UMD vs UVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in VA so can only speculate, but there is the fact that College Park is a stop on the DC metro. To me, it wouldn't feel as much like "going away" to college. UVA is much more removed from DC.

I really think it's this, more than anything else.

[Anonymous]

UVA has history, architecture, and traditions that contribute to a certain mystique for some people. (Some people are pretty immune to that mystique. My dad certainly was immune. He grew up in the Northeast at a time when Southern universities were considered inferior and he never shed that view.) Those who do feel the mystique see UVA as more akin to some elite privates than to a typical public university. Maryland doesn't have that mystique (even though it has improved significantly over the past 20 years) and most state universities don't have it as well. Maryland's location, although convenient to DC, doesn't help it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA has history, architecture, and traditions that contribute to a certain mystique for some people. (Some people are pretty immune to that mystique. My dad certainly was immune. He grew up in the Northeast at a time when Southern universities were considered inferior and he never shed that view.) Those who do feel the mystique see UVA as more akin to some elite privates than to a typical public university. Maryland doesn't have that mystique (even though it has improved significantly over the past 20 years) and most state universities don't have it as well. Maryland's location, although convenient to DC, doesn't help it.

A history of slavery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Fiske Guide gives UMD 3 stars (pencils) for academics.

Not sure what that means but you can study with only one pencil.

It means it is not well regarded academically by the Fiske Guide

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD admissions rate: 44.3% (they don't break it down by residents/OOS)
UVA admissions rate: 36% residents, 19% non-residents

From what I'm reading, UMD can't have more than 1/3 non-residents by law and UVA agrees to the same percentage, but there isn't actually a law about it in Virginia.

UMD is double the size if UVA

The state of Maryland has ~twice as many HS grads than VA.

Virginia has 2.5M people more than Maryland. That doesn't seem likely.

Sorry I wrote that backwards. Yes Virginia has twice as many high school students than Maryland. They also have half as many spots at UVA than Maryland has. That’s why it seems harder to get in... twice as many kids are applying to half as many spots it’s basic math.

But any student that’s going to Virginia up for engineering over Maryland is simply doing it to get away from their parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD admissions rate: 44.3% (they don't break it down by residents/OOS)
UVA admissions rate: 36% residents, 19% non-residents

From what I'm reading, UMD can't have more than 1/3 non-residents by law and UVA agrees to the same percentage, but there isn't actually a law about it in Virginia.

UMD is double the size if UVA

The state of Maryland has ~twice as many HS grads than VA.

Virginia has 2.5M people more than Maryland. That doesn't seem likely.

Sorry I wrote that backwards. Yes Virginia has twice as many high school students than Maryland. They also have half as many spots at UVA than Maryland has. That’s why it seems harder to get in... twice as many kids are applying to half as many spots it’s basic math.

But any student that’s going to Virginia up for engineering over Maryland is simply doing it to get away from their parents.

Maryland more or less fills both of the roles in Virginia taken by UVA (state university) and Virginia Tech (land grant / tech). Maryland was probably thought to be a bit to small to have both. That explains Maryland's size, but also why it has a different feel to UVA.

[Anonymous]

UMD has a very small endowment for a school of its size, even for a state university ($355M in 2018). This probably says something about alumni feelings for and dedication to the school. Granted, this may be changing recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA has history, architecture, and traditions that contribute to a certain mystique for some people. (Some people are pretty immune to that mystique. My dad certainly was immune. He grew up in the Northeast at a time when Southern universities were considered inferior and he never shed that view.) Those who do feel the mystique see UVA as more akin to some elite privates than to a typical public university. Maryland doesn't have that mystique (even though it has improved significantly over the past 20 years) and most state universities don't have it as well. Maryland's location, although convenient to DC, doesn't help it.

A [b]history of slavery

[/[b]. So does Harvard and Yale. In fact most U S universities were built on the back of slaves. Learn your history. Google Harvard Yale slavery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD admissions rate: 44.3% (they don't break it down by residents/OOS)
UVA admissions rate: 36% residents, 19% non-residents

From what I'm reading, UMD can't have more than 1/3 non-residents by law and UVA agrees to the same percentage, but there isn't actually a law about it in Virginia.

UMD is double the size if UVA

The state of Maryland has ~twice as many HS grads than VA.

Virginia has 2.5M people more than Maryland. That doesn't seem likely.

Sorry I wrote that backwards. Yes Virginia has twice as many high school students than Maryland. They also have half as many spots at UVA than Maryland has. That’s why it seems harder to get in... twice as many kids are applying to half as many spots it’s basic math.

But any student that’s going to Virginia up for engineering over Maryland is simply doing it to get away from their parents.

Maryland more or less fills both of the roles in Virginia taken by UVA (state university) and Virginia Tech (land grant / tech). Maryland was probably thought to be a bit to small to have both. That explains Maryland's size, but also why it has a different feel to UVA.

True but UMBC tech degrees are as good as VA tech. But va tech has better sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA has history, architecture, and traditions that contribute to a certain mystique for some people. (Some people are pretty immune to that mystique. My dad certainly was immune. He grew up in the Northeast at a time when Southern universities were considered inferior and he never shed that view.) Those who do feel the mystique see UVA as more akin to some elite privates than to a typical public university. Maryland doesn't have that mystique (even though it has improved significantly over the past 20 years) and most state universities don't have it as well. Maryland's location, although convenient to DC, doesn't help it.

This post sums it up well. Also, College Park is just so depressing. The UMD campus is pretty ugly and badly designed too.

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth, USN&WR ranks UVA as no. 4 best public university in America and UMD as no. 24. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA has history, architecture, and traditions that contribute to a certain mystique for some people. (Some people are pretty immune to that mystique. My dad certainly was immune. He grew up in the Northeast at a time when Southern universities were considered inferior and he never shed that view.) Those who do feel the mystique see UVA as more akin to some elite privates than to a typical public university. Maryland doesn't have that mystique (even though it has improved significantly over the past 20 years) and most state universities don't have it as well. Maryland's location, although convenient to DC, doesn't help it.

A [b]history of slavery

[/[b]. So does Harvard and Yale. In fact most U S universities were built on the back of slaves. Learn your history. Google Harvard Yale slavery

But mommy they did it too!

[Anonymous]

Engineering and Comp Sci are far better at UMD. You might want to look at some of the new buildings before calling it a dump. They are trying to look more like UC Berkeley, not UVA.

It does attract a lot of kids from the Northeast, California because they are looking for an urban area. Green line from College Park goes directly to DC Wharf, which is pretty cool. When Purple Line opens, it will make internships at NIH much easier to get to. College Park is getting nicer too. You might want to take a look.

[Anonymous]

If you’re going to talk about slavery, talk about how the school is handling the topic today.

https://slavery.virginia.edu/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMD admissions rate: 44.3% (they don't break it down by residents/OOS)
UVA admissions rate: 36% residents, 19% non-residents

From what I'm reading, UMD can't have more than 1/3 non-residents by law and UVA agrees to the same percentage, but there isn't actually a law about it in Virginia.

UMD is double the size if UVA

The state of Maryland has ~twice as many HS grads than VA.

Virginia has 2.5M people more than Maryland. That doesn't seem likely.

Sorry I wrote that backwards. Yes Virginia has twice as many high school students than Maryland. They also have half as many spots at UVA than Maryland has. That’s why it seems harder to get in... twice as many kids are applying to half as many spots it’s basic math.

But any student that’s going to Virginia up for engineering over Maryland is simply doing it to get away from their parents.

One other factor is that Virginia's roster of state schools after the flagship is robust, and Maryland's is . . . not.

Compare William and Mary, Va. Tech, JMU, and VCU with Towson, Bowie State, Coppin State, UMBC, Salisbury, St. Mary's - there are a lot more palatable alternatives for top students in VA.