3 ms·

> One might plausibly, if generously, posit Toronto and McGill as rough equivalents to Berkeley and UCLA. Would someone really reject Berkley for one of these

> One might plausibly, if generously, posit Toronto and McGill as rough equivalents to Berkeley and UCLA. Would someone really reject Berkley for one of these schools? Assuming tuition and securing a visa isn't an issue.

TMWNN 4y ago
>> One might plausibly, if generously, posit Toronto and McGill as rough equivalents to Berkeley and UCLA. >Would someone really reject Berkley for one of these schools? Assuming tuition and securing a visa isn't an issue. True. I was thinking of the quality excluding other factors (and specifically noted that the comparison was still generous to Toronto/McGill). But I agree that anyone accepted to both Berkeley and Toronto/McGill is going to choose California over Canada, with the following exceptions: * Toronto/Montreal has some specific personal appeal * The Canadian schools' tuition works out to be substantially less than Berkeley. I know that McGill, in particular, has historically been a popular choice for eastern US students whose families make too much for financial aid from US schools, got turned down from their first choices (typically an Ivy), and choose McGill for both the relatively low cost even for out-of-country students and being able to say that they are going to another country for college (even if it's just across the Canadian border, quite possibly closer to home than an American alternative). But you did say to exclude cost and visas as a factor. Certainly, no foreign student accepted to both will ever choose Canada (except, say, a francophone who chooses McGill for that reason); Berkeley has a worldwide brand name that Toronto and McGill do not.
- 908B64B197 4y ago
  > except, say, a francophone who chooses McGill for that reason The French schools actually have an interesting dynamic. Having worked with a few French Canadians here in the Bay they pretty much all told me they never considered going to an American school (or more generally working for an American company) due to their perceived language gap. It was later they figured out that if the whole room understands you then maybe you don’t have a language gap.
  - TMWNN 4y ago
    >The French schools actually have an interesting dynamic. Having worked with a few French Canadians here in the Bay they pretty much all told me they never considered going to an American school (or more generally working for an American company) due to their perceived language gap. Yes, I think Polytechnique Montréal is a popular choice for French looking to study STEM in North America. (Despite my mentioning McGill earlier, it wouldn't necessarily be the first choice for Francophones because it's an English university in the English part of Montreal.)

TMWNN 4y ago

>> One might plausibly, if generously, posit Toronto and McGill as rough equivalents to Berkeley and UCLA. >Would someone really reject Berkley for one of these schools? Assuming tuition and securing a visa isn't an issue. True. I was thinking of the quality excluding other factors (and specifically noted that the comparison was still generous to Toronto/McGill). But I agree that anyone accepted to both Berkeley and Toronto/McGill is going to choose California over Canada, with the following exceptions: * Toronto/Montreal has some specific personal appeal * The Canadian schools' tuition works out to be substantially less than Berkeley. I know that McGill, in particular, has historically been a popular choice for eastern US students whose families make too much for financial aid from US schools, got turned down from their first choices (typically an Ivy), and choose McGill for both the relatively low cost even for out-of-country students and being able to say that they are going to another country for college (even if it's just across the Canadian border, quite possibly closer to home than an American alternative). But you did say to exclude cost and visas as a factor. Certainly, no foreign student accepted to both will ever choose Canada (except, say, a francophone who chooses McGill for that reason); Berkeley has a worldwide brand name that Toronto and McGill do not.

908B64B197 4y ago
> except, say, a francophone who chooses McGill for that reason The French schools actually have an interesting dynamic. Having worked with a few French Canadians here in the Bay they pretty much all told me they never considered going to an American school (or more generally working for an American company) due to their perceived language gap. It was later they figured out that if the whole room understands you then maybe you don’t have a language gap.
- TMWNN 4y ago
  >The French schools actually have an interesting dynamic. Having worked with a few French Canadians here in the Bay they pretty much all told me they never considered going to an American school (or more generally working for an American company) due to their perceived language gap. Yes, I think Polytechnique Montréal is a popular choice for French looking to study STEM in North America. (Despite my mentioning McGill earlier, it wouldn't necessarily be the first choice for Francophones because it's an English university in the English part of Montreal.)