University of Maryland College Park

[Anonymous]

What type of aid if any do they give? Is it only for those under 100k?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dumb thread. Do your own research. It's a good school with good outcomes for students. Whether it's right for your kid is subjective.

Hey jerk, this is a forum where people ask questions about colleges. You’re the one who’s “dumb.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great education at a great price.
Good size to find your people
Kid loved the business school
great for DC connections /networking
Great diversity
old dorms
wish campus had better lighting at night (but i think that for many schools)

It is actually gigantic, but maybe that’s your kids jam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What type of aid if any do they give? Is it only for those under 100k?

Merit aids don’t consider your income. We are a 300k+ household and got very good merit scholarships.

[Anonymous]

This is the Best undergrad school outside of Morehouse and Spelman for Gifted and talented Black Students, combined with Ivy for Grad school , of course

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the Best undergrad school outside of Morehouse and Spelman for Gifted and talented Black Students, combined with Ivy for Grad school , of course

I've heard that. what makes it better than other PWIs?

perhaps related:

DD remarked when we visited that it was the only tour we'd been were on where the diversity of the tour group seemed to match the school's published stats about the student body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the Best undergrad school outside of Morehouse and Spelman for Gifted and talented Black Students, combined with Ivy for Grad school , of course

I've heard that. what makes it better than other PWIs?

perhaps related:

DD remarked when we visited that it was the only tour we'd been were on where the diversity of the tour group seemed to match the school's published stats about the student body.

Wondering also, but it is said that it has a high rate of Black students that go to grad school later to get PHD

[Anonymous]

The elementary education program (certification grades 1-6) has been a major disappointment. Do not recommend. Have heard good things about early childhood program. No idea about secondary education cohort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The elementary education program (certification grades 1-6) has been a major disappointment. Do not recommend. Have heard good things about early childhood program. No idea about secondary education cohort.

There seem to be many MCPS teachers who go for a Masters in secondary education. Unsure where they did undergrad though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're OOS and not super familiar yet with UMD.

How is the school spirit? Do kids actually go to games? (Doesn't matter which sport is the most popular one - DC will go watch ANYTHING, as long as lots of other kids are there.)

Yes. Especially football and basketball. Not many attend soccer or gymnastics.

Men’s soccer games are very well attended. It might not compare to basketball and football but UMD has some of the best attendance rates among college teams. There’s an active student section (The Crew) and my boys really enjoy being among other Crew members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good
Bad
Ugly

Is your kid currently there or graduated in the last 4 years?

Attended for undergrad, or grad? What program, college and major?

Outcome after graduating if they already graduated?

Good value for in state kids. Lots of opportunity *if* you are a kid that can advocate for yourself and be outgoing and persistent. Its so big that nobody will notice if you get lost. Many kids will do better at smaller schools. Be honest about what kind of kid you have (or are).

Limited enrollment majors really limit choices. Biz, engineering, and particularly CS are hard/impossible to get in if you are not accepted as a freshman in those majors. Some others too maybe. Beware. Its a shame, college should be a chance to explore. At UMd, its tough. And at some other places too of course.

Dorms are fine. Yes some are old but many are new or renovated. Food is decent though DHs can be very crowded at times.

Gym is nice but also very crowded at many times.

Health center is good for many things but not so good for urgent care which, imo, is the main thing it needs to be good at. Students (esp residents) should really never have to go off campus to find care for acute illness (flu etc). Yet the place has like bankers hours.

Parking and endless construction are a nightmare. Its a disgrace how construction is managed on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The elementary education program (certification grades 1-6) has been a major disappointment. Do not recommend. Have heard good things about early childhood program. No idea about secondary education cohort.

There seem to be many MCPS teachers who go for a Masters in secondary education. Unsure where they did undergrad though

Towson and Salisbury.

[Anonymous]

Towson was Maryland's original teachers college.

[Anonymous]

Honors program and Journalism school are outstanding. Small, limited enrollment, so it feels like a small college. Great internship opportunities.

Fun athletic events.

College Park itself is only okay, but improving. Not charming like Charlottesville but you've got plenty of amenities nearby plus the Metro to D.C. and soon the Purple line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honors program and Journalism school are outstanding. Small, limited enrollment, so it feels like a small college. Great internship opportunities.

Fun athletic events.

College Park itself is only okay, but improving. Not charming like Charlottesville but you've got plenty of amenities nearby plus the Metro to D.C. and soon the Purple line.

It is a little town along route 1 from Ikea to Hyattsville. Has grown a lot in the last few decades.