Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My son was offered the same last year. We passed. But in examining the offer, they did offer him to live on campus and even take classes in the fall. BUT, I don't think you would have much say in which dorm you would be assigned for the fall (so my first semester Freshman could be paired with a Junior in a dorm that is NOT mostly freshman) and the classes he could take were limited to evening classes. To me it just sounds like a terrible way to start out your college experience...feeling "other than" from the start. Such a gross money grab for UMD. We're from DC so instate tuition wasn't a hook for us.
Huh? Would you have preferred a denial?
Frankly, yes, absolutely we would have preferred a denial. UMD only does it to cover themselves for kids who flunk out after 1st semester, go overseas for semester abroad, etc. And good luck getting any merit aid. If you show that your kids is so desperate to go to MD that he/she is willing to sit out fall semester, there's no way they're giving your family any help.
I think you guys need to look into this more. Kids in freshman connection are in the same dorms as all other freshmen. They can choose roommates in advance like any other freshmen. No one knows they're freshman connection unless they themselves reveal it (though perhaps people could guess because of their course schedule)--the point is that they're eligible for everything else in the same way anyone else is. The only actual difference is that their first semester classes are taken after 3pm. This is only for one semester. These have dedicated sections so it's not a challenge to enroll in them.
Of course these kids aren't offered merit aid-- it only goes to the very top % of kids admitted to UMD (actually, pretty rare), so kids in FC wouldn't be in that group even if they were admitted for regular matriculation.
I'm not saying you should do it-- your kid should choose the best university for them. But you seem to be misrepresenting the program for everyone else who might read this thread.