McGill University Visit Report by georgiagreenguy

Visit Activities:

Admissions Interview: No - There are no interviews required for admission.

Information Session: No - While waiting on a tour, the waiting room had brochures available and was playing a loop of videos about the school on a large screen.

Campus Tour: Yes - The tour was conducted by a knowledgeable student and visited many areas around the lower campus, and everything we saw was very nice, perhaps a bit too nice...

Overnight Visit: No - n/a

Classroom Visit: No - We did walk into the back of a large class in session and got to peek into a smaller classroom through the windows.

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Campus:

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The students we encountered were very helpful, knowledgeable, and proud of their school.

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All of the staff we encountered were very helpful.

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The campus is well maintained, and the buildings and grounds seem to come together in a very organized way. No cars on campus is also great for walkers and bikers.

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The campus buildings seem to be hit or miss. There are many newly renovated and gorgeous parts of buildings, but other parts of buildings are old and in need of help. Overall everything was clean.

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We did not visit dorms. The tour guide pointed up a hill and told us they were 10 minutes that way.

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The campus has an emergency phone system and is well lit. They also have a system where students, for any reason at any hour, can request to be walked or driven home anywhere on the island.

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The campus is in a great location, the buildings are overall in good upkeep, and the campus is very compact and efficiently laid out.

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Off-Campus:

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The campus is situated between the high-rises of downtown Montréal, with easy access to the métro, and Mount Royal, which has many trails and great views. The location is AWESOME.

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Montréal is really an awesome city. There are many students in the area, a wide range of events, and because most students live off campus, the majority of free time is spent off campus.

Campus Visit Notes for McGill University

Visit Description:

McGill was impressive to me, but my mother was thoroughly unimpressed. I really enjoyed the location and campus, along with the academic environment and features available (such as all classes being recorded and placed online with all resources). However, my mother was cold to the idea that most students live off campus in apartments after their first year. She also was not happy to find out that Canadian universities do not publish statistics like graduation rates or retention rates. I think that Montréal is an awesome city and I could definitely see myself living there, and I can also see myself studying at McGill.

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

Being in the heart of the city with good métro access, there are many nearby and further out accommodation choices available. We stayed several métro stops away in a cheaper hotel.

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

Montréal is very diverse, and there are many great dining options available across the city. We did not eat on campus, but there are several 24 hour Tim Hortons adjacent to the dorms and libraries.

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

Parking is expensive and is a big hassle, but this is an intentional campus initiative to help the environment. The métro is awesome and can take you everywhere, and buses expand the reach even more