What University should I chose?

College Search & Selection
1

Hey. So I just started researching about my college choices and I wanted you guys to tell me everything you knew about these universities and also give me your opinions on where I should go and why.

I am majoring in COMPUTER ENGINEERING

So I have to chose between:
McGill Univeristy (waiting for a reply from waterloo but I think I prefer McGill)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Illinois Institute of Technology (if they accept my appeal and give me more aid)

I’ve compiled a small list of bad comments I’ve encountered while researching on these schools and I also have a few questions

McGill

  • For now I am leaning more towards McGill but a few cons that have come up on almost every post about McGill is the large class size, how difficult the coursework is and how independent McGill wants you to be (like they don't help you with course to choose, advice about majors/minors, internships etc...). How big of a problem is this? Do class sizes get smaller I time passes? Are professors friendly and open for office hours? and is the coursework manageable? considering I'm mostly a A student.
  • I'm doing the British A Level program. So how many years is the computer engineering course?
  • Is it easy to get a job on campus?
  • Are there online classes? I hope not...
  • would I be able to endure the weather? Are there good weather days in the summer for example where I can just go out in a tank top?
  • I don't know how to describe this but is the campus one big compound or are the buildings scattered around downtown Montreal with public roads passing through the school?
  • I heard classes start at 8:30 am. Is this true? or can I make my own schedule and say, have all my classes start at 11 am.
  • How are the residence halls? How many people share a bathroom?
  • Are there courses that I might be forced to take? like Canadian history or something
  • Do I write my exams before the christmas breaks? and like American schools, do I take different classes each semester so forgetting what I learned after finals is not a problem?
  • Canadian schools have less endowment that US school so how are the facilities. Will I get enough hands on experience? how are the labs etc...
  • How's the campus life? partying, going out, activities, clubs etc..?
  • What companies recruit on campus = Would you say McGIll education is equivalent to UI Urbana Champain, Purdue undergrad?

Cons of Worcester:

  • Very nerdy school, very bad boy - girl ratio
  • I hear Dorms are single sex, 1 bathroom per floor and in the middle of the hall ways, no common rooms…
  • I hear I am forced to take a humanities courses each term
  • There are four 7 week terms. Does this mean I write final exams 4 four times a year? and are there mid term exams?
  • Cafeteria has restricted food choices and closes very early
  • I hear it’s not safe, with reported on campus killings
  • How are the facilities
  • How’s the campus life?
  • Which uni is more prestigious between WPI and McGill?
  • Are the average starting salaries at WPI higher than at McGill?

I know this is a lot to answering, but you don’t have to answer everything. Just answer what you can and give me an opinion on where I should go. I haven’t started my research on IIT and I don’t think they will give me more scholarship.

2

Based on what you say, you should reconsider Waterloo - arguably the strongest for CSE, especially if you got co-op, a good compromise between WPI and McGill.

3

IIT but no UIUC? I would say McGIll. UofT would be better to be honest but out of the three given I would favor McGill. In terms of computer engineering, UIUC would be better but as an overall experience I think McGill has an edge.

4

I take classes at WPI, and although I have not visited McGill yet, I think it’s probably better.
But to address your concerns about it:
-the boy to girl ratio looks bad, but when you’re on campus you don’t really notice it. It’s not really as nerdy as you would think. Although there are people who fit the nerd stereotype, there are also a lot of people who are sporty, and others who fit other stereotypes.
-I can’t comment on the dorms, as I don’t live on campus, but I have heard some horror stories… I think you could live through it, though.
-I also can’t comment on the humanities thing, sorry.
-There are four terms, and yeah. You do have to take finals 4 times per year. Some classes have midterms, but others don’t. Most of the time (in my experience), professors will have a test in the middle of the term that they will call a midterm, but really it’s just another test.
-The cafeteria in the campus center is pretty limited, and the hours are pretty horrible. There is a buffet in another building, and more dining halls scattered around that I can’t comment on because I haven’t been to them.
-WPI feels very safe. I don’t know if anyone has been killed, but if they were, it was probably a long time ago. Worcester isn’t the greatest city in the world, and there are bad parts. WPI is in what I would consider the nicest part of the city. There are blue buttons everywhere that you can press if you feel unsafe. You see campus police driving around too.
-I also can’t really comment on campus life. There seem to be quite a few activities going on at any given time, but it’s nothing crazy. If you’re into frats/sororities, they seem to be a thing that a lot of people take part in.
-McGill’s average salary for Computer Engineering is $78,344, and WPI’s is $64,917 - $113,531, as reported on Payscale. It didn’t say starting salary, but it’s something…
-topuniversities.com ranked McGill much higher than WPI. I don’t know how credible this site is, but I think it’s ok.
I hope that this was helpful!

5

McGill, WPI and IIT-Chicago are very different universities.

Look at the web site to find the distribution requirements for WPI. You will find, for example, that you are not required to take one humanities course per term.

McGill likely emphasizes theory more than WPI and likewise WPI likely emphasizes design more than McGill.

One downside of McGill if you want to work in the US as an international student is getting a visa. If you want to do graduate school in the US, this should not be an issue.

Starting salaries are probably higher at WPI. Though if you compare engineering salaries at McGill with engineering salaries at WPI, they should be comparable.

6

In terms of prestige, it’s hard to say as neither university is prestigious for engineering, but I’d give the edge to McGill though I’m not sure by how much. Waterloo and Toronto are likely the most reputable Canadian undergrad engineering schools.

7

I will try to answer some of your questions.

It is probably harder to get an A at McGill than at WPI. WPI is not easy, but I know McGill is especially difficult with no evidence of grade inflation. You do have to be much more independent at McGill. From personal experience (so just a few data points) the advising is not nearly as good as it is at WPI. However, not everyone needs handholding. It is easier to fall through the cracks at McGill. That doesn’t mean you will fall through the cracks. Just that there isn’t the safety net there is at WPI.

WPI is on a 7-week term system. Courses move quickly and there are some intense periods. The down side of this is there is no slow period. There is a lot of work from day 1. Computer science courses are probably some of the most time consuming. I would assume there is a lot of homework at McGill as well even though they have a longer semester.

What is nice about McGill is that they build in a ‘reading week’ before finals which actually gives you time to study for finals. At WPI, professors teach right up to the final. On the other hand, it seems most finals at WPI are not cumulative. My daughter typically has 3 exams per course, so one exam every 2 to 3 weeks. The last one is the last day of class. So she would have 3 exams (one for each course) the last week of class, plus any final projects due. There isn’t a lot of free space in the 7-week term.

As far as specific course requirements (humanities, etc.) you can check online course catalogues. Both schools spell out requirements. Just about any engineering curriculum will require you to take some humanities. It’s a question of how structured the requirements are. Please do your research as I am sure you can find that info online.

It is colder in Montreal than Worcester in the winter. But, neither school is a good weather destination. September can be very warm. May can be very warm. Summers you can definitely wear a tank top. Fall is beautiful, winter is cold and usually snowy (except for this winter).

Look at a campus map of McGill. Most of the campus feels like a campus, though there are some streets running through it. It’s not like NYU which is a purely urban campus. There is a definite McGill campus and it is very pretty and a bit hilly. But you don’t forget you are in a city. WPI has a much smaller campus with a slightly more isolated feel.

Worcester as a city probably has more crime than Momtreal on a per capita basis. However, the campus is very safe. I have never heard of ‘killings’ on campus. Montreal is an infinitely nicer city than Worcester. And one has to be more careful in Worcester. The school is good about impressing upon the students the need to be careful off campus, not to walk alone at night, etc. Montreal has more of a nightlife shared by residents of the city, more restaurants and music venues. So it is very lively at night and feels much safer.

I would say McGill is on par with University of Illinois and is more prestigious than WPI. That doesn’t mean you would not do well with a degree from WPI. Their grads are very successful. These are two very different schools. My daughter wanted the smaller, close-knit feel of WPI. She liked that it was easy to get to know the professors, and they seemed dedicated to undergraduate education when we visited. It was a better fit for her than McGill would have been. McGill is more impersonal. I think a strong student can thrive at either school.

8

@VMT WOW! Thanks you so much for the detailed info. Very helpful! From you say I don’t think I will enjoy WPI’s 7 weeks system and as I procrastinate a lot! And I usually need a little bit more time to really understand a new topic. And McGill “reading week” seems like it will really help me. Also everyone I’ve spoken to about this decision has emphasised on Montreal. So that’s a big plus for McGill. WPI has smaller class sizes and I would really like that but that’s really the only thing I think WPI has over McGill. I would like to ask a few more questions though

  • Can I easily get a campus job at both schools?
  • Can you comment about the facilities in both universities? McGill's endowment is about 1.4 billion but WPI's 400 million. But WPI is a private so does this make a difference? How are the labs in both schools.
  • I think I read somewhere that McGill emphasises more on theory. is this true??
  • How are the internship opportunities? what kind of firms recruit from both schools
  • How do the starting salaries for computer engineering fare?
  • Is it easy to obtain permanent residency in the Canada?
  • If I want to do my graduate school in the US. Will it be easy for me to study in the US. And after this will I be required to go back in canada or I can stay in the US if I find a job there?
  • Since you have a daughter at WPI, what can you tell me about the school? How are the dorms and bathrooms? (Ive heard AND seen pretty miserable things about it)
  • What do you think WPI has over McGill? why do you I would like to go to WPI?
9

@XAtlas I got rejected from UIUC. I did get into a few good schools in the US though, like Penn State and Northeastern but they gave very little or no scholarship/
@nathano Thank you so much. Although you said you have not visited McGill, but since you take classes at WPI, can you tell me what you think WPIs best features are? and why you think that an international student like me would like to go there. How are the facilities and how do you think they compare with McGills. Is WPI recognised amongst employers around the united states?
Also do you know anything about McGill?

10

WPI’s dorms are typical. They seemed similar to what we saw at other schools. McGill has a little more variation in their dorms. Some traditional, some full apartments.

I do not know about residency requirements. And I cannot really answer most of your other questions. I’m not going to try to convince you to go to
WPI. You have a handle on the major differences. Read the course catalogues and websites and contact the schools with questions. Look for YouTube videos. Do some research. I think you will be able to come to a definitive decision.

Good luck!