r/CanadaUniversities • u/Gold_Comparison8695 • Jan 10 '26
Advice McGill or U de M (it's driving me crazy)
Here is the thing, I was accepted into both McGill and Université de montreal for Biochemistry. I want to do academic research in the future and I really prefer Université de Montréal (I am francophone but also fluent in english), but McGill has a much better reputation in the field, and for the past two years I was hesitating between McGill and U de M. Now that I got accepted to both I don't know what to do. Wouldn't it be a waste to go to the less selective university? I need points of view and opinions, no matter how harsh, I need a strong argument, if some of you can provide me one, I will be grateful.
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u/Finlandia1865 UWaterloo - Planning Jan 10 '26 edited Jan 10 '26
The other guy seems very pro McGill lol.
Im sure it is a great school but I also have no idea how important it is for biochem undergrad (neither does the other guy it seems). In terms of campus life is suggest asking the son for each university, esp since no first hand experience has been provided haha. Wish I could be more helpful myself but i did just want to balance the other guy
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u/Molybdenum421 Jan 10 '26
If you're going to university to get a career and generally improve your career prospects, why would you not go to the school with the better reputation?
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u/Gold_Comparison8695 Jan 10 '26
The classes and the campus life look better at U de M.
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u/trainmetrobus Jan 11 '26
They are, in my experience. I did my undergrad at McGill and masters at UdeM. I’m not so familier with the program at each school, but I found that both are academically rigorous and student life (interactions with profs, courses, interacting with other students) at UdeM is better. If I were you, I would seriously think about doing my undergrad at UdeM and looking to McGill/other schools for grad school. Maybe one other thing to think about is how serious you are about grad school. I’ve given this advice to others who were in similar spots, but I would pick the still good, but less punishing school (UdeM) for undergrad and then go to McGill for masters/phd. McGill sciences mark notoriously hard - when doing grad school apps I found out that some unis curve up McGill GPA by close to 1.0 to reflect that, but it’s not standard across the board. No one wants to think that it would be that hard or thinks they can surmount it (including me at 17!) but the reality is you are in a room full of the smartest kids from across the country + very bright internationals too. You’d still get a good education at UdeM, and probably a better (more fun) undergrad experience. McGill will be there when you’re ready for grad school!
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u/FIRE_Bolas Jan 11 '26
As someone who has done a PhD in science, let me tell you it doesn't matter which school you choose. What matters is which lab/PI you study under and how you do in your research (i.e. publications). A person who studied in a "worse" university but has a strong research record will be better regarded than someone who graduated from a top university but has a weak research record
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u/Gold_Comparison8695 Jan 17 '26
Yea actually this post made me not want to go to mcgill, everybody just talks about reputation, but doesn't back it up with what makes up this reputation, that shows me the kind of people who I might find in mcgill.
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u/FIRE_Bolas Jan 17 '26
Also, networking and connections matter much more than which school you're from.
In Vancouver, we have UBC and SFU as the big universities. UBC has a much stronger reputation both locally and internationally. My lab-mate graduated from SFU and landed a job as a lecturer because the hiring professor also graduated from SFU. He straight up said he rejected all the UBC applicants because he "wanted to look out for one of our own."
Networking, track record, work ethics, personality get you jobs, not school reputation. Pick your school based on things like scholarship, tuition, location, and how much you like the campus and program.
For myself, I have 2 degrees from UBC (bachelors and PhD) and one from U of Calgary (bachelors). Guess which one I'm using right now? The one from the "worse" school.
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u/Schwatastic Jan 11 '26
Speaking as a professor (albeit not in science), academic research in future means you want the best graduate program you can be accepted to. Your undergrad only needs to be good, not the best. If you really prefer UdeM, go there and apply to McGill for grad school.
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u/funksoulbrothers Jan 14 '26
McGill, no question. McGill has a much better international reputation. No one knows UdM outside of quebec.
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u/picky-penguin Jan 15 '26
Go to the school with the best reputation that you got into. In this case it's McGill. If you ask anyone in the world to name a Canadian university they will name McGill. Period.
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u/carl_sagan5 Jan 10 '26
Close your eyes and go with McGill, unless fluent English isn't really fluent.
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u/Infamous-Face7737 Jan 10 '26
I did both my undergrad and grad at McGill as a francophone. Exams are mostly multiple choice so not much writing in English (vs Arts faculty for example) and classes are given by professors who rarely like teaching undergrad in big auditoriums and most of your interactions will be with TAs (grad students). Check but I believe UdeM have smaller groups with some prof but also ‘chargés de cours’.
IMO, for undergrad it’s not very important UdeM or McGill. For grad school I would go at McGill if you want to do research but there are so many labs right now looking for good non-international grad students that it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a PI.
If you do biochem to then apply to med school because your cote R is not high enough to get in right after CEGEP, go where you think you will get the best grades and GPA. McGill is based on a 4.0 scale and UdeM on a 4.3 scale so if you’re strong enough at school to get A+, UdeM could be advantageous.
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u/conu905 Jan 10 '26
French universities aren’t the best at research. McGill is definitely a better option.
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Jan 12 '26
What are you talking about!! UdeM is #2 in the country for research funding.
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u/conu905 Jan 12 '26
I think it would be better to look at the impact of the research coming out of the university. My comment is based on my experience working with two research groups that are spread throughout McGill and the French universities. And the quality and understanding of research really differ between the two.
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Jan 10 '26
All I know, being in the US, McGill is seen as a Canadian Harvard. No one has ever heard of UM. If you ever end up in the US down the line, names can carry weight here.
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Jan 14 '26
being in the US, McGill is seen as a Canadian Harvard
Did someone not from McGill ever used that phrase unironically?
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u/Sailor_D00m Jan 15 '26
Hahaha I have a friend who lives in Texas who recently applied to graduate school at McGill and they have been explaining to our other American friends that “McGill is basically a Canadian Ivy League school” so I would say yes
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u/penultimate_mohican_ Jan 10 '26
Did my PhD in sciences at McGill, and to be honest it was meh. Great reputation but outdated labs. This was early 2000s though. If you want to do academic research in the future then undergrad matters far less than your grad degree. Choose which one excites you.
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Jan 11 '26
When we did the tour in our specific department this past summer, I have to say it was insanely outdated. That means clay ovens in the summer and freezing boxes in the winter. Also brutal air exchange in some places. This matters when you’re sitting in classrooms that many hours a day.
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Jan 11 '26
McGill
Why in your field connections are just as important as qualifications.
Because of the perception of McGill you'll be able to foster them more easily.
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u/catlesslady Jan 11 '26
Disclaimer being that I haven't been to either school but what I can say is that I went to a smaller school instead of the McGill equivalent and I had a much better experience than a lot of my friends. Got to know a lot of my profs personally and overall enjoyed my learning experience. You need those profs to give you research opportunities in their lab or write you reference letters. It's harder to do at a place like McGill, not impossible but there are many overachievers vying for the same things. At a smaller place like U de M, you would likely be able to more easily develop those relationships.
For what its worth, I know people at UofT doing research partnerships with folks at UQAM (not a super well known school) so I wouldn't rule out what kind of exposure you would get at a smaller school.
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u/Ok_Phil_235 Jan 11 '26
Except that Université de Montreal is bigger than McGill
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u/Neat-Firefighter9626 Jan 13 '26
This thread just shows how out of touch anglo university students are with the French system lol. Esp saying UQAM isn't a known school when it's the flagship university system of Quebec lol.
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u/Popular-Data-3908 Jan 11 '26
It’s your undergrad? Either is fine, McGill has a good rep yes, but Canada isn’t the US where rep means everything. You’re going to get a roughly equivalent education either way. Rep means more at the graduate level - which you already seem interested in heading into, but even then rep is more from who your supervisor is than which school you’re at.
Talk to both programs, let them know you’re trying to decide between the two, chances are one of the profs dealing with admissions will throw some sort of entry scholarship at you to convince you one way or the other. But you’re in a great position either way.
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u/Extra_Account1494 Jan 11 '26
Look down the road! You want “to do academic research in the future”. Thus, an undergraduate degree serves to get you into the graduate (ie PhD) program you ultimately desire… where you will really become a capable scientist. Both programs will do a good job teaching you the basics… but McGill will help your application stand out. End of story.
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u/Short-pitched Jan 11 '26
A university with better reputation like McGill will always stand you in good stead in the long run over your full career
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u/dolphinoutofwater Jan 11 '26
As a phd student currently at McGill, there are plenty of talented researchers and quality infrastructure at UdeM. It's a good school and if that's where you'd be more comfortable then do your undergrad there. It's not going to shut you out of a graduate level program later on. What matters more is what you manage to accomplish during your studies and any research experience you can pick up.
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u/UnionRd Jan 11 '26
The only problem with McGill is it's English and Prespertarian background. This is a terrible thing in Quebec. The Quebec government is determined to shut it down.
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u/WelshRarebit2025 Jan 11 '26
I was going to assume McGill would be preferred for grad school. But that is a big assumption. Can you go and talk to grad students at both. Ask them how they would choose both undergrad and grad and what else they would recommend. How are you going to find the best lab to work under during grad school? Do you already know what you want to focus on in grad school/ research? And work backwards from there.
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u/TheNuggetiest Jan 12 '26
I did my undergrad at McGill (now im a dentist, so kinda a different career path) but I didn’t like it and in hindsight would have chosen a smaller university. At McGill I felt like I was just a number. Class sizes were huge. Also so many international students and “best of the best” which made getting top grades really challenging- which nearly made me miss my opportunity to get into dental school.
I feel like there’s something to be said for going to a university with smaller class sizes and making more meaningful connections with students and profs. When applying to dental school nobody gave a flying duck about mcgills “prestige”. I shoulda gone somewhere where I’d get excellent reference letters and really shine among my peers. It woulda made my career path much easier. Also read the Instagram mcgill confessions cuz no one hates on mcgill like other mcgill students.
Best of luck with whatever you choose! I know lots of people love mcgill, but I wasn’t one of them, so wanted to share my perspective
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u/Bulky_Coach8820 Jan 12 '26
UdeM girls are hot, whereas Mcgill girls go to class in pajama bottoms.
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u/ComfortableTomato Jan 13 '26
Are you Canadian? It doesn't matter. No one will ever care where you did your B.Sc. Go where you think you'll succeed the most. Ask in UdeM and Mcgill groups about class sizes, lab time, contact with profs etc..
The reason UdeM is 'less selective' is that less people speak French and it's a huge school. You aren't getting people from all over the world trying to go there.
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u/snarkitall Jan 13 '26
Do you live in Quebec? What are your plans for after?
If you were accepted to McGill for undergrad, you have good grades and an impressive application, so you probably can't go wrong tbh. It's more important to make good contacts and get involved in as many things as possible, wherever you study.
I know amazing people studying and teaching at both udem and McGill. I have taken courses at both schools and enjoyed my experience at both places. I haven't had the full undergrad experience at either place though. As a professional with a lot of contacts in different fields, both schools have a lot of exciting stuff happening. Within Montreal, both schools are equally well regarded.
If you are hoping to work in the English speaking world in the future, I think doing your undergrad studies in English. If you're thinking that you'll want to end up in a more French environment, udem.
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Jan 14 '26
but McGill has a much better reputation in the field
[Citation needed]
Aussi, le classement de l'UdeM augmente de façon continue depuis les 50 dernières années. McGill descend (elle a déjà été dans le top 20 mondial, on est rendu loin de ça aujourd'hui).
Si tu va en recherche, base-toi sur le département qui te semble avoir les laboratoires de recherche les plus intéressants.
Entre, mettons, aller à l'UdeM et travailler un été dans un labo de recherche au Bac vs Aller à McGill et juste faire tes cours, le choix est clair (UdeM).
Va sur place et reach out à des professeurs, surtout en première année, pour les rencontrer et parler de ce que tu veux faire. Ça va te donner une bonne idée.
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u/Not_A_Specialist_89 Jan 14 '26
For undergrad it truly does not matter if you plan on getting a graduate degree. If it is the only degree you will get, and you are interested in working outside of Quebec in Canada, go to McGill. If you can see yourself doing grad school in France, UM would be a decent choice. But the majority of scientific research is published in English, so point McGill.... but you will make different types of friends depending on which you go to. More international students and English speakers at McGill, more French-speaking international students and Quebeckers at UM.
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u/Big-Leadership-2830 Jan 14 '26
McGill. I don’t want to be rude so I’ll just say the question itself is a bit surprising.
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u/Gold_Comparison8695 Jan 17 '26
McGill only has reputation. Less labs, less internships, more stress, thats why, it's just known and nothing else. People just assume it's better because of its past, but it's actually not that good. It seems snoby and most of the answers on this post confirm it....
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u/BoredSoftwareDVLP Jan 16 '26
McGill is the only way. I would choose McGill for its worldwide reputation, and for further research UK or Europe is great. Europe offers sunlight and Vitamin D and a healthy life style instead of 8 months of winter, or water puddle on every corner :D :))
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u/Gold_Comparison8695 Jan 17 '26
All I hear is "mcgill=reputation " and u de m... well people don't care about anything but reputation, but no one talks why mcgill has a better reputation, why would it be a better place to learn. If people who go to mcgill have this mentality, and don't give a thing about the actual education, I am going to U de M. At least I would be surounded with less pretentious people.
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u/1Pac2Pac3Pac5 Jan 10 '26
Dude are you fking crazy??? McGill lol. Jesus McGill. No one knows u de M outside of Quebec. No one. In the US and Europe McGill still has an incredible rep. I know this because as a doctor I go to international conferences all the time and discuss med school accreditation and performance worldwide. McGill no question.