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HighSchoolKid · 2009 October 13th, 07:01 AM

Canada's best econ departments are Toronto, UBC, and Queen's.

I'm considering attending McGill, even though their econ department is not viewed as highly as Toronto's or UBC's. Across the board, McGill is in the ranks of UBC and UT - just not in economics.

Do I stand to lose anything going to McGill, a university with a lower ranked economics department but is more prestigious overall? Am I better off going to Toronto, UBC, or Queen's and if so, why?

wobuffet · 2009 October 13th, 07:04 AM

I was about to tell you to use the search function, but then I realized that you posted a near-identical topic at
http://www.urch.com/forums/phd-econo...con-phd-2.html (To what extent does it matter where you did your undergrad when applying to Econ PhD?) ...

Why would you try to restart that topic? If anything, I suggest you repost there and continue that discussion instead of cluttering up the board with cloned topics.

RaaR · 2009 October 13th, 08:09 AM

You lose nothing. McGill is the best place for undergrads in Canada. Excellent reputation, great students, and incredible location (at the heart of downtown Montreal, with a beautiful student ghetto just next to it). You'll have students from around the world studying with you, and you'll have tons of fun in Montreal. Also, being a good student in McGill will keep your options open in Canada and abroad. Specifically in economics you might have trouble going straight to PhD in the US from undergrad (as opposed to econ undergrads from Queen's, UBC, or UoT), but then taking a 1 year MA in one of the other departments would def. fix that. Though here is a good example that shows otherwise: Maciej Kotowski :: Personal Website This guy went with a BA from McGill to Berkeley.

Anyway, I highly recommend McGill for undergrad. I think it's a great experience overall. Good luck!

HighSchoolKid · 2009 October 13th, 08:36 AM

Sorry about the re-post. I'll be using PM from now on.

tm_guru · 2009 October 13th, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighSchoolKid

Sorry about the re-post. I'll be using PM from now on.

No need for PM, just post in your original thread, and the thread pops right to the top of the list again...

canecon · 2009 October 14th, 05:24 AM

If you are 100% you want to do econ and you don't care where you live I would say go to Queen's, UBC, or Toronto. I urge you not to though:
1) If you switch majors (might not seem possible now, but it is) you will be in good/ most likely better shape.
2) Montreal is amazing.
3) Montreal is amazing.
4) If you decide not to do grad school in economics, McGill has a better reputation.

postgradecon · 2009 October 14th, 06:05 AM

Queens, UBC and Toronto has a better reputation in economics though. To find a job in the public sectore with your BA, you'll be much better off with a degree from those schools. I'd say even for the private sector it should be better (but definitely not worse).

Of course, the place you got your degree only matters to a certain point in this situation. You'll end up with a job whatever school you go to in Canada...

Finally, yes I would also say that Montreal is amazing, but this is highly personal and will depend a lot on your personal tastes. I think Vancouver is also a great city, and I'm sure I can find a lot of people who would prefer it to Montreal (in fact, just the weather is starting to convert me to Vancouver! No -30 degrees here!)

ariel1987 · 2009 October 14th, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by postgradecon

Queens, UBC and Toronto has a better reputation in economics though. To find a job in the public sectore with your BA, you'll be much better off with a degree from those schools. I'd say even for the private sector it should be better (but definitely not worse).

Of course, the place you got your degree only matters to a certain point in this situation. You'll end up with a job whatever school you go to in Canada...

Finally, yes I would also say that Montreal is amazing, but this is highly personal and will depend a lot on your personal tastes. I think Vancouver is also a great city, and I'm sure I can find a lot of people who would prefer it to Montreal (in fact, just the weather is starting to convert me to Vancouver! No -30 degrees here!)

I agree Vancouver is fantastic. I like it much more than Montreal. So it really depends on what are your tastes. The campus is also gorgeous here. Just the fact that I live by the beach is amazing. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that it is a clothing-optional beach.

slightlyconfused1 · 2009 October 14th, 09:44 PM

I have to disagree a little with the other posters here: I think that if you think there is a high (better than 50%) chance you want to do economics, you should definitely go to Queen's, Toronto, or UBC rather than McGill. The prestige in economics -- as opposed to general prestige -- of your undergraduate university does make a big difference in graduate admissions.

Perhaps the best evidence of this is the number of Minnesota undergrads on this forum who have been very successful in applying to graduate school, far out of proportion to what you'd expect from Minnesota -- which, outside of economics, is a thoroughly average flagship state university. RaaR's point about a one-year master's erasing your disadvantage is correct to an extent, but assuming you have another option, I don't think it's ever wise to enter as an undergraduate under the assumption that you'll need to fix your profile with a master's afterward. Now, if the idea of economics grad school (or at least a career in economics) is very tenuous and there's only a 1 in 4 chance you'll actually follow through on it, then RaaR's point is well taken; but otherwise, you'll be much better off at an institution that's well respected for its economics.

I should add that my ability to answer this question is limited somewhat by my lack of precise knowledge about the commonly agreed prestige of these institutions. I know McGill is the highest and Queen's and Toronto are second, but as an American I don't know whether most Canadians perceive a giant gap in prestige between McGill and Queen's or a minor, relatively inconsequential one.

SlowLearner38 · 2009 October 14th, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slightlyconfused1

....far out of proportion to what you'd expect from Minnesota -- which, outside of economics, is a thoroughly average flagship state university.

That is absolutely false.

2009 October 13th, 07:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
HighSchoolKid I JUST got here. Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 22	Applying to Ph.D. programs in the U.S. from Canadian undergrad Canada's best econ departments are Toronto, UBC, and Queen's. I'm considering attending McGill, even though their econ department is not viewed as highly as Toronto's or UBC's. Across the board, McGill is in the ranks of UBC and UT - just not in economics. Do I stand to lose anything going to McGill, a university with a lower ranked economics department but is more prestigious overall? Am I better off going to Toronto, UBC, or Queen's and if so, why?

2009 October 13th, 07:04 AM	#2 (permalink)
wobuffet nervous Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 86	I was about to tell you to use the search function, but then I realized that you posted a near-identical topic at http://www.urch.com/forums/phd-econo...con-phd-2.html (To what extent does it matter where you did your undergrad when applying to Econ PhD?) ... Why would you try to restart that topic? If anything, I suggest you repost there and continue that discussion instead of cluttering up the board with cloned topics. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Research Interests: applied micro (esp. public econ and labor econ) Applying to: {MIT, Berkeley, Harvard, Princeton, UMich, Stanford, UChicago, Yale, Northwestern, UPenn, Columbia, Columbia, NYU}

2009 October 14th, 05:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
canecon It's only just begun... Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New York Posts: 413	If you are 100% you want to do econ and you don't care where you live I would say go to Queen's, UBC, or Toronto. I urge you not to though: 1) If you switch majors (might not seem possible now, but it is) you will be in good/ most likely better shape. 2) Montreal is amazing. 3) Montreal is amazing. 4) If you decide not to do grad school in economics, McGill has a better reputation. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ NYU 1st Year

2009 October 14th, 06:05 AM	#7 (permalink)
postgradecon Within my grasp! Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 153	Queens, UBC and Toronto has a better reputation in economics though. To find a job in the public sectore with your BA, you'll be much better off with a degree from those schools. I'd say even for the private sector it should be better (but definitely not worse). Of course, the place you got your degree only matters to a certain point in this situation. You'll end up with a job whatever school you go to in Canada... Finally, yes I would also say that Montreal is amazing, but this is highly personal and will depend a lot on your personal tastes. I think Vancouver is also a great city, and I'm sure I can find a lot of people who would prefer it to Montreal (in fact, just the weather is starting to convert me to Vancouver! No -30 degrees here!) _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Attending UBC PhD 2009!

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2009 October 13th, 08:09 AM	#3 (permalink)
RaaR Eager! Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 41	You lose nothing. McGill is the best place for undergrads in Canada. Excellent reputation, great students, and incredible location (at the heart of downtown Montreal, with a beautiful student ghetto just next to it). You'll have students from around the world studying with you, and you'll have tons of fun in Montreal. Also, being a good student in McGill will keep your options open in Canada and abroad. Specifically in economics you might have trouble going straight to PhD in the US from undergrad (as opposed to econ undergrads from Queen's, UBC, or UoT), but then taking a 1 year MA in one of the other departments would def. fix that. Though here is a good example that shows otherwise: Maciej Kotowski :: Personal Website This guy went with a BA from McGill to Berkeley. Anyway, I highly recommend McGill for undergrad. I think it's a great experience overall. Good luck!

2009 October 13th, 08:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
HighSchoolKid I JUST got here. Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 22	Sorry about the re-post. I'll be using PM from now on.

2009 October 14th, 09:44 PM	#9 (permalink)
slightlyconfused1 Eager! Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 66	I have to disagree a little with the other posters here: I think that if you think there is a high (better than 50%) chance you want to do economics, you should definitely go to Queen's, Toronto, or UBC rather than McGill. The prestige in economics -- as opposed to general prestige -- of your undergraduate university does make a big difference in graduate admissions. Perhaps the best evidence of this is the number of Minnesota undergrads on this forum who have been very successful in applying to graduate school, far out of proportion to what you'd expect from Minnesota -- which, outside of economics, is a thoroughly average flagship state university. RaaR's point about a one-year master's erasing your disadvantage is correct to an extent, but assuming you have another option, I don't think it's ever wise to enter as an undergraduate under the assumption that you'll need to fix your profile with a master's afterward. Now, if the idea of economics grad school (or at least a career in economics) is very tenuous and there's only a 1 in 4 chance you'll actually follow through on it, then RaaR's point is well taken; but otherwise, you'll be much better off at an institution that's well respected for its economics. I should add that my ability to answer this question is limited somewhat by my lack of precise knowledge about the commonly agreed prestige of these institutions. I know McGill is the highest and Queen's and Toronto are second, but as an American I don't know whether most Canadians perceive a giant gap in prestige between McGill and Queen's or a minor, relatively inconsequential one.

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