Is McGill a decent (or world-class) school?

College Search & Lists
32

<p>From The Princeton Review</p>

<p>McGill University</p>

<p>Academics</p>

<p>“McGill University in Montreal, Quebec enjoys “international name recognition,” and it’s “unapologetically a top-notch, high-powered research university.” Many resources rival the best anywhere in the world. “The libraries are amazing.” Other facilities are “rather shabby,” though, and “McGill is unique in that the administration tends to go against the students’ society (SSMU).” The administration is “extremely tedious” and “difficult to navigate.” “The sheer amount of red tape, inefficiency, and incompetence is astounding.” Also, while registration is “fantastically easy,” some students “would have appreciated better academic guidance.” “McGill forces you to take responsibility for yourself,” cautions a biology major. “Nobody’s going to be coddling you, but “once you figure out how to make the school work for you, things are mostly smooth sailing.” ” There are more than 300 areas of study, and “there does not seem to be a lot of integration between disciplines.” Some classes have “over 500 students.” Other classes “are not nearly as large.” The faculty is a seriously mixed bag. Some professors are “amazingly passionate, talented, dedicated, and interesting” and they “genuinely care about students.” Many others are “very disinterested in teaching” or “barely fluent in English.” For many students, the workload is “exhausting.” “A ‘B+’ deserves a pat on the back” here and the struggle for good grades can be “cutthroat.” Other students aren’t as competitive, though, and McGill offers an “easy life for those who just want to pass.” “The academic seriousness of each individual student largely correlates to their chosen major.””</p>

<p>Student Body</p>

<p>"Students here describe themselves as “very smart.” They’re also “good looking” and they don’t mind telling you so. Beyond those characteristics, the undergraduate population is widely varied. “Diversity is one of McGill’s best advantages.” It’s “a melting pot of eclectic people of different cultures and backgrounds.” “This environment doesn’t allow for cookie cutters,” relates a junior. “There are many niches for students to be able to find a place.” The international contingent is huge. “McGill recruits students from all over the world” who “speak several languages and have multiple citizenships” “A lot of people seem to take themselves too seriously and always want to win an argument,” says a junior. Others are “really down to earth.” There are “plenty of preppy students” and “rich, white kids who grew up in Toronto and attended private high school.” Other students are emphatically “middle class.” There are “jeans-clad, beer-drinking, indie pop-listening” students. There are “academically devoted students, late-night party fiends, hippies,” and “elitist, fashion-victim” “scenesters” “adhering to the latest style.” Other students are “crunchy,” “cry-baby social activists.” Still others are “major stoners.” McGill is also home to “one of the larger openly gay communities in Canada.” “We’re interesting kids,” reflects a sophomore. "</p>

<p>Campus Life</p>

<p>“McGill has a “gorgeous campus,” “located in the heart of one of the world’s best cities.” Students can participate in hundreds of extracurricular clubs and organizations. Intramural sports are reasonably popular. Intercollegiate sports aren’t, though, and “school spirit is pretty low.” “It’s a DIY social experience but there’s something for everyone,” says a sophomore. Students say they “know when to buckle down and work hard.” When the time is right, many students “drink a lot,” “but it’s done with the same vigor that students give their school work and extra-curriculars.” The drinking age in Quebec is 18 and marijuana is not unheard of, but “the only people who really make a big deal about these things are the American students who come up here and are wowed by it all for their first year. Then they settle down and enjoy things in moderation like everyone else.” “Housing is not offered after first year so there is no choice” but to live off campus for most students. Nobody cares, though, because the “relatively cheap,” “wildly fun,” “quasi-European city” of Montreal is “one of the world’s greatest college towns.” There are “ethnic quarters with every culture and food imaginable.” “Nightlife is incomparable” and “the music scene is really good.” “There is never a night when there is nothing to do,” says a senior. “This is both a good and bad thing.” “Outdoorsy stuff” is also plentiful. “Mount Royal, which is a park just north of campus, has bike and running paths and a beautiful observatory overlooking the city at the top which is great for exercising and exploring when the weather is nice,” explains a junior. In the winter months, when the weather is decidedly not so nice, opportunities to hit the slopes are “very close.””</p>