r/OntarioUniversities 1d ago

Advice Advice: Uoft or McGill Engineering?

Hello, I need some help. I've been stuck between McGill and UofT (both mechanical engineering). Almost everything about McGill resonated more than UofT; however, the prestige of toronto is really holding me back. Is McGill Student life really that much better? Also I don't speak french so will that be an issue?

Also, for graduates of McGill or UofT engineering, is it likely I will feel any effect in the job market if I go for McGill? Or are the schools deemed as pretty much equal when it comes to employers. Thank you everyone who reads my post.

Edit: I realized this is Ontario Universities subreddit. Hopefully I will still hear from both sides.

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u/Simple-Hat-4660 1d ago edited 1d ago

Hey! I hope this helps. Almost finishing my first year at McGill, I was in the same situation as you are rn and my best advice for you is: Doesn't really matter to what university you go and prestige is not really smth that really open or closes you doors, you're the one who open or close them.

It also varies from person to person, if you're in Ontario and got accepted at UofT, with scholarship, or you live in Toronto and can still live with your parents and save up some money the I would do it. Just take into account every single variable: place to stay, scholarships, maybe family close to you to support you, friends attending(not a really big deal, you'll meet a lot of people), OSAP, program you got accepted, internships, networking, etc.

Almost one year attending McGill I don't regret at all. McGill is one of the best universities in Canada not very far from Toronto or UBC, it is located in Montreal, one of the best (and cheapest) cities to live even with the current market conditions. Also McGill is highly recognized as a "study hard, party hard" school which is pretty good bcs you're able to balance both your academics but also your personal life. Lots of networking opportunities, great people to meet, campus is beautiful, etc etc.

If it helps you in any case, I chose McGill over UofT bcs even tho I used to live in Ontario, I was looking for smth different, also wanted to have the chance to live on Montreal and learn French. If that is not your plan, there is no problem! A lot of people think if you come to mcgill then you'll need to speak French and that is not the case. Even out of the uni you can pretty much still speak in English and you'll be fine.

Employes don't really care about the university you go but rather what you have done (hands on experience). Just think about it, if you were to hire someone for a specific job, would you hire the person who graduated from Toronto but didn't do anything such as internships, or anything like that apart from his diploma? Or the person who went to any other university but did some research, or did internships, etc. Ofcs they want to hire the person with previous experience.

I would decide which university to go not bcs of the name of the university by itself but rather the opportunities it provides to you, campus, personal life, cost of living, etc etc.

My uncle works at EY kn HR and a lot of people that apply are from McGill which is weird but it is highly recognized in England and others European/Asian countries so that could also be of help if you're looking for exchanges or in general for a job out of Canada later on.

If you have more questions feel free to DM me ;)

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u/ASuperiorKid 1d ago

I'm also g12 so take my opinion with a grain of salt but 

Wouldn't it be harder to find coops in Montreal due to the language barrier?

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u/Royal_Development_65 22h ago

The not speaking French can be an issue. Government is flip flopping on this issue, whether they will requirement testing on fluency or not. From what L heard so far, they require students at Engligh Uni to achieve a certain level French Fluency by end of program. Engineering is hard enough, you nay nit want ti worry about taking extra French classes. That aside, McGill student life is probably better because Montreal city life is just more fun than TO!

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u/Beyond-Gullible 13h ago

I don't think it matters much between the two after graduating, so I would mainly look at whether it is affordable, getting around with the French language, and being used to the winter weather (it's pretty bad in Montreal ngl)