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Rank: Frosh
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 8
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I am a high school student planning on studying science in university, but I have no clue where to go! I have been accepted to the University of Alberta, UBC, Queens, and McGill! Where should I go?! I have looked at all the rankings, and they are all good schools, each with different unique aspects. But I also want to consider other students feedback about their experiences there! I need to decide by June 1st! SO HELP ME! Any kind of feedback is useful, thanks!!
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Rank: Student Body Vice-President
Joined: 1/4/2011
Posts: 782
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What do you wanna major in? Do you wanna go to med/law? Gotta be more detailed :/ Personally? I'd go with either Queen's or McGill, with UBC a close 3rd. Nothing against U of A, just I've never found anything to be particularly appealing about it, although I hear it is a great school. Waterloo Mechanical Engineering '17
Applied:
McGill :) :( :( :(
Western :)
Ivey :(
U of T :) :)
Waterloo :) :) :)
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Rank: Frosh
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 8
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iliketurtles wrote:What do you wanna major in? Do you wanna go to med/law? Gotta be more detailed :/
Personally? I'd go with either Queen's or McGill, with UBC a close 3rd. Nothing against U of A, just I've never found anything to be particularly appealing about it, although I hear it is a great school. Oops, sorry should have been more specific! I am not 100% sure on what I want to do after my undergrad. But I am going to take prerequisites for med school, and physiotherapy. I am wanting to major in probably more of the biological sciences, like biology, physiology, or science based psychology. I was planning on taking a broad range of courses in my first year to get a feel for what I like, and then declare my major in my second year. And the only problem with McGill, and Queens is that it is very far away (I live in B.C). Also I have heard absolutely nothing from McGill, I only got my acceptance letter and that is it! I feel like if I already feel so disconnected, it might very hard being so far away from home and immersed in such a big, and what I am gathering to be an almost-unwelcoming campus! Plus its very expensive. But I am drawn to it because of its prestige!! Queens is also top of my list, and I have received a decent scholarship from them, but they don't seem to have as many opportunities for research as UBC, U of A or McGill. I feel like they are more a business focused school, I may be wrong but thats just what I have gathered from their open houses I've attended. UBC is nice and close to me, and they have a beautiful campus (even though technically thats not something that should influence me). Being close to the ocean, they have also lots of ocean sciences which has always intrigued me, even though that may not be the most practical of a degree. And they also have lots of opportunities for research. U of A's only downfall is that it is SO COLD there!! But I do have family, and they have awesome athletics ( I am very into sports). Plus their room & board is considerably cheaper than all the other places I have applied too! And they are also very well known for medical research, etc.
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Rank: Senior Student  Joined: 6/16/2011 Posts: 59
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DaniMatson wrote:iliketurtles wrote:What do you wanna major in? Do you wanna go to med/law? Gotta be more detailed :/
Personally? I'd go with either Queen's or McGill, with UBC a close 3rd. Nothing against U of A, just I've never found anything to be particularly appealing about it, although I hear it is a great school. Oops, sorry should have been more specific! I am not 100% sure on what I want to do after my undergrad. But I am going to take prerequisites for med school, and physiotherapy. I am wanting to major in probably more of the biological sciences, like biology, physiology, or science based psychology. I was planning on taking a broad range of courses in my first year to get a feel for what I like, and then declare my major in my second year. And the only problem with McGill, and Queens is that it is very far away (I live in B.C). Also I have heard absolutely nothing from McGill, I only got my acceptance letter and that is it! I feel like if I already feel so disconnected, it might very hard being so far away from home and immersed in such a big, and what I am gathering to be an almost-unwelcoming campus! Plus its very expensive. But I am drawn to it because of its prestige!! Queens is also top of my list, and I have received a decent scholarship from them, but they don't seem to have as many opportunities for research as UBC, U of A or McGill. I feel like they are more a business focused school, I may be wrong but thats just what I have gathered from their open houses I've attended. UBC is nice and close to me, and they have a beautiful campus (even though technically thats not something that should influence me). Being close to the ocean, they have also lots of ocean sciences which has always intrigued me, even though that may not be the most practical of a degree. And they also have lots of opportunities for research. U of A's only downfall is that it is SO COLD there!! But I do have family, and they have awesome athletics ( I am very into sports). Plus their room & board is considerably cheaper than all the other places I have applied too! And they are also very well known for medical research, etc. I agree with most everything you've said! McGill's admin IS pretty low calibre, especially comparing to UBC, who will make every effort to make sure that EVERY student is smiling every day of their university experience in Vancouver. I'm from Ottawa and was dying to go, but financially, it just isn't a reality, so I'm off to McGill over Queen's because of their rep, and because Montreal is an amazingly dynamic city! Living off-campus in Montreal after 1st year is also super cheap, because MTL is a cheap city to live in, while in Vancouver, rez parallels downtown when it comes to living expenses, which is insane! Lucky that you live there. I'd say McGill! McGill University - Class of 2016
BA | Major: Political Science - Minor: French Language Studies
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Rank: Student Body President
Joined: 6/3/2011
Posts: 2,118
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I went to the U of A for my undergrad (and played a varsity sport) and totally loved it. They were very generous with scholarship money as well. PM me or ask here if you have any questions.
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Rank: Frosh
Joined: 4/7/2011
Posts: 23
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I just finished my first year at Queen's and I've had an awesome experience there! Like you said though, financially it might not be in your best interest. I'm in the general Arts program so I'm not sure if your referring to research opportunities in undergrad or graduate studies. For graduate studies you can always go to another university, but if the other schools offer better research opportunities for undergrads and that's what you're most interested in, then maybe it would be best to choose one of the other schools. Another thing to consider is what type of location you want to live in. McGill, UBC and U of A are all located in major cities, though of course they each have their own unique culture to consider. Queen's/Kingston has more of a small town charm to it which may or may not be something you're interested in.
Good luck with your selection! I hope you find the school that is the perfect fit for you^^
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Rank: Senior Student  Joined: 6/21/2011 Posts: 56
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I see that we are following the same career path. I can't recommend anything, but I'll just let you know that I chose to go to UofA next year, and if you do as well, it would be a smart move. Attending Fall 2012:
University of Alberta
BSc General
Major: Biological Sciences
Minor: Undeclared
Career Goal:
Medicine
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Rank: Senior Student
Joined: 12/26/2010
Posts: 107
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You can do research at any of these universities. Don't focus too much on some staff person who put together a presentation.
Likewise, your overall experience and degree of 'connectedness' at your univerisity can not be predicted on the basis of some staff people in the admissions office (esp at McGill which is dealing with a lot with student protests etc right now and a lot of offices have been closed).
I know its tough to decide on the right fit of school, but please don't base it on one small office in otherwise very large institutions. I'd like to suggest you go by fit and visit each school, but I guess a little late for that now. Maybe your best bet is to just read what you can online by existing students. It will be 100X more informative than what some staff person wrote about (BTW, my parents are profs at UBC and when they watched the UBC presentation by the admissions office at my school, they laughed out loud because this person had NO IDEA what the faculty are like at UBC). That is justt one example.
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Rank: Frosh
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 8
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ktel wrote:I went to the U of A for my undergrad (and played a varsity sport) and totally loved it. They were very generous with scholarship money as well. PM me or ask here if you have any questions. That's good to hear! Because I am planning on running varsity track with U of A. I am 99.9% sure that I will be attending U of A in the fall. But I still have a few questions, that I figured you will probably be able to answer! 1. Did you like residence? I have tried to find pictures, etc. and I can't seem to find anything on Lister Centre. I wanted to try and get a feel for what it looks like, etc. 2. I am unsure of which meal plan level to choose, because I will be doing sports I will be eating A LOT. Except I honestly, don't know how much that will be? There are four options...the highest being around $4,000 and the lower one being around $2,900. How much did you spend, if you don't mind me asking? 3. Did you find the winters completely unbearable? Like was there stuff to do around campus, and in Edmonton during the cold winter months?? Thanks! P.S Sorry for the late reply, I never got a notification :$
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Rank: Frosh
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 8
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Kareemy wrote:DaniMatson wrote:iliketurtles wrote:What do you wanna major in? Do you wanna go to med/law? Gotta be more detailed :/
Personally? I'd go with either Queen's or McGill, with UBC a close 3rd. Nothing against U of A, just I've never found anything to be particularly appealing about it, although I hear it is a great school. Oops, sorry should have been more specific! I am not 100% sure on what I want to do after my undergrad. But I am going to take prerequisites for med school, and physiotherapy. I am wanting to major in probably more of the biological sciences, like biology, physiology, or science based psychology. I was planning on taking a broad range of courses in my first year to get a feel for what I like, and then declare my major in my second year. And the only problem with McGill, and Queens is that it is very far away (I live in B.C). Also I have heard absolutely nothing from McGill, I only got my acceptance letter and that is it! I feel like if I already feel so disconnected, it might very hard being so far away from home and immersed in such a big, and what I am gathering to be an almost-unwelcoming campus! Plus its very expensive. But I am drawn to it because of its prestige!! Queens is also top of my list, and I have received a decent scholarship from them, but they don't seem to have as many opportunities for research as UBC, U of A or McGill. I feel like they are more a business focused school, I may be wrong but thats just what I have gathered from their open houses I've attended. UBC is nice and close to me, and they have a beautiful campus (even though technically thats not something that should influence me). Being close to the ocean, they have also lots of ocean sciences which has always intrigued me, even though that may not be the most practical of a degree. And they also have lots of opportunities for research. U of A's only downfall is that it is SO COLD there!! But I do have family, and they have awesome athletics ( I am very into sports). Plus their room & board is considerably cheaper than all the other places I have applied too! And they are also very well known for medical research, etc. I agree with most everything you've said! McGill's admin IS pretty low calibre, especially comparing to UBC, who will make every effort to make sure that EVERY student is smiling every day of their university experience in Vancouver. I'm from Ottawa and was dying to go, but financially, it just isn't a reality, so I'm off to McGill over Queen's because of their rep, and because Montreal is an amazingly dynamic city! Living off-campus in Montreal after 1st year is also super cheap, because MTL is a cheap city to live in, while in Vancouver, rez parallels downtown when it comes to living expenses, which is insane! Lucky that you live there. I'd say McGill! Thanks for your input, but I think I have chosen U of A!! Best of luck to you at McGill! 
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Rank: Frosh
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 8
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dabunneh wrote:I just finished my first year at Queen's and I've had an awesome experience there! Like you said though, financially it might not be in your best interest. I'm in the general Arts program so I'm not sure if your referring to research opportunities in undergrad or graduate studies. For graduate studies you can always go to another university, but if the other schools offer better research opportunities for undergrads and that's what you're most interested in, then maybe it would be best to choose one of the other schools. Another thing to consider is what type of location you want to live in. McGill, UBC and U of A are all located in major cities, though of course they each have their own unique culture to consider. Queen's/Kingston has more of a small town charm to it which may or may not be something you're interested in.
Good luck with your selection! I hope you find the school that is the perfect fit for you^^ Thank-you for all your input, it has really helped!! I think U of A is the perfect fit for me 
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Rank: Frosh
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 8
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Academentia wrote:You can do research at any of these universities. Don't focus too much on some staff person who put together a presentation.
Likewise, your overall experience and degree of 'connectedness' at your univerisity can not be predicted on the basis of some staff people in the admissions office (esp at McGill which is dealing with a lot with student protests etc right now and a lot of offices have been closed).
I know its tough to decide on the right fit of school, but please don't base it on one small office in otherwise very large institutions. I'd like to suggest you go by fit and visit each school, but I guess a little late for that now. Maybe your best bet is to just read what you can online by existing students. It will be 100X more informative than what some staff person wrote about (BTW, my parents are profs at UBC and when they watched the UBC presentation by the admissions office at my school, they laughed out loud because this person had NO IDEA what the faculty are like at UBC). That is justt one example. Yes, you do have a valid point. Thank-you for your input!! It's greatly appreciated!
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Rank: Student Body President
Joined: 6/3/2011
Posts: 2,118
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DaniMatson wrote:
That's good to hear! Because I am planning on running varsity track with U of A. I am 99.9% sure that I will be attending U of A in the fall. But I still have a few questions, that I figured you will probably be able to answer!
1. Did you like residence? I have tried to find pictures, etc. and I can't seem to find anything on Lister Centre. I wanted to try and get a feel for what it looks like, etc.
2. I am unsure of which meal plan level to choose, because I will be doing sports I will be eating A LOT. Except I honestly, don't know how much that will be? There are four options...the highest being around $4,000 and the lower one being around $2,900. How much did you spend, if you don't mind me asking?
3. Did you find the winters completely unbearable? Like was there stuff to do around campus, and in Edmonton during the cold winter months??
Thanks!
P.S Sorry for the late reply, I never got a notification :$
1. I didn't live in residence, I lived with my parents. I know a lot of people who lived in Lister and loved it. I personally think I would have hated it, but that's just me. I spent a summer living in Germany with a bunch of old Lister people and got a sense of what it might have been like (lots of drinking I think) 2. Can't help you with that one either, obviously, because I didn't live in rez. My boyfriend lived in Lister though, so maybe I can ask him and get back to you! 3. Even though Edmonton winters are cold I have a new appreciation for them since the winter I just spent in Toronto. Winter is much more beautiful in Edmonton. I hate the cold and have terrible circulation, but I just suck it up and dress appropriately. There are a ton of outdoor activities you can still do as its not always super cold, and other than that of course there are tons of things to do indoors.
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Rank: Frosh
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 8
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ktel wrote:DaniMatson wrote:
That's good to hear! Because I am planning on running varsity track with U of A. I am 99.9% sure that I will be attending U of A in the fall. But I still have a few questions, that I figured you will probably be able to answer!
1. Did you like residence? I have tried to find pictures, etc. and I can't seem to find anything on Lister Centre. I wanted to try and get a feel for what it looks like, etc.
2. I am unsure of which meal plan level to choose, because I will be doing sports I will be eating A LOT. Except I honestly, don't know how much that will be? There are four options...the highest being around $4,000 and the lower one being around $2,900. How much did you spend, if you don't mind me asking?
3. Did you find the winters completely unbearable? Like was there stuff to do around campus, and in Edmonton during the cold winter months??
Thanks!
P.S Sorry for the late reply, I never got a notification :$
1. I didn't live in residence, I lived with my parents. I know a lot of people who lived in Lister and loved it. I personally think I would have hated it, but that's just me. I spent a summer living in Germany with a bunch of old Lister people and got a sense of what it might have been like (lots of drinking I think) 2. Can't help you with that one either, obviously, because I didn't live in rez. My boyfriend lived in Lister though, so maybe I can ask him and get back to you! 3. Even though Edmonton winters are cold I have a new appreciation for them since the winter I just spent in Toronto. Winter is much more beautiful in Edmonton. I hate the cold and have terrible circulation, but I just suck it up and dress appropriately. There are a ton of outdoor activities you can still do as its not always super cold, and other than that of course there are tons of things to do indoors. 1. Yes, I've heard it is quite a bit of drinking, but then again the legal drinking age in Alberta is 18! 2. But if you could ask your boyfriend if you have time I would greatly appreciate any input he might have!! 3. That's good to hear. I have lived in Edmonton when I was little, and I do remember it always being relatively sunny...but just cold! I'll have to bring lots of warm, cozy clothes!
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Rank: Student Body President
Joined: 6/3/2011
Posts: 2,118
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^ Yes, and for some reason if it looks really clear and sunny and beautiful outside, it's probably really cold. Never understood how that works. I'll ask my boyfriend tonight if I can remember.
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Rank: Frosh  Joined: 9/23/2011 Posts: 13
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I chose to go to UBC science over U of A science because I feel I'm not prepared to leave home yet [yes, i'm from B.C as well]. However I did check out the U of A campus during the summer of 2011 and it was fantastic, so don't worry... you'll enjoy it!  I may attend U of A if I don't get into my major in UBC. University of Alberta - Sciences (Accepted)
University of Toronto - Life Sciences (Accepted)
University of British Columbia - Sciences (Accepted + Attending)
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Rank: Student Body President
Joined: 6/3/2011
Posts: 2,118
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So my boyfriend says the prices have changed dramatically since he was there (7 years ago) but he had the second cheapest meal plan. I definitely eat more than he does though and am more active in sports than he is.
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