, but will I be at a disadvantage to apply to US grad schools or jobs with a Canadian bachelors degree?”

No. North American unis are essentially all on the same system and profs and students and grad students cross between the US and Canada all the time. However, McGill does have grade deflation.

“And also, I wanted to know whether the Canadian system is more in line with the UK’s system of choosing one subject and that’s it, or the other (in my opinion) more preferable liberal arts curriculum when you can change what you are pursuing and also do other majors/minors?”

This is stuff that is pretty easy to find online. Canadian unis are between Scottish unis and American publics in that you have some leeway/choice in major. I believe at McGill, you just need to get all the classes you need for a major.

“In the northeast U.S. (in particular), many people liken McGill to the Ivy League (comparable to say, Cornell or Brown, but not quite at the very top with HYP).”

Eh. McGill is one of the best unis in Canada, but is still a giant public with big lecture classes. A top public like UMich/UW-Madison (or UW-Seattle), but with less resources than a public like UMich that has a big endowment. (I guess if you squint, you can argue that Cornell and UMich are about the same and McGill is about the same as UMich, so . . . .)

It may be too late now, but McGill has an “Arts & Science” bachelors where you have to double major in a “science” (such as CS) and a non-science. You could potentially take almost as many CS courses as a CS major with that degree, and it costs less for a non-Canadian.

5

@PurpleTitan Funnily enough, I did also apply to arts and science at McGill and got in undeclared. (I applied to 2 departments)
I know that McGill has big classes and all but I don’t think UW would be any different. Are you suggesting that McGill is the better option for me and, if I were to choose it, going the arts and science route as I will be able to double major in CS and also something like Econ? And are you also saying it’s cheaper?

@GoldenState99 @eyemgh Thank you for your responses as well.

6

I know you directed that question to @PurpleTitan, but despite what appears to be attractive now, adding business classes to an undergrad, most employers will view that unfavorably. First, it dilutes what you could have done to broaden and/or deepen your CS experience. Second, and more importantly, it signals, true or not, that being a programmer might not be your top priority.

7

@eyemgh Yes, you are correct. I just did some research and it seems that the joint arts and science degree offers a diluted version of each and not a double major. Thank you for your response.

8

@eyemgh: I would definitely not be as absolutist as you are.

It really depends on the company and industry and I daresay that there are more companies who would prefer a CS major to have a major in another area as well than there are companies who want someone to concentrate solely on CS.
Why else do you think Stanford launched their CS+X majors?

To the OP: Some of your questions can be easily answered online. Look to see what the A&S degree costs for non-Canadians. Note the exchange rate.

9

@PurpleTitan Yes. I suppose having studied both may show versatility, but it seems that my level of education may be lower compared to someone who is just doing CS or just Econ. It does not seem that the programme allows for double majoring but rather, diluted versions of each art and science into one major.

And yes, my apologies, I have just found the price information myself. No worries.

10

It seems that some people on this thread have a pretty rigid mindset.

The full Yale CS major requires 10-12 CS classes . You can take more than that with McGill A&S.

Honestly, people will care more about the specific skills you bring and specific classes you took than the degree (in the US).

11

Not sure you added travel costs in your equation but costs seem very close with way. I had a couple get in to UW pre-science rather than CS and even with OOS scholarships neither attended for the reason you stated - I would not subject them to that battle, stress and uncertainty of getting in the CS major. They were bringing in 4.6+ gpas and high ACT/SAT scores so not getting direct admit was unacceptable to us. They were immediately able to dive deep into their major when they got to their respective schools.

On a social note, McGill is fantastic. My daughter strongly considered it, but then got into her dream school here in the U.S. What an adventure this could be for you. Not officially scientific data here, but every student I know that goes there loves it. Start learning french so you can mingle and chat it up in French Quebec. Couple things to keep in mind…Canadian universities do not hand hold and I have heard this about McGill - you need to figure a lot out on your own, but that’s ok, now is the time to do that. Also, you will have an new health care system to work with, so start learning what you can about that. I have also heard being seen in their health clinic can be a bit of a struggle compared to U of Toronto, which has lots of other options close to the university. Nothing insurmountable, just something to learn about before you go. Good luck on your choice!

12

“UW will cost around $48K a year and McGill will cost around $43K a year.”

For McGill, have you listed the price in CANADIAN dollars? If so, then you should also note the exchange rate (which right now provides a very significant discount for students attending university in Canada).

Also, McGill has a very strong reputation in the US. It will be academically very challenging. Someone I know who graduated from there says “You have to want to do it”.

13

What are your parents saying? Are they fine with paying $200k for either school?

Any other choices?

14

10: "I would not subject them to that battle, stress and uncertainty of getting in the CS major. They were bringing in 4.6+ gpas and high ACT/SAT scores so not getting direct admit was unacceptable to us."

They were OOS. Back then, no OOS students were offered direct admission. This year, five (out of 150) were. With those credentials, they probably had a < 1% of not getting into the CS major at UW, but apparently there is still a nub of that axe left, so keep on grinding.

For the OP, unless you are at or above the top 25% of the entering class at UW in GPA and SAT/ACT, you should probably go to McGill.

Here’s advice from UW:

https://www.cs.washington.edu/freshmen

My point above relates to question: “Do my background and motivation equip me to excel during my freshman year at UW and gain admission to a competitive major?”

15

@PurpleTitan, of course there are no absolutes, but the question is, what’s the trade off? You can’t take more business classes without giving something up. It’s a net zero decision. How many employers will want depth/breadth in CS coursework versus business classes? Sure some will prefer the latter, but I’m willing to speculate, that the employers who would prefer anything at the expense of depth/breadth in CS would a small minority. The OP can and should ask that question on the engineering forum on CC. With that said, there are instances where a business background might be useful, a small startup for example.

16

So that the CS department could offer “CS” majors to more students instead of having to make it a selective major?

17

@eyemgh: Actually, the OP should ask in the CS forum. CS isn’t engineering. Also, the OP mentioned nothing about business.

May I ask what your background is?

I was a CS major in undergrad and have worked in various industries and fuctions since then.

18

@DadTwoGirls The price I have listed is in US dollars. And it will be around $28K USD if I go down the A&S path.
@mom2collegekids I’m afraid these are my best options.
@PurpleTitan I will be sure to ask in the CS forum as well.
Thank you everyone else for your responses.

19

McGill - great experience and with your major, win-win. Many many many don’t go to UW because of the no direct admit - to the major, you are not alone in that thinking. It could end up being a great waste of money and time.

20

@blueskies2day Thank you for your response.

@PurpleTitan My apologies for not mentioning this in my previous comment as I did not see you had written that, but I am in fact interested in pursuing things like Economics and Business as well. But it seems that they fall under the “Management” or “Commerce” category and not the “Arts” category. So I do not think that the joint degree will allow me to pursue them. So I (not sure if this is possible) may have to apply for the Commerce/Management degree if/when I am there and pursue a double major.