UMD Honors vs GMU for Nova kid wanting to be near home?

[Anonymous]

Is either one in-state? What is her intended major? These are considerations I’d weigh heavily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Helping my DD research. She is good student with strong stats (so far.)

How would you compare these for someone who is social and wants the “college experience” but also would like to know that home and parents are not that far away?

(She is our second. First kid was like bye c ya later!)

4-5 kids (that we know of) from my kid's FCPS HS class are attending UMD. He was in the only 4y honors LLP. Quit after one year. Just wasn't for him. However he LOVES UMD. Currently a junior. He's had internships each summer (including summer of 2026). Pretty generous with APs. Will end up with a major in CS along with minors in philosophy and math. He didn't apply to Mason. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OP here. We are instate for VA. Could stretch to pay for UMD if no merit, I don’t know much about the DC privates but I assumed they were just too expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD will have a more robust residential life, especially on weekends. I'm impressed by the opportunities available to honors students.

But since you are willing to pay OOS tuition, are there close by private schools that are worth considering?

Not true anymore. 6,600 students live on GMU's campuses. All freshman are required to live in dorms unless they get a waiver. My DD had four great years in the dorms at GMU and a very full social and academic life.

And when I was on campus during the 90s - there was still a strong campus life. Grad school during the 2000s - I could see people having fun at midnight. I doubt the PP knows anything about GMU.

+1. Also GMU’s honors program is wonderful. The son of my best friend was in it. It offered all sorts of benefits. He got internships in the Hill, used the Arlington campus and is finishing his second year of law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We are instate for VA. Could stretch to pay for UMD if no merit, I don’t know much about the DC privates but I assumed they were just too expensive.

GMU instate is $30m all in; UMD is $63k. UMD is a tough admit. privates will run you $70- $95k a year.

Our DS picked GMU because it was one of the few schools at that time which offered both a Game Design degree and Japanese. He double majored and landed great internships all three summers and was hired by Bethesda Softworks, now a division of Microsoft before graduation. GmU does very well at internship and job placement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping my DD research. She is good student with strong stats (so far.)

How would you compare these for someone who is social and wants the “college experience” but also would like to know that home and parents are not that far away?

(She is our second. First kid was like bye c ya later!)

4-5 kids (that we know of) from my kid's FCPS HS class are attending UMD. He was in the only 4y honors LLP. Quit after one year. Just wasn't for him. However he LOVES UMD. Currently a junior. He's had internships each summer (including summer of 2026). Pretty generous with APs. Will end up with a major in CS along with minors in philosophy and math. He didn't apply to Mason. Good luck!

PP, I am not OP, but I have a kid interested in UMD physics, music and, perhaps minor in philosophy. Can you comment on UMD philosophy? We are in NOVA, and originally thought that UMD is just too close to home. But physics of UMD nationally ranked among the top public, way ahead of UVA, GMU or VT. This is why my kid is interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping my DD research. She is good student with strong stats (so far.)

How would you compare these for someone who is social and wants the “college experience” but also would like to know that home and parents are not that far away?

(She is our second. First kid was like bye c ya later!)

4-5 kids (that we know of) from my kid's FCPS HS class are attending UMD. He was in the only 4y honors LLP. Quit after one year. Just wasn't for him. However he LOVES UMD. Currently a junior. He's had internships each summer (including summer of 2026). Pretty generous with APs. Will end up with a major in CS along with minors in philosophy and math. He didn't apply to Mason. Good luck!

PP, I am not OP, but I have a kid interested in UMD physics, music and, perhaps minor in philosophy. Can you comment on UMD philosophy? We are in NOVA, and originally thought that UMD is just too close to home. But physics of UMD nationally ranked among the top public, way ahead of UVA, GMU or VT. This is why my kid is interested.

Not true. USNWR ranks UVA undergrad physics at 26 with UND way below at 42

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD will have a more robust residential life, especially on weekends. I'm impressed by the opportunities available to honors students.

But since you are willing to pay OOS tuition, are there close by private schools that are worth considering?

Not true anymore. 6,600 students live on GMU's campuses. All freshman are required to live in dorms unless they get a waiver. My DD had four great years in the dorms at GMU and a very full social and academic life.

UMD CP has 39 houses, and 9601 beds, and the purple line lightrail that stops right in front of the Student Union (Stamp) should open late 2027.

You don’t think one can party hearty with 6,600 students? Also the facilities at GMU are much newer, nicer and state-of-the-art labs since everything is newer. My kid’s GMU dorm rooms were better than hotel rooms with full private bath and kitchen.

[Anonymous]

I work with physicists from UVA and also from UMCP. Both are very sharp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping my DD research. She is good student with strong stats (so far.)

How would you compare these for someone who is social and wants the “college experience” but also would like to know that home and parents are not that far away?

(She is our second. First kid was like bye c ya later!)

4-5 kids (that we know of) from my kid's FCPS HS class are attending UMD. He was in the only 4y honors LLP. Quit after one year. Just wasn't for him. However he LOVES UMD. Currently a junior. He's had internships each summer (including summer of 2026). Pretty generous with APs. Will end up with a major in CS along with minors in philosophy and math. He didn't apply to Mason. Good luck!

PP, I am not OP, but I have a kid interested in UMD physics, music and, perhaps minor in philosophy. Can you comment on UMD philosophy? We are in NOVA, and originally thought that UMD is just too close to home. But physics of UMD nationally ranked among the top public, way ahead of UVA, GMU or VT. This is why my kid is interested.

Not true. USNWR ranks UVA undergrad physics at 26 with UND way below at 42

PP, the ranking you have cited is the overall national university ranking, not specific for physics. For physics, USNWR rankis UMD at #17, and UVA at #38. The same ranking put both GT and Penn State at #21, VT at #50.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Helping my DD research. She is good student with strong stats (so far.)

How would you compare these for someone who is social and wants the “college experience” but also would like to know that home and parents are not that far away?

(She is our second. First kid was like bye c ya later!)

4-5 kids (that we know of) from my kid's FCPS HS class are attending UMD. He was in the only 4y honors LLP. Quit after one year. Just wasn't for him. However he LOVES UMD. Currently a junior. He's had internships each summer (including summer of 2026). Pretty generous with APs. Will end up with a major in CS along with minors in philosophy and math. He didn't apply to Mason. Good luck!

PP, please share your kid's experience in UMD philosophy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD will have a more robust residential life, especially on weekends. I'm impressed by the opportunities available to honors students.

But since you are willing to pay OOS tuition, are there close by private schools that are worth considering?

Not true anymore. 6,600 students live on GMU's campuses. All freshman are required to live in dorms unless they get a waiver. My DD had four great years in the dorms at GMU and a very full social and academic life.

UMD CP has 39 houses, and 9601 beds, and the purple line lightrail that stops right in front of the Student Union (Stamp) should open late 2027.

You don’t think one can party hearty with 6,600 students? Also the facilities at GMU are much newer, nicer and state-of-the-art labs since everything is newer. My kid’s GMU dorm rooms were better than hotel rooms with full private bath and kitchen.

For Freshman Dorms - what did your kid get? I remember mine back in the day - shared room, no kitchen, and communal bathroom.

Do Freshman get private rooms or baths not shared by your closest 40 friends?

[Anonymous]

We are so impressed with the honors program at UMd. DS chose carefully - smaller program, laid back kids (no way was he doing a research based program), great dorm. The small community has been wonderful counterpoint to large vibrant campus and student body.

[Anonymous]

4-5 kids (that we know of) from my kid's FCPS HS class are attending UMD. He was in the only 4y honors LLP. Quit after one year. Just wasn't for him. However he LOVES UMD. Currently a junior. He's had internships each summer (including summer of 2026). Pretty generous with APs. Will end up with a major in CS along with minors in philosophy and math. He didn't apply to Mason. Good luck!

PP - If you don't mind sharing, what did you son dislike about the UMD Honors LLP? Sounds like he had no problem integrating with the school after leaving the Honors track, so that's good to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We are instate for VA. Could stretch to pay for UMD if no merit, I don’t know much about the DC privates but I assumed they were just too expensive.

Run NPCs for privates. You may be surprised, American doles out merit for a wide range of students

Are you looking to be less than an hour away? People may be able to suggest other affordable schools if given distance range & major