<p>From The Princeton Review</p>
<p>McGill University</p>
<p>Academics</p>
<p>“McGill University in Montreal, Quebec enjoys international name recognition, and its 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. Nobodys 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 arent 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. Theyre also good looking and they dont mind telling you so. Beyond those characteristics, the undergraduate population is widely varied. Diversity is one of McGills best advantages. Its a melting pot of eclectic people of different cultures and backgrounds. This environment doesnt 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. Were interesting kids, reflects a sophomore. "</p>
<p>Campus Life</p>
<p>“McGill has a gorgeous campus, located in the heart of one of the worlds best cities. Students can participate in hundreds of extracurricular clubs and organizations. Intramural sports are reasonably popular. Intercollegiate sports arent, though, and school spirit is pretty low. Its a DIY social experience but theres 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 worlds 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>