Help!! McGill vs Dal

[BziBurner]

Hi folks! Needing some help deciding between McGill vs Dal. Sounds obvious knowing Mcgill's national + international reputation, but I was accepted to Dal via a discretionary initiative so that opens opportunites. Here's a few factors:

• I want to go into academia, becoming a law professor (My interests are around critical property law/ art law/ cultural heritage law -- very niche). 
  • Dal has a prof who focuses on cultural heritage law in her research (this prof also studied at mcgill)
  • A different prof from my Dal interview mentioned she could see me as a research assistant
    • great already having someone know me and see that potential, more than 'just a number'
  • McGill has some great scholars in critical property law/research
  • McGill has a wider course selection
• French element:
  • Im not super confident in my French and surprisingly, Mcgill didnt call to interview me but I'm a low-intermediate french speaker/listener and an intermediate reader/writer. I'm also currently in classes for work
  • I'm most nervous about this, as I'm not sure if I'd be setting myself up at a disadvantage or if it could be an opportunity to get the immersive experience and really learn the language-- which opens a lot of doors.
• Tuition
  • Mcgill is much cheaper than Dal and most schools in Canada + entrance scholarships
  • Dal initiative has some attached funding for students

• City
  • I'm from a big city, but usually prefer medium sized ones -- lots to do but not overwhelming
  • I dont plan on staying/practicing in NS
• Discretionary initiative @ Dal
  • Includes funding, specialized mentorship, designated clerkship opportunities, etc.

Edited April 12, 2022 by BziBurner

[Whist]

McGill. I wouldn't even question it unless your French is really suffering. You can expect you'll have to take a few classes in French, as you can't guarantee you'll get seats in all English ones, but someone who goes/went there can speak more to that. If that Dal prof teaches a class you want, you can always try to get a letter of permission to study at Dal for one semester provided your grades are strong. The other prof saying they can see you as a research assistant is nice to hear but doesn't mean anything substantial unless they're giving you a job interview for that position. I know Dal is quite generous with financial aid, but you'd likely still be paying more in the end than McGill. You can always email their financial aid offices and ask what the average amount given is. 

[BziBurner]

Thank you! those are some really good points

[PzabbytheLawyer]

I know of at least one professor at McGill who I'm semi close with (or was) who did a lot of very interesting work around art and cultural heritage. He was European based, but naturally fluent in both systems, and preferred English. Great professor. There's another too, I just didn't know him, and he's more French.

McGill is a strong name for clerkships. Dal is too, but your bilingualism from McGill will give you a leg up. Clerkships are important, or at least can be helpful, for academia and getting into strong LLMs and SJD programs.

Debt is an issue if you want to pay for an LLM straight out of law school, too. So McGill again makes more sense.

I'd say McGill. Disclaimer I'm a McGill grad, so that's my perspective.

[123]

I also wouldn’t put too much weight on one prof teaching a class you like. Not every class gets offered every year. I’m pretty sure there was stuff in the academic calendar and on prof’s pages that was never really available while I was at Dal. 

[BziBurner]

Thank you folks! this definitely helped. I decided to decline Dal shortly after I received another offer. So, a new thread awaits!