McGill Full Ride vs. Western Ivey
Hi. I am a senior with permanent residency in Quebec, so I only applied to Canadian universities and got into McGill Bcom, Western Ivey, Queen's Smith, UTM Bcom, Waterloo AFM. Because Western Ivey has the strongest IB placement out of those 5, I decided to go there.
But yesterday, I found out that I received a $40K/4yrs scholarship from McGill - this covers my entire tuition + 1st year dorm fee (if I don't live in dorms after year 1, it's basically a full ride).
On the other hand, I only received $8K entrance scholarship for Western Ivey, so I have to pay a total 80K for tuition + 20~80K for dorms.
I'd love to go to Ivey because of their IB placement to the States is 3 times the McGill Bcom placement (0.33% of graduates vs. 0.09% of graduates). I also like their case-based courses.
But on the other hand...
- Ivey is much more expensive than McGill, which is virtually free for me. My uni counsellor thinks it's not worth the price going to Ivey because while Ivey sends 3 times more students than McGill, it's still 0.33% compared to 0.1%, both minimal. There's no guarantee that I'll break into IB even when I go to Western
The scholarship I got from McGill is the second most prestigious one. I'm considering grad schools as well, and my counsellor said this scholarship might look much better on my resume than going to Western Ivey with no major scholarships
+ Speaking of grad school, my counsellor thinks it's better to save up the 100-160K for Ivey, go to McGill, and use that money for grad school.
- I'm considering working in the US, but things may change and I might work in Asia or the UK. OR I might not work in finance after all (maybe consulting, etc). In that case, McGill (I think) has a better international reputation compared to Ivey which is mostly recognized within North America.
I would really appreciate your input on this matter! I only have until May 1st to accept my McGill offer and scholarship.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of your situation:
Key Considerations:
Cost vs. Placement:
International Reputation:
Flexibility for Future Goals:
Scholarship Prestige:
Grad School Considerations:
Recommendation:
If your primary goal is to break into IB in the U.S. and you're confident in your ability to leverage Ivey's network and resources, Western Ivey could be worth the investment. However, given the significant financial difference, the uncertainty of IB placement, and your openness to other career paths or working internationally, McGill seems like the more prudent choice. It offers a debt-free education, a strong global reputation, and the flexibility to explore various career options or invest in grad school later.
Ultimately, the decision depends on your risk tolerance, financial situation, and confidence in pursuing IB. If you're still unsure, consider reaching out to alumni from both schools to gain more insights into their experiences and outcomes.
Sources: Undergrad School OPTIONS (please help), Canadian Target Schools Ranked By Detailed Global Placement Data, Canadian Target Schools Ranked By Detailed Global Placement Data, Mcgill vs. Umich vs. IU Kelley vs. UIUC vs. Notre Dame vs. Western Ontario, CANADA - McGill Desautels for Consulting / IB
.
Went to Ivey feel free to PM
Canadian here but living in the US a long time
I think Canadian wisdom is Ivey is better but frankly I can’t discern the difference as an American
I attended HBS and we had plenty of people from McGill
My suggestion would be go to McGill and get top marks
Thanks for the comment!
Go to ivey
As someone who didn't go to Ivey and regrets it, just go to Ivey, you'll have better opportunities to network and find alumni working in Canada and the US, if you are talking about MBA in terms of grad school, you'll need 4 year work experience to get into those programs and lets assume you get into IB from Ivey, you'll save enough to pay for MBA later.
Thanks for the input
Went to Canadian non target and through convos with Ivey students I think there's not rly that much of an Ivey advantage. In the U.S. they view both schools similarly. I would go to McGill because breaking into IB is still very much an individual achievement. Also full ride will play well in interviews.
Not much advantage compared to mcgill*
Thank you! Really helps
I physically cannot believe anyone here is suggesting to go to Ivey over an essentially full ride to McGill - this is an insane no-brainer. 100% go to McGill, they send a few to the US each year, I believe they still have the Evercore Houston pipeline, and tons of other opportunities. Obviously, Ivey is a notch up recruiting/finance-wise, but giving up a near full ride to get that marginal gain is just the wrong move, I'd definitely seriously consider choosing McGill.
If the US is your goal, it'll be a bit more difficult, but you will still have tons of alumni there and are obviously smart/capable if you got a full ride to one of Canada's best uni's - just start early and be prepped. If you want Bay Street (IB) then you could go to Carleton and still get a spot (no shade if you're there, it's obviously also a good school, just making a point about Canada specifically). Consulting is different, but you'd be at McGill so you're absolutely set for that to.
Thanks I really appreciate your input
Agree 100% with everything but the difficulty of going from Carleton -> b5 shouldn't be understated.
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