Should DC apply to UMD? (and does it feel very "big")

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone thinks UMDCP matches UCLA?
Oh my word that is the most hilarious, out of touch thing I've read on DCUM in a very, very long time.

These comparisons are so pointless. There are many personal reasons why someone might prefer UMD over UCLA and vice versa and end up with a great college experience, education and future opportunities.

PP was only comparing SAT scores. Your responding to a troll or someone with reading comprehension issues.

None of the UC's look at SAT scores.
Catch up.

Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you aren't even thinking of what OP's kid wants. I don't know why W&M is even in discussion here. She said her kid does not want a small LAC. W&M has less than 10K kids and has so many similarities to a liberal arts college. Comparing it to UMD is like comparing apples to oranges.

10K is not SLAC size. Almost all SLACs are about 2-2.5K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone thinks UMDCP matches UCLA?
Oh my word that is the most hilarious, out of touch thing I've read on DCUM in a very, very long time.

These comparisons are so pointless. There are many personal reasons why someone might prefer UMD over UCLA and vice versa and end up with a great college experience, education and future opportunities.

PP was only comparing SAT scores. Your responding to a troll or someone with reading comprehension issues.

None of the UC's look at SAT scores.
Catch up.

You're beautiful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many better options for a girl with those stats within 8 hours of Long Island.

Forgive my ignorance. I have a friend who loved her time at UMD so that's why I thought of it. Please give me some suggestions- I really appreciate it.

For starters, the Virginia state schools aren't much further away, are much better, and are smaller. UVA and William & Mary are both probably targets for a LI valedictorian. They're expensive though, and don't give a lot of merit aid.

Not trying to start a whole thing here, but is W&M much better than UMD? -OP

No, neither UVA nor W&M are appreciably better than UMD academically, and UMD is definitely stronger in some STEM fields. I personally would much rather attend either over UMD as I really dislike the campus and area. Might look into the honors programs at places like Pitt too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:UMD is the old school college where the kid comes out more grown up, more mature and resilient. Hovering moms don't like it. Not the place for shrinking violets. Men like it a lot. No hand holding, the town is a little hardscrabble (although the violent crime is well below Charlottesville). The UMD alumni have had far greater impact on USA and World economy, culture than almost all peer institutions I believe because of the lack of appeal to weaklings but that's just a opinion. Since the Big Ten invitation UMD has become very hard to get into with incoming SAT/ACTs 4th in the Big Ten basically tied with UCLA but behind the privates and Michigan. It's a big research school with the 8th biggest research budget among publics in the country. The Big Ten invite was mostly due the the research budget and is a Big Ten style school

Went to UMD. This is a great description. Slightly more males there than females which is rare at big schools these days.

Even though it's Big Ten... More of a basketball, lacrosse school than Football. Too many pro teams around for a semi pro level college football power. They just shoot for 8 wins

Nah...that's not it. It's just that the move to the BIG 10 did them no favors for the football program.

Yeah only about 5 are real FB "powers". The remainder are good but could be classified as flukes (Indiana), has beens (Nebraska) or never was (Northwestern).

5? OSU is the only real power, followed by Michigan and perhaps Oregon. Time will tell whether Michigan is actually back or the Harbaugh era was an outlier. PSU is a perennial “almost there”. The rest are up and down or teams that were once good trending towards “has been” status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD is not a target for anyone. It's hard to get into.

It's a target on my DD's list. It is very easy for in state high stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD is not a target for anyone. It's hard to get into.

It's a target on my DD's list. It is very easy for in state high stats.

On the list =\= acceptance

[Anonymous]

OP, I would take a closer look at SUNY Geneseo. Two of DD’s friends are there now - both very smart and high-achieving women. One is pre-med and one planning on grad school in physics.

SUNY Geneseo is smaller than SUNY Binghamton (5,500?) and in a pretty setting with a ton of nature nearby. (Finger Lakes + Letchworth Park). We’ve heard classes are smaller and professors/research opportunities are more accessible than at Binghamton. Cost is reasonable for in-state students, and they offer merit aid, too.

Meanwhile, does anyone have thoughts on Rutgers? Similar to U-MD or different?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD is the old school college where the kid comes out more grown up, more mature and resilient. Hovering moms don't like it. Not the place for shrinking violets. Men like it a lot. No hand holding, the town is a little hardscrabble (although the violent crime is well below Charlottesville). The UMD alumni have had far greater impact on USA and World economy, culture than almost all peer institutions I believe because of the lack of appeal to weaklings but that's just a opinion. Since the Big Ten invitation UMD has become very hard to get into with incoming SAT/ACTs 4th in the Big Ten basically tied with UCLA but behind the privates and Michigan. It's a big research school with the 8th biggest research budget among publics in the country. The Big Ten invite was mostly due the the research budget and is a Big Ten style school

Went to UMD. This is a great description. Slightly more males there than females which is rare at big schools these days.

Even though it's Big Ten... More of a basketball, lacrosse school than Football. Too many pro teams around for a semi pro level college football power. They just shoot for 8 wins

Nah...that's not it. It's just that the move to the BIG 10 did them no favors for the football program.

Yeah only about 5 are real FB "powers". The remainder are good but could be classified as flukes (Indiana), has beens (Nebraska) or never was (Northwestern).

5? OSU is the only real power, followed by Michigan and perhaps Oregon. Time will tell whether Michigan is actually back or the Harbaugh era was an outlier. PSU is a perennial “almost there”. The rest are up and down or teams that were once good trending towards “has been” status.

Did OP express an interest in the relative quality of the different Big 10 FB teams? 🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you aren't even thinking of what OP's kid wants. I don't know why W&M is even in discussion here. She said her kid does not want a small LAC. W&M has less than 10K kids and has so many similarities to a liberal arts college. Comparing it to UMD is like comparing apples to oranges.

10K is not SLAC size. Almost all SLACs are about 2-2.5K.

Bottom line, a kid thinking of UMD is not thinking of W&M or vice versa. My kid is looking at places like UMD, Ohio State, Penn State Michigan State, U Conn, Pitt, even VTech. W&M is not even in the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD is not a target for anyone. It's hard to get into.

It's a target on my DD's list. It is very easy for in state high stats.

You are wrong. I just went thru the UMD admissions process with two recent high school grads from MCPS. One got rejected - 3.8/4.5 and 1500. The other barely got in - freshman connection - and he had a3.9/4.7 and 1580.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD is not a target for anyone. It's hard to get into.

It's a target on my DD's list. It is very easy for in state high stats.

You are wrong. I just went thru the UMD admissions process with two recent high school grads from MCPS. One got rejected - 3.8/4.5 and 1500. The other barely got in - freshman connection - and he had a3.9/4.7 and 1580.

Ok that makes zero sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD is not a target for anyone. It's hard to get into.

It's a target on my DD's list. It is very easy for in state high stats.

You are wrong. I just went thru the UMD admissions process with two recent high school grads from MCPS. One got rejected - 3.8/4.5 and 1500. The other barely got in - freshman connection - and he had a3.9/4.7 and 1580.

Ok that makes zero sense.

because...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you aren't even thinking of what OP's kid wants. I don't know why W&M is even in discussion here. She said her kid does not want a small LAC. W&M has less than 10K kids and has so many similarities to a liberal arts college. Comparing it to UMD is like comparing apples to oranges.

10K is not SLAC size. Almost all SLACs are about 2-2.5K.

Bottom line, a kid thinking of UMD is not thinking of W&M or vice versa. My kid is looking at places like UMD, Ohio State, Penn State Michigan State, U Conn, Pitt, even VTech. W&M is not even in the conversation.

Read OP again. "She doesn't have strong opinions on the size of the school other than small LACs do not appeal to her, and mid-size sounds good...I think she would be fine with the relatively larger size of UMD..."

The kid does not have her heart set on a big state school. She wants mid-size but *her mother* is inquiring about UMD *as long as it does not "feel" very "big"*. OP also writes about how her daughter does not want to be too far from home, so W&M might be out anyway, but the size is right for the kid.

I've always found W&M a weird school. Being that close to historical re-enactors/LARPers would creep me out. It's expensive in-state - for my family even more than UVA. Going to amusement parks seems to be a big part of student life? I don't know, it's just such a weird town to go to college in. But I'm sure a lot of people who are less jaded than I am find it fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you aren't even thinking of what OP's kid wants. I don't know why W&M is even in discussion here. She said her kid does not want a small LAC. W&M has less than 10K kids and has so many similarities to a liberal arts college. Comparing it to UMD is like comparing apples to oranges.

10K is not SLAC size. Almost all SLACs are about 2-2.5K.

Bottom line, a kid thinking of UMD is not thinking of W&M or vice versa. My kid is looking at places like UMD, Ohio State, Penn State Michigan State, U Conn, Pitt, even VTech. W&M is not even in the conversation.

My kid chose UMD over WM, Lehigh, CWRU, BU, Minnesota, Ohio St. and Pitt. He was all over the place!