How difficult is it for a Maryland resident to get into UMCP these days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you that are MD residents and whose children went to UMCP - did any of them feel like it was highschool all over again? I know the school is large but I worry about the temptation to just hang with the same crew as high school and thus not really spreading your wings. My own bias is definitely present here - I chose not to go to my flagship state school (Univ of Wisconsin) because I wanted to branch out and was worried I would just stay in my comfort zone with my very good HS friends that were going to UW.

I think that attending a school with 37,000 students is going to provide a far broader experience than some private little pampering school. I went to UMBC. Sure, there were people I already knew and it was nice to see a familiar face, but I also got to know a lot of people who did not fit the same mold as the people of my hometown. Some students were older and were going back to school. Others were attending part-time while working and paying their own way. The ones who were already working in professional fields turned out to be great contacts when it came time to find internships and full-time employment after graduation.

During my internships, I worked with students from some of the more expensive private colleges and they were the ones who acted like they were still in high school. They were the ones whose parents packed their lunches and woke them up for work every morning. Why attend a school where every student comes from the same kind of place with the same kind of SES?

1. The plural of anecdote is not data.
2. Many if not most people do not pay the sticker price at expensive private colleges.
3. Why attend a school where 70% of the students are from the same state you are?

For a lot of families in DC area who do not qualify for FA, choices are limited. Not too many can pay 60-70k/year. Worse if you have multiple kids.

We don't qualify for need-based aid. My child has seven acceptances from out of state schools, all with enough merit aid to bring the per-year price within a few thousand dollars of what UMD costs.

She is going to college in part to expand her horizons, to see something beyond what is just down University Boulevard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Going to school out of state is a luxury that most people cannot afford. I have seen no difference between the successes of adults who went to school in-state vs. out-of-state. The only difference I noticed was the out-of-state folks complain a lot about paying off their student loans.

I will add that we are very lucky to live near so many high quality schools and to have so many employment opportunities in this area of the country. In other places, relocating for school and work are the only options.

PP here with the DD who holds seven acceptances. She will not be taking out loans. She'd like to see where else she might want to live and work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going to school out of state is a luxury that most people cannot afford. I have seen no difference between the successes of adults who went to school in-state vs. out-of-state. The only difference I noticed was the out-of-state folks complain a lot about paying off their student loans.

I will add that we are very lucky to live near so many high quality schools and to have so many employment opportunities in this area of the country. In other places, relocating for school and work are the only options.

PP here with the DD who holds seven acceptances. She will not be taking out loans. She'd like to see where else she might want to live and work.

Because her parents are wealthy. Even if you think you're middle class, you are wealthy compared to most people. And who is paying the extra $15k to house your child on campus? Most people can't afford that and it isn't a requirement for success. I'm glad you can afford to show your daughter the world. It's nice, but hardly necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going to school out of state is a luxury that most people cannot afford. I have seen no difference between the successes of adults who went to school in-state vs. out-of-state. The only difference I noticed was the out-of-state folks complain a lot about paying off their student loans.

I will add that we are very lucky to live near so many high quality schools and to have so many employment opportunities in this area of the country. In other places, relocating for school and work are the only options.

PP here with the DD who holds seven acceptances. She will not be taking out loans. She'd like to see where else she might want to live and work.

Of course that's a great choice . One funny thing I have noticed over the years of observing parents and students is , I've never seen anybody transfer out of UMD. What would be the point. I've seen tons of kids go away and try to transfer in to UMD. That's part of the learning experience too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you that are MD residents and whose children went to UMCP - did any of them feel like it was highschool all over again? I know the school is large but I worry about the temptation to just hang with the same crew as high school and thus not really spreading your wings. My own bias is definitely present here - I chose not to go to my flagship state school (Univ of Wisconsin) because I wanted to branch out and was worried I would just stay in my comfort zone with my very good HS friends that were going to UW.

I think that attending a school with 37,000 students is going to provide a far broader experience than some private little pampering school. I went to UMBC. Sure, there were people I already knew and it was nice to see a familiar face, but I also got to know a lot of people who did not fit the same mold as the people of my hometown. Some students were older and were going back to school. Others were attending part-time while working and paying their own way. The ones who were already working in professional fields turned out to be great contacts when it came time to find internships and full-time employment after graduation.

During my internships, I worked with students from some of the more expensive private colleges and they were the ones who acted like they were still in high school. They were the ones whose parents packed their lunches and woke them up for work every morning. Why attend a school where every student comes from the same kind of place with the same kind of SES?

Excuse me? Attending a fancy, expensive private college is not the only alternative to attending your home state flagship school. Get a grip.

For good students, mid range private schools will often come out to be less than or roughly equivalent to state school tuition...

So much misinformation out there on the cost of college.
True, attending another state's public school is an option, it's just an unnecessary expense when the school in your backyard is perfectly fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you that are MD residents and whose children went to UMCP - did any of them feel like it was highschool all over again? I know the school is large but I worry about the temptation to just hang with the same crew as high school and thus not really spreading your wings. My own bias is definitely present here - I chose not to go to my flagship state school (Univ of Wisconsin) because I wanted to branch out and was worried I would just stay in my comfort zone with my very good HS friends that were going to UW.

I think that attending a school with 37,000 students is going to provide a far broader experience than some private little pampering school. I went to UMBC. Sure, there were people I already knew and it was nice to see a familiar face, but I also got to know a lot of people who did not fit the same mold as the people of my hometown. Some students were older and were going back to school. Others were attending part-time while working and paying their own way. The ones who were already working in professional fields turned out to be great contacts when it came time to find internships and full-time employment after graduation.

During my internships, I worked with students from some of the more expensive private colleges and they were the ones who acted like they were still in high school. They were the ones whose parents packed their lunches and woke them up for work every morning. Why attend a school where every student comes from the same kind of place with the same kind of SES?

Excuse me? Attending a fancy, expensive private college is not the only alternative to attending your home state flagship school. Get a grip.

For good students, mid range private schools will often come out to be less than or roughly equivalent to state school tuition...

So much misinformation out there on the cost of college.
True, attending another state's public school is an option, it's just an unnecessary expense when the school in your backyard is perfectly fine.

(I assume that was the statement you inserted into another quote.) People keep saying that but I haven't seen a situation where a private school comes out to $10k per year with free room and board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you that are MD residents and whose children went to UMCP - did any of them feel like it was highschool all over again? I know the school is large but I worry about the temptation to just hang with the same crew as high school and thus not really spreading your wings. My own bias is definitely present here - I chose not to go to my flagship state school (Univ of Wisconsin) because I wanted to branch out and was worried I would just stay in my comfort zone with my very good HS friends that were going to UW.

I think that attending a school with 37,000 students is going to provide a far broader experience than some private little pampering school. I went to UMBC. Sure, there were people I already knew and it was nice to see a familiar face, but I also got to know a lot of people who did not fit the same mold as the people of my hometown. Some students were older and were going back to school. Others were attending part-time while working and paying their own way. The ones who were already working in professional fields turned out to be great contacts when it came time to find internships and full-time employment after graduation.

During my internships, I worked with students from some of the more expensive private colleges and they were the ones who acted like they were still in high school. They were the ones whose parents packed their lunches and woke them up for work every morning. Why attend a school where every student comes from the same kind of place with the same kind of SES?

Excuse me? Attending a fancy, expensive private college is not the only alternative to attending your home state flagship school. Get a grip.

For good students, mid range private schools will often come out to be less than or roughly equivalent to state school tuition...

So much misinformation out there on the cost of college.
True, attending another state's public school is an option, it's just an unnecessary expense when the school in your backyard is perfectly fine.

(I assume that was the statement you inserted into another quote.) People keep saying that but I haven't seen a situation where a private school comes out to $10k per year with free room and board.

Who offers free room and board?

If you are talking about living at home, is your child an air fern? If not, does s/he not eat, consume water, electricity, heat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going to school out of state is a luxury that most people cannot afford. I have seen no difference between the successes of adults who went to school in-state vs. out-of-state. The only difference I noticed was the out-of-state folks complain a lot about paying off their student loans.

I will add that we are very lucky to live near so many high quality schools and to have so many employment opportunities in this area of the country. In other places, relocating for school and work are the only options.

PP here with the DD who holds seven acceptances. She will not be taking out loans. She'd like to see where else she might want to live and work.

Of course that's a great choice . One funny thing I have noticed over the years of observing parents and students is , I've never seen anybody transfer out of UMD. What would be the point. I've seen tons of kids go away and try to transfer in to UMD. That's part of the learning experience too.

Huh?

What is your point? That anyone who goes to school elsewhere will want to transfer to UMD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going to school out of state is a luxury that most people cannot afford. I have seen no difference between the successes of adults who went to school in-state vs. out-of-state. The only difference I noticed was the out-of-state folks complain a lot about paying off their student loans.

I will add that we are very lucky to live near so many high quality schools and to have so many employment opportunities in this area of the country. In other places, relocating for school and work are the only options.

PP here with the DD who holds seven acceptances. She will not be taking out loans. She'd like to see where else she might want to live and work.

Because her parents are wealthy. Even if you think you're middle class, you are wealthy compared to most people. And who is paying the extra $15k to house your child on campus? Most people can't afford that and it isn't a requirement for success. I'm glad you can afford to show your daughter the world. It's nice, but hardly necessary.

I agree, with a household income of $200K, we are wealthy.

The point is, we will pay about $3K/year more than we would have had she chosen to attend UMD. She got in, but doesn't want to attend. And she doesn't have to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going to school out of state is a luxury that most people cannot afford. I have seen no difference between the successes of adults who went to school in-state vs. out-of-state. The only difference I noticed was the out-of-state folks complain a lot about paying off their student loans.

I will add that we are very lucky to live near so many high quality schools and to have so many employment opportunities in this area of the country. In other places, relocating for school and work are the only options.

PP here with the DD who holds seven acceptances. She will not be taking out loans. She'd like to see where else she might want to live and work.

Because her parents are wealthy. Even if you think you're middle class, you are wealthy compared to most people. And who is paying the extra $15k to house your child on campus? Most people can't afford that and it isn't a requirement for success. I'm glad you can afford to show your daughter the world. It's nice, but hardly necessary.

I agree, with a household income of $200K, we are wealthy.

The point is, we will pay about $3K/year more than we would have had she chosen to attend UMD. She got in, but doesn't want to attend. And she doesn't have to.

OK, we get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you that are MD residents and whose children went to UMCP - did any of them feel like it was highschool all over again? I know the school is large but I worry about the temptation to just hang with the same crew as high school and thus not really spreading your wings. My own bias is definitely present here - I chose not to go to my flagship state school (Univ of Wisconsin) because I wanted to branch out and was worried I would just stay in my comfort zone with my very good HS friends that were going to UW.

I think that attending a school with 37,000 students is going to provide a far broader experience than some private little pampering school. I went to UMBC. Sure, there were people I already knew and it was nice to see a familiar face, but I also got to know a lot of people who did not fit the same mold as the people of my hometown. Some students were older and were going back to school. Others were attending part-time while working and paying their own way. The ones who were already working in professional fields turned out to be great contacts when it came time to find internships and full-time employment after graduation.

During my internships, I worked with students from some of the more expensive private colleges and they were the ones who acted like they were still in high school. They were the ones whose parents packed their lunches and woke them up for work every morning. Why attend a school where every student comes from the same kind of place with the same kind of SES?

Excuse me? Attending a fancy, expensive private college is not the only alternative to attending your home state flagship school. Get a grip.

For good students, mid range private schools will often come out to be less than or roughly equivalent to state school tuition...

So much misinformation out there on the cost of college.
True, attending another state's public school is an option, it's just an unnecessary expense when the school in your backyard is perfectly fine.

(I assume that was the statement you inserted into another quote.) People keep saying that but I haven't seen a situation where a private school comes out to $10k per year with free room and board.

Who offers free room and board?

If you are talking about living at home, is your child an air fern? If not, does s/he not eat, consume water, electricity, heat?

It's far less than $10k-$15k per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going to school out of state is a luxury that most people cannot afford. I have seen no difference between the successes of adults who went to school in-state vs. out-of-state. The only difference I noticed was the out-of-state folks complain a lot about paying off their student loans.

I will add that we are very lucky to live near so many high quality schools and to have so many employment opportunities in this area of the country. In other places, relocating for school and work are the only options.

PP here with the DD who holds seven acceptances. She will not be taking out loans. She'd like to see where else she might want to live and work.

Of course that's a great choice . One funny thing I have noticed over the years of observing parents and students is , I've never seen anybody transfer out of UMD. What would be the point. I've seen tons of kids go away and try to transfer in to UMD. That's part of the learning experience too.

Huh?

What is your point? That anyone who goes to school elsewhere will want to transfer to UMD?

Nooooo not at all!! Just a good percentage go away to school and don't like the school or place and come home and try to transfer in , but I've never known anyone to transfer out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you that are MD residents and whose children went to UMCP - did any of them feel like it was highschool all over again? I know the school is large but I worry about the temptation to just hang with the same crew as high school and thus not really spreading your wings. My own bias is definitely present here - I chose not to go to my flagship state school (Univ of Wisconsin) because I wanted to branch out and was worried I would just stay in my comfort zone with my very good HS friends that were going to UW.

I think that attending a school with 37,000 students is going to provide a far broader experience than some private little pampering school. I went to UMBC. Sure, there were people I already knew and it was nice to see a familiar face, but I also got to know a lot of people who did not fit the same mold as the people of my hometown. Some students were older and were going back to school. Others were attending part-time while working and paying their own way. The ones who were already working in professional fields turned out to be great contacts when it came time to find internships and full-time employment after graduation.

During my internships, I worked with students from some of the more expensive private colleges and they were the ones who acted like they were still in high school. They were the ones whose parents packed their lunches and woke them up for work every morning. Why attend a school where every student comes from the same kind of place with the same kind of SES?

Excuse me? Attending a fancy, expensive private college is not the only alternative to attending your home state flagship school. Get a grip.

For good students, mid range private schools will often come out to be less than or roughly equivalent to state school tuition...

So much misinformation out there on the cost of college.
True, attending another state's public school is an option, it's just an unnecessary expense when the school in your backyard is perfectly fine.

(I assume that was the statement you inserted into another quote.) People keep saying that but I haven't seen a situation where a private school comes out to $10k per year with free room and board.

Well if you're talking about commuting, that's another story. My children would be living on campus regardless of whether it's at UMDCP or across the country. Plus we live way out in North Potomac so doing that every day would not be an option.

[Anonymous]

I went to an elite, "diverse" college. While it was diverse, race-wise, it was not actually "diverse" in terms of experience. What I mean was that the vast majority of kids were from upper middle class to wealthy homes where parents were helicopters or borderline-helicopter parents who emphasized education, extra-curricular activities, and career. I can recall 1-2 people I knew who did not have this background. Most of the students were brilliant, but risk-averse. They did not show a lot of curiosity or willingness to think outside the box. I would imagine that University of Maryland would actually have a much more diverse student body in terms of upbringing and experience, and would actually reflect the diversity of the real world in a better way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going to school out of state is a luxury that most people cannot afford. I have seen no difference between the successes of adults who went to school in-state vs. out-of-state. The only difference I noticed was the out-of-state folks complain a lot about paying off their student loans.

I will add that we are very lucky to live near so many high quality schools and to have so many employment opportunities in this area of the country. In other places, relocating for school and work are the only options.

PP here with the DD who holds seven acceptances. She will not be taking out loans. She'd like to see where else she might want to live and work.

Because her parents are wealthy. Even if you think you're middle class, you are wealthy compared to most people. And who is paying the extra $15k to house your child on campus? Most people can't afford that and it isn't a requirement for success. I'm glad you can afford to show your daughter the world. It's nice, but hardly necessary.

I agree, with a household income of $200K, we are wealthy.

The point is, we will pay about $3K/year more than we would have had she chosen to attend UMD. She got in, but doesn't want to attend. And she doesn't have to.

That is great - congrats to your daughter for lining up so many acceptances that were affordable. I have started looking into merit based aid for ds and I don't see a lot of top tier schools offering significant merit based aid. Schools like Johns Hopkins and Tufts give very few merit based scholarships and these are frequently very small. How did you find 7 colleges that were comparable to UMD CP that offered merit based aid?TIA