McGill vs. Tulane

confusedsenior02
Mon, 28 Mar 2016 00:00:14 +0000

Hello everyone, I posted here a while ago but I’ve since narrowed down my options. I’m not considering any schools above $50,000, so that leaves me with McGill, Tulane, and Rutgers. However, I’ve also ruled at Rutgers because I do not wish to attend school in my home state, I want to branch out, and I’m not particularly fond of the size of the campus. That being said, I’m now deciding between McGill and Tulane and I’m completely torn. At McGill, I’d be in far less debt as tuition and room and board would be less than $25,000, as I would be in the Faculty of Arts. At Tulane, I received a $20,000 scholarship but that would still make tuition and room and board somewhere between $45,000-$47,000 plus airfare. I have yet to visit Tulane (I will be in the first week of April) but I’m pretty sure nothing about the visit will really deter me from the school. For financial reasons, choosing McGill seems obvious. I love the city, the more international student body, academic rigor, and I could really picture myself there. However, I’m limited in what I can study as it’s extremely difficult to transfer to a different faculty, and there is little academic support available. You really have to fend for yourself, which I’m okay with, but I’m just a little bit intimidated and worried about future career prospects considering the lack of services available for students on campus. Also, I’m worried I’d feel isolated up there considering the long, dreary winter. Then there’s Tulane. It costs far more, but the school seems so much more supportive and welcoming. When you’re admitted, you’re admitted to the whole school and really have a chance to discover what you’re interested in. I love the school’s emphasis on community service, and overall everyone there seems really happy. It seems like a place where I could succeed both academically and socially, and who doesn’t want that? Additionally, something about staying in the country is comforting, even if the distance from my hometown to New Orleans is further than the distance from here to Montreal. I know that I could be happy at either school, at least I think I could, but something about Tulane keeps drawing me in despite the fact that McGill is better ranked internationally. Basically, I’m really unsure about what to do and would appreciate advice! (Note: You can talk about financials, but please don’t make it your entire justification for why I should attend one school or the other).