<p>I got accepted to the above schools and need help deciding which school to go to.</p>
<p>Here is some of my info.</p>
<ul>
<li>I am Canadian</li>
<li>I want to do business in undergrad</li>
<li>I want to do business in grad</li>
<li>But I am interested in biology</li>
<li>I also want to apply for Medicine school in grad</li>
<li>I want to work in the States after school</li>
<li>Money is a factor (Emory cost ~55k per/y. McGill ~20k/y. Richard Ivey ~20k/y)</li>
</ul>
<p>Is it possible to do Business in undergrad and get accepted to a Medicine school in the USA?</p>
<p>Is it worth going to Emory and pay 55k per year other than McGill/Richard Ivey.</p>
<p>What are the chances of international (Canada) student getting into a med school in US?</p>
<p>Can I take science courses as electives during undergrad while majoring in business? Or is it too difficult?</p>
<p>Does going to Emory make a big difference as opposed to going to a Canadian school if I want to work in the States in the future?</p>
<p>Coming from Canada myself and going to Emory next year, I can compare these schools…if you can afford it, go to Emory… I am choosing it over Canadian acceptances like Mcgill, McMaster, U of T and over American acceptances like U of Chicago, Notre Dame etc. Anyways, you said you are interested in undergrad business. Emory’s Goizueta B school is ranked in the Top 10 in the whole country. Definitely better than the business school at McGill and Western (although Westerns is good as well)… You also said you are interested in bio (there is amazing research opportunities in Atlanta)… Emory absolutely excels in bio… Emory will offer you the best undergrad opportunities… small classes… best facilities (Emory has a 5 BILLION dollar endowment…while McGill’s is not even 1 billion and Western’s is even less)…If you want to work in the States, Emory is the way to go. Plus, U of T is a commuter school… I would never go there for undergrad. </p>
<p>If you want, you can PM me if you have more questions</p>
<p>I can’t agree with the above post. Nothing wrong with Emory, but if money is a factor your best bet is to go to a Canadian school for undergrad and a U.S. grad program. Canadian schools (McGill certainly) have a good reputation in the States, and if you do well you will have an excellent shot at top-tier U.S. grad programs. At at any rate, this was my experience.</p>
<p>HST, I know the OP said money is a factor… but how BIG of a factor is it for him… let me quote myself again…
“if you can afford it, go to Emory”</p>
<p>Notice how I said “if”… OP, if you cannot afford it… and if going to Emory will put your family in huge financial burden, I would definitely say Mcgill (if you want to come to the US after, McGill will give you an advantage over Western).</p>
<p>alam1, fair enough, although we are still going to disagree on the basic issue. The OP asked if the U.S. option was “worth it”, given the difference in cost. This cost difference is very substantial ($35,000 per year, or $140,000 over 4 years). Two of the institutions cited (McGill and Emory) are of essentially equal quality, at least in the eyes of the typical top-tier U.S. graduate school. I simply don’t think this is a $140,000 difference. If the OP comes from considerable wealth, then fine (there is something to be said for studying abroad as a life experience), but this does not appear to be the case here.</p>
<p>HST, “worth it” can mean very different things… yes, Mcgill and Emory are both academically fantastic… but I was making the case that Emory will provide more of a traditional college experience, which is something that will be noticeably absent at McGill. In my mind, things like small class sizes, beautiful campus, accessible professors are extremely important and contribute to the “worth” factor… from what I have heard, Mcgill class sizes are huge, campus could be better, profs are busy with research… all of these deficiencies are typical of a large, grad-oriented Canadian school. That is why I believe that it would be worth it to pick Emory over Mcgill…Also, business at Emory is one of its strengths but business is not a strength of Mcgill’s… something else to consider.</p>
<p>Another point----virtually all leading US MBA programs require at least 2 years of full time post bachelor’s work experience in a business setting. If you have an undergrad business degree and plan to go to medical school, there should be no need for an MBA.</p>
<p>By the way, public medical schools in the US have few if any spaces for international students, as is the case in Canada. Private US medical schools charge tuition in the $50,000 range per year with virtually no scholarships available to international students.</p>
<p>alam1, I think your characterization of conditions at McGill is harsh, but I would like to hear from actual, current McGill students on this point (I have known a few who really enjoyed their time at McGill, but I prefer not to debate via anecdote). Anyway, I hope the OP is able to gain a better sense of the value added from a U.S. undergrad degree. My basic point was that it is not necessary for his/her purposes. Your basic point seems to be that it confers certain advantages, but not necessarily academic ones. I can agree with you on that. I just want the OP to know what he/she is actually getting for his/her parents’ $140,000.</p>
<p>the OP has to decide himself whether the non-academic factors are incentive enough to spend that extra money to attend Emory. If not, then McGill will be a great option. That’s all I am saying.</p>
<p>First off, thanks for all the information guys =).</p>
<p>@tomofboston</p>
<p>You said “If you have an undergrad business degree and plan to go to medical school, there should be no need for an MBA.”</p>
<p>My plan right now is to try to get into a Medicine school. But I know the chances of getting into a Med school is ultra low. So my back up plan is to do undergrad business, work a few years, and apply for MBA. During my undergrad studies, I will have to take elective Science courses in addition to the required business courses. Do you guys think this is a decent plan? Is there flaws in this plan? Any comments are appreciated. Thanks</p>
<p>Also, it seems that from the previous comments - and in the eyes of ad com for grad school - that McGill and Emory are equally regarded. But the university experience, such as profs, class size, etc are better at Emory. If this is true, then I am basically considering paying ~140k difference for the enjoyment of ‘life at university’?</p>
<p>“But the university experience, such as profs, class size, etc are better at Emory. If this is true, then I am basically considering paying ~140k difference for the enjoyment of ‘life at university’?”</p>
<p>I think this is essentially accurate. I feel confident in stating that a McGill degree, if you do well there, will not ‘hold you back’ in any way. McGill is very well respected within the U.S. academic community.</p>
<p>Im pretty amazing at hot little some of you value university “life”… being in a nurturing, undergrad-oriented environment is EXTREMELY important… It is partly why Emory has maybe a 2 or 3 % drop out rate while McGill has like a 20-25 % drop out rate. From what I know, U of Toronto has a 40% drop out rate. It is not a coincidence. University “life” contributes to a student’s success. For me, I know that I need to be happy at a certain place. If I am happy, motivation comes easy for me, which leads to hard work and hopefully good grades. It is all related. Do not purely focus on the academic aspect of university. Too many people make the mistake of doing that.</p>
<p>EDIT: You are right noimagination. I believe the 40% drop out rate was for certain programs… regardless, that page says… overall there is a 20% drop out rate… still significantly more than Emory and other top privates.</p>
<p>“University “life” contributes to a student’s success. For me, I know that I need to be happy at a certain place. If I am happy, motivation comes easy for me, which leads to hard work and hopefully good grades. It is all related. Do not purely focus on the academic aspect of university. Too many people make the mistake of doing that”</p>
<p>Now you are imposing your views on the OP. There are plenty of Canadians who took their undergrad degree in Canada and who would disagree strongly with what you are saying, as well as the assumptions underlying your statement. I am one of them. I earned my B.A. at a Canadian university and a graduate degree from a top-tier U.S. university. I had an excellent undergraduate experience, both academically and in other respects.<br>
I hope you enjoy Emory, and I expect you will. To each his own.</p>
<p>Hmm… I wasn’t trying to impose… although I can see how my post may have given off that vibe. Anyways, all my posts are obviously opinion-based. I am not trying to make them seem more credible than they are. I was in OPs situation couple of months ago. I am curious to know though how much the OP values university “life” and what constitutes a positive experience for him/her. Based on that, he or she will have to make a decision.</p>
<p>As a response to the question, “I am curious to know though how much the OP values university “life” and what constitutes a positive experience for him/her.”</p>
<p>University life is ‘quite’ important for me. But the thing is, I have friends going to McGill and I am sure my uni life will be as pleasant as it can be at McGill. On the other hand, I really like enjoying the international experience. I went to a Cornell summer program last summer and it was amazing. But part of the international experience is meeting new people etc. And I am sure that I will met plenty of new people at McGill. Also, in that sense, I will be travelling from BC to QC so its sort of like an across the country move. </p>
<p>The matter I am concerned with is that if I do not go to Emory, will I regret it (take it as “Am I giving up on an opportunity?”)
And if I go to McGill and get say a 4.0, will my chances be greater or the same as Emory in getting a top tier graduate school in the USA (excluding ECs etc). Furthermore, I have plans to transfer the next year to Cornell regardless of which university I go to this fall. Can Emory help me with that? Or does McGill give me equal chance?</p>
<p>“The matter I am concerned with is that if I do not go to Emory, will I regret it (take it as “Am I giving up on an opportunity?”)
And if I go to McGill and get say a 4.0, will my chances be greater or the same as Emory in getting a top tier graduate school in the USA (excluding ECs etc). Furthermore, I have plans to transfer the next year to Cornell regardless of which university I go to this fall. Can Emory help me with that? Or does McGill give me equal chance?”</p>
<p>Academically, McGill is in no way inferior to Emory. U.S. adcoms know this. I cannot see that you are giving up anything, from an academic perspective.</p>
<p>I was willing to tell you more about Emory… until you said you have plans to transfer to Cornell. Suddenly, I think you should go to Mcgill. If you are going to come to a university with a predetermined mindset that you will leave after a year, i don’t know how much positivity you will bring to campus. Sorry if I sound harsh but I would never go to a university already having made up my mind about transferring. Three great universities gave you an opportunity to attend… and you are not returning the favour very well. I mean… if you don’t like the university after your first year and you decide to transfer, that is a totally different story. You should, however, be willing to give other universities a chance.</p>
<p>Anyways, since Cornell is your main goal, save as much money as you can the first year and go to McGill. Getting a 4.0 at Mcgill, however, will be extremely difficult. Lastly, McGill will not hinder your abilities to transfer to a US school but do remember that there is a chance you will not get in as a transfer since transfer acceptance rates are usually low.</p>
<p>O my plans for Cornell are just plans. But depending on the degree I think Emory or McGill is a fit school for me, I might not transfer. Its because I went to Cornell before and did some courses and loved it that I am having thoughts of transferring.</p>
<p>And don’t worry about sounding harsh, I know your trying to help me =)</p>
<p>Edit: So do you guys think Western Ontario should not be considered? Because at the Richard Ivey program, I can do biomedical sciences first 2 years and business the next 2 years. So it seems beneficial for me because I like med/business.</p>
<p>Western’s business school is very reputable, but the school is overall a tad less well-known in the States. That doesn’t make it any less desirable, but simply explains why many here do not recommend it.</p>
<p>Overall, I would say that all three are peers for business. Western is weaker for the medical end, but if it has a good combined program that might more than make up for it.</p>