Guest Spencer Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 Hi McGill-ers, As a humble Ontario high school student, I'm looking to all of you for the real scoop on what undergrad at McGill is like. McGill began releasing Early Admissions to selected applicants for Ontario students yesterday. I was not expecting early admissions because my program was listed under the 'MAY NOT RECEIVE EARLY ADMISSIONS' list. I checked Minerva anyway last night and found out I was 'accepted pending final results' which would be my high school results, methinks. Anyway, McGill fits the bill for me in almost everyway. I only have one MAJOR concern about it. Because McGill attracts the highest caliber of students from around the country, I have a sneaking suspicion that it is INCREDIBLY difficult to do well there. What with bell curving and mark scaling...attempting to do well against a class of the brightest and best in the country sounds like it's pretty much impossible. If you've done your undergrad at McGill, how are the mark distributions like? I got accepted to the new Bachelor of Arts and Science program btw! Do you think it's really difficult to do well within undergrad at McGill? I mean...I know the old adage with the whole put the effort in and you'll reap what you sow blah blah blah...but we all know it's easier to do well at certain schools and hard to do well at others...just trying to gauge where McGill fits into that scale. I work hard, but I'm not a bright guy...I'm struggling to keep my marks up as it is...and I need to do well in undergrad to score a good chance at meds later on in my life. Please share your experiences regarding McGill. Also, if you've come OOP to McGill...how was the transition like?...I starkly remember attempting to converse with a janitor at McGill during a campus visit...needless to say, it didn't go well because he didn't speak English and my Ontario Gr. 9 French was just abysmal! Any insights would be greatly appreciated! À bientôt, Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest richmond604 Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 hey......first off, congrats on acceptance, "I have a sneaking suspicion that it is INCREDIBLY difficult to do well there" nah, so far, I know a lot of ppl with high GPA's, it all depends how much you know your material, and yes, intelligence does help a bit "What with bell curving and mark scaling...attempting to do well against a class of the brightest and best in the country sounds like it's pretty much impossible." I don't think it's possible to have a class of "brightest and best in the country"...(unless you are talking about medicine) within a population, theres always the cream of the cream...........and bell curving doesn't happen too often, especially with chemistry exams that I've had so far. If even they do curve, I think they always try to bring your marks up (thats what bell curving is for), and profs have a good measure of how well the students perform when they make their exams. Remember, having a class average of 66% doesn't reflect individual performance (they'll always be those people getting >95%) aaaaaaaaaah................back to studying :eek :eek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest medicator007 Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 Firstly, congrats on ur acceptance... I did my undergrad at McGill and am now in medical school there as well, though not from OOP. I can honestly reiterate most of what Richmond said. The fact remains that there is a full spectrum of students in all disciplines at McGill and your grade will reflect what your skill and effort deserve. Sure some courses are rumoured to have set marks and curves, but that is no different than most schools and in the end you are all in the same boat. I think McGill is a great school, but then so are others in this country. Montreal is a wonderful city, though I am biased and in spite of your Janitorial experience I don't think overally you will find comminication to be too great an impediment and at the very least will force you to improve your grade 9 french:) Feel free to post any of yourr other questions or concerns here. Medicator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noncestvrai Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 I think you mentioned something really important, that may be the key to your success, you said you worked hard, well that is the difference in any field for great achievement. You just started by being accepted to McGill, and congratulations for that. Now, it will be important to be carefull with tentations as Montreal, she is full of zem... In any case good luck, hopefully you won't stay at McGill for 10 years like me...hehe. Yes, I was tempted, and she seduced me. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spencer Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Heyo Everybody, Just wanted to thank you guys for the responses. They are much appreciated. I have another question regarding funding a McGill education. With my offer of admissions, I have been offered a scholarship. It is not a lot, but any scholarships from McGill is a good one! With that in mind, I am looking for ways to finance my education (and living on residence...because for some reason...it is HELLA expensive compared to other Canadian uni rez). I am in the process of applying for Financial Aid, but I find the application very ambiguous and vague. Does McGill give out financial aid easily? Every little bit will help. A question of technicality. On the application, it asks that you list 'Amount contributed from parents' and 'Amount from Trust Fund/Education Savings Plan'. Though the education savings plan is obviously contributed from my parents and so is my parents' annual contribution...that is all fine and dandy and I can separate the two...but at the bottom of the application...they ask that you list reasons why your parents may be contributing minimally. My parents are not contributing a lot to me annually, but they have over the years with the Education Savings Plan...would I consider their annual contribution when answering that question (which would not be a lot...) or would I consider their cumulative education savings plan contribution (which would be a lot more)? ...It seems between the scholarship, parent's contribution and the RESP, I have somewhere around $15000 (for first year)...will McGill give me anymore? Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noncestvrai Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 It depends on the budget you have, in you're in the red you will get more from McGill, as I did for medschool. My parents are now retired, and unable to give me money for school, I have been paying for school on my own since I started university. I received 3K from McGill. You should check Canada loans too, or Quebec in you're a resident. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shaunabelle Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 noncestvrai, does that mean that med students are able to apply for bursaries etc at McGill, is there a form we need to fill out now or will it come with our acceptance letter? I have another question regarding tution costs. i was interviewed as a in-province, but all my taxes/healthcare is done through alberta, will i need to pay in-province or out of province tuition? When i move this summer should i change my residency to Quebec (ie health care card, drivers license etc?) so that i can get the quebec tuition? What about my government loans (all previous ones are albertan)? Sorry you probably cant answer many of these questions... can you at least point me in the right direction as to where i can get answers... thanks! Shauna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Med4life Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Hey Shauna, If ur born in quebec then you just need to show ur birth cirtificate to the accounts office and u'll pay the in-province rate. I know that McGill has a loan and a bursary financial aid program and any student can apply. They'll evaluate your resources and give you what you need. I applied this year for financial aid as an undergrad and got 2K in loans. They tend to be generous in giving out loans and not so much for bursaries but you can give it a try. btw, did anyone get an official acceptance letter yet?? Med4life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Med4life Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 I forgot to say that since ur in province u'll also be eligible to apply for the quebec loan and bursary program which as far as I know is the most generous one. Med4life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noncestvrai Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Since lots of people went in the streets to fight to get back the bursaries in the bursaries and loan program in Quebec, it will be generous for the med student...you do have to pay 6K in tuition in first year. As far as the McGill Bursary Program, the forms come in the acceptance envelope if I remember well. This Program is foor poor people like me...but you might get from 0 to 3K depending. If you are a Quebec resident for school, I don't know if it would be the same for the RAMQ, you would have to apply for a card anyways. I am not sure either for the Quebec loan. You can check here. www.afe.gouv.qc.ca/english/indexAng.asp www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/index_en.shtml Good luck. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spencer Posted April 20, 2005 Report Share Posted April 20, 2005 Heyo Everyone! As a condition of my scholarship, I am guaranteed my FIRST CHOICE for residence. Any suggestions? New Residence looks really cool (though super expensive). How is the commute like? I can't really tell the relative distances involved in living at each of the residences. So far, I'm heavily considering New Residence, Solin and Douglas Hall. Single room? Double room? Any difference? I also noticed that there are such things as STUDIO suites at Solin Hall, what's the difference between STUDIO and non-STUDIO? And what about those houses they rent out to students but are still considered part of rez...are they any good? Eeeek! I'm so excited about coming to McGill...but I still haven't made up my mind 100% yet =\. Hopefully, you guys can help! Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest garp Posted April 21, 2005 Report Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi Spencer, It has been ages since I was in residence (so much so that New Residence wasn't even conceived at that point in time)...I was in Douglas Hall (single room) and absolutely loved it...I wouldnt recommend Solin (others may disagree) as it is relatively far--making it difficult to become fully involved in campus life...New Residence isnt all that far away, though I did like the "charm" of living in an older residence...I am sure that this advice is rather vague and others may tell you something completely different, but just make sure you are actually in residence and not MORE (harder to meet people that way...).... good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spencer Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Thanks garp for your input. A friend of mine is a Residence Don at Douglas and he says it's pretty amazing. Out of all the so-called upper campus residences, Douglas Hall seems like the best. Anybody else got any suggestions as to where to live for first year? I've only been to Montreal all of 3 times...so I'm not too familiar with it. New Residence Hall looks good but it's really expensive. Do you guys think it's worth the price? Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noncestvrai Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 New Residence is a hotel...in med 1 we have exams there, in a room that actually sucks for histology exams since you may be at the back don't see $hit. It does not seem to have the "old school college" feel of the one up University street... It looked nice, but sounds so expensive. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spencer Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Heh...my parents are putting all the cards on the table now. They really want me to go to McGill (rather than Australia) and they are willing to pay for a single room at New Residence for me. It's all pretty sad when you think about...I don't want to spend their money anymore than I have to. A single room would be awesome though...and I don't think I'm necessarily the greatest person to get along with...so having a roomie may mean trouble. *Sigh* decisions, decisions...how's the off-campus housing like? Anything good around the downtown campus? Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UTStudent03 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Hey Spencer, Congrats on the acceptance. I just wanted to offer my $0.02 here. If you have the opportunity then I would recommend, strongly, that you live in residence first year. I'm not knocking the commuter's life by any means (as I am one myself!) but I feel I've missed out on so much not being in residence. Based on my experience commuters have a harder time getting involved in the school community, and there certainly were times in my first year that I felt disconnected from the school. Living in residence, even if it's only for your first year, will expose you to so much outside of academics - clubs, sports, and most importantly, new people. Good luck with the decision. UT03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McGill Angel Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Hey Spencer, Congrats on getting accepted to McGill. Although many people have already given you their two cents, I would like to say that if you put in the work, you can DEFINATELY do very well at McGill. So far, very few of my classes have been "curved". First year classes are probably the toughest because of the size of the classes (for example, BIOL 200 has over 1000 people in it) and there's a lot of material to know, but as you get towards U3, classes start getting smaller and more advanced, and in my opinion somewhat easier since emphasis is placed on understanding rather than just memorization. As for choice of residence, I would definately say New Rez. Accomodations are much more comfortable, the food is better and there are lots of other conveniences in new rez. Also, getting to school is ALOT easier. All the other residences (except Solin) are located way up on the Mountain, so be prepared for quite a hike to get back to your room. Although it's not bad in the fall, in the winter it is BRUTAL due to the ice, cold and wind. New rez (although it appears on the map to be further), is actually very close to campus, although further away from Macmed, but first year classes are mainly held in lower campus anyways. Well, think about your residence decision and have a great summer of rest and relaxation before you start at McGill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MD Hammer Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 Hey Spencer, Congrats on getting into McGill! I also did my undergrad there, loved it, lived in res as a first year and returned later as a Floor Fellow - residence at McGill is a truly unique experience as far as res experiences go in Canada. It's a blast and something that you should not give up! As far as choosing residences go, New Res definitely has nicer accomodations - it used to be a Renaissance Hotel. However, I lived in Gardner in my first year and was a Floor Fellow in McConnell and can attest to the fact that Upper Res has a certain charm to it - there is definitely more comraderie in Upper Res and I think it provides a more social environment than New Res. Of course, this may be due to the fact that the rooms are significantly smaller and you share the bathroom with 18 other people - forces you to get to know your neighbours! If you are more of an independent person, preferring to cook for yourself and have more independent living conditions, MORE is also a good choice. In MORE, you can choose to living in single or shared living conditions that are set-up apartment style. Some older students select MORE as their living conditions for subsequent years, so the student population in more heterogeneous in MORE (whereas Upper and New Res are all first year students). Solin also provides for a more independent living style, however, Solin is located very far away from campus. It is, however, located close to a Metro station, so the commute is relatively easy. It is located in a more marginal part of the city, but is fairly safe. Personally, I think the accomodations in Solin are the nicest - it is a loft-style of living. The advantage of living farther away from campus is that it gives you an opportunity to get outside of the McGill bubble. So, in terms of choosing the res that is best for you, it definitely depends on what you want to get out of your first year experience and your personality. Every res has its charms, it's just a matter of finding the right fit for you! I hope that helps, and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spencer Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Thanks guys for all of your replies! I've passed along to my parents your advice and we're going to make a decision together. There is a McGill seminar in Toronto for newly admitted students this Saturday so I will attend that and ask any further questions I have. Actually...there's one that seems kind of out of place. I am a guy...and I have a girlfriend (read: friend who is a girl)...we've been bestest friends since forever...and she is planning to go to McGill...there's no way we can room together, right? Not in a traditional dormitory setting (ie. New Rez)? Anyway, I was leaning to the single room only because I'm afraid of future conflicts with my unknown roomie...and I don't want to gamble the happiness of my first year at rez...depending on who my roomie is. But, if I know who my roomie is...that would make for some savings in terms of getting a double room and such... Does McGill rez have a policy where if you request to be with someone, you'll end up with that person for sure? And if so, if I'm guaranteed my first choice of rez and my friend requests to be with me...does that mean s/he will end up wherever I decide to go? Just a couple more questions related to the living situation=)! Thanks guys! Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MD Hammer Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 Hey Spencer - In New Res, I believe you can only have a roomate of the same sex - I may be wrong about that, but I am pretty sure that is the case. You do have the option of putting down the name of someone you would prefer to live with, and if you both end up getting into the same Residence, we tried to honour those preferences. The thing is, because there are so many people vying for spots in Res, you cannot always get into your first choice. So, if for some reason you and your preferred roomie do not get into the same residence, it is pretty hard to accomodate requests to room together. This may be different if you are a scholarship kid, who gets first crack at the res spots. However, if your roomie of choice does not get this advantage, you may be SOL! If you do not have a roomie in mind of the same sex, probably the best bet is to go for the single room - there are a few in New Res (they are a pretty sweet deal!), and 90% of the rooms in Upper Res are singles. Knowing the McGill Res system, I think there should be no problem accomodating a request for a single room. Especially if you are on scholarship, you should be able to get your first choice. Good luck with your decision! I am sure you are going to love your first year! Word of advice (I know this is unsolicited advice, so, I apologize for this, but I want to help people from making the same mistakes that I did), from one scholarship kid to another, remember to keep your focus in first year! Keeping a 3.5 may seem like a piece of cake, but a few bad decisions can ruin all your hard work to get that scholarship. I had a 3.9 in my first semester, but nearly blew away my scholarship in second semester from a bit too much partying and bunging around! Being in a place like res, where there are so many people to meet, so many things to do, just remember who you are, what your goals are and stick with. Good luck with your choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest richmond604 Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 It seems to me that if you didn't get that entrance scholarship, it'll be impossibel to get any later on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spencer Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Woohoo! McGill gave me a $3000 bursary! (For those of you who care...) I tried contacting my Faculty Adviser...but I don't think they have one for Artsci. Does anybody know what required first-year courses I need to take as a B.A.Sc U0 student? Thanks! Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Floating to the top... Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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