Neuroscience Undergrads

[Ellalaa]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking into pursuing Neuroscience in the future, so, seeing as I'm applying for university this fall, I'm trying to figure out what universities would serve the best purpose for me. I'm planning on applying for an Ivy League after my undergrad, so I'm trying to focus on schools that would have the best sway for international applications. (I'm in Canada, so I would count as an international applicant to Ivy Leagues)

So far, I'm looking into the University of Toronto, because they have a dedicated Neuroscience undergrad, as well as being ranked 10th in the world. McGill is also one of my choices, because they're very well known for their Neuroscience dedication, as well as being 27th (?) in the world. So far, it looks like UofT is the best choice for me, but I'm still looking into other options.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thankies!

[Summer Glau]

Both UofT and McGill are good schools reputation-wise, pretty much the same IMO.

Consider other stuff besides the reputation in your decision.

- Program: Look up their neuroscience programs; do some reading. Do the courses appeal to you when you have a quick read-through?

- Residence vs. commute. Would you be able to commute to any one of those schools or would you have to live in residence/off-campus? Do you think you would prefer commuting or living in residence? Is it financially possible for you to live in residence?

- City: Toronto and Montreal are both big cities in Canada. Is there a city you prefer more? This shouldn't be a huge factor in your decision, but can make you feel happier with your choice as a whole (especially if you plan on living in residence)

- Scholarships/bursaries/financial assistance: Something I wish I did: apply for financial assistance early! Are any of the universities giving you a scholarship/bursary (well you won't know this now, but think about it in the future)? It's definitely something to consider depending on your financial circumstances.

- Social life: This isn't terribly important to some (woot, IB stereotypes...kidding!) but others consider it very important. Do most people find time to get involved in stuff outside of class? Are there any particular clubs/teams you want to be a part of? Do you like the general "feel" of the school?

Also, try to find people who go to or went to these universities and ask them how they find/found it (if you could talk to someone in the same/similar program you're interested in, that would be a bonus). Talking to many people actually helps you gain a lot of perspective into your uni choices.

Also why do you think U of T would be the best choice for you? Is it just because it has a higher reputation or is there something else about it?

[Ellalaa]

Thanks so much for the help! C: To be honest, a couple of the things you mentioned were things I never thought about looking at before. And you're right; quite frankly, what's the difference between a 10th-ranked university and a 27th-ranked one? At the top of the charts, the difference is so minimal it's almost not even there. C:

It is possible financially for me to live in residence, so I've got the flexibility. I think I would prefer residence, but it would depend on where I'm going. McGill is definitely a residence school, but UofT I have the option. P:

I am planning on applying for scholarships outside of the universities' automatic bursuries (they have certain bursuries for students entering with a certain average, position in the entering class, etc.)

The social factor isn't all that big a deal. P: I AM the IB stereotype.

I'm pretty comfortable living in big cities, because I know there are people out there who have the issue with large, loud cities. I'm in a suburb, so I've always craved city living.

The main reason I want to go to UofT is because it's the closest to me; the campus isn't even a 5 minute drive from my house. Cx The reason I'm considering the residence, even with one of the world's best universities so closely located, is because I don't want to go international after my undergrad only to struggle with the prospect of living in residence. It would be sad to drop out of university because I couldn't handle the residence lifestyle. However, with UofT, I could always live in residence during the week, and commute home on the weekends. I'm a little afraid I'll become too dependent on my family, though. xP

Thanks so much for your ideas; I'm definitely going to look into what they have in their programs. I've been to an IB-specific university fair, where I discussed my options with both the McGill representative (who was part of the admissions committee; she seemed quite impressed that I was taking AP and IB classes AND did extra-curriculars. xP) and the UofT representatives, and I think that was where I realized that UofT wasn't as bad a school as I thought.

Just so you understand why it's considered a 'bad' school is because my friends and I have grown up around it, and we all live so close to it, and everyone wants to leave home for uni (who does IB to stay close to home?), so it's developped a bad aura in my school. Truth be told, it's basically everyone's safe school. P:

Edited July 27, 2012 by Ellalaa

[Summer Glau]

Yeah, sometimes rankings aren't the most important thing in the world

Yes, apply for scholarships Two colleges that give good scholarships are University College and Victoria College, so consider that when choosing your colleges since they all offer different things.

You live 5 minutes away from UofT? Wow in that case I would definitely stay at home if I were you. Some people who live in residence at UofT probably live further away from it than you do I also applied to UofT and had the option of living in residence or commuting. I was initially going to live in residence since I live about an hour away, but the residences at the college I applied to were honestly not worth paying $10,000 a year for (for residence and meal plan). I decided then that if I was going to go to UofT, I would commute.

So honestly if you live that close to UofT, you should commute there if you choose to go there, in my opinion. You save a lot of money and you're not even that far away, so you don't have to worry about long commutes eating up a lot of your time. About adjusting to residence life, everyone has to adjust to living in residence when they go away, because most people have never been away from home for that long before. Even if you live at home in university, you will eventually leave home and start living on your own, so at some point in life you'll have to learn how to live independently. It's bound to come sooner or later (unless you want to live with your parents for the rest of your life)

Yeah UofT had a bad aura at my school as well because it's nearby and its reputed difficulty, but honestly I don't think UofT is a bad school; it's a nice place. Good reputation, good programs, vibrant city.

[Ellalaa]

Victoria College is the all-girls college for UTSG, isn't it? P: I've heard about it, and that's probably where I'm going to 'apply' (can you apply for the colleges within the university?). Are the colleges like fraternities within the university?

Now I've got to decide between UTSC and UTSG. Where are you going (since I'm assuming you'll be at UofT next year) and what are you pursuing?

Really? UofT was considered an 'easy' school for my friends. It's weird, no one wants to go there because everyone gets in. o.o

Well, I'm going to apply to UofT and McGill, but at the end of the day, I think that whichever university is more convenient and affordable is probably going to be my pick. Cx