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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've taken some classes on the UMD campus. I treasure my time there. It's a great, relatively affordable public institution with amazing programs especially but not exclusively in STEM, being superior to UVA in many of those respects.

That being said:

If your daughter is looking out of state for a school with a good "classic college experience," be wary. It's obviously not an ivy or SLAC, but it's also unlike a typical Big Football School. Perhaps due to its gritty suburban location, the feel on campus is less bro-y and "together" than somewhere like Ohio State.

Coupled with the fact that some near peer institutions have *much* better pre med advising, I would explore other options.

Gritty suburban location?!?

LOL 🤣

I had originally written "dumpy" but "gritty" sounded more positive to me. It's hard to capture in this medium, but College Park is not your cute college town out of central casting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've taken some classes on the UMD campus. I treasure my time there. It's a great, relatively affordable public institution with amazing programs especially but not exclusively in STEM, being superior to UVA in many of those respects.

That being said:

If your daughter is looking out of state for a school with a good "classic college experience," be wary. It's obviously not an ivy or SLAC, but it's also unlike a typical Big Football School. Perhaps due to its gritty suburban location, the feel on campus is less bro-y and "together" than somewhere like Ohio State.

Coupled with the fact that some near peer institutions have *much* better pre med advising, I would explore other options.

Gritty suburban location?!?

LOL 🤣

I had originally written "dumpy" but "gritty" sounded more positive to me. It's hard to capture in this medium, but College Park is not your cute college town out of central casting.

Yep. School on route 1. However, little downtown just off campus flooded with students on weekend nights. I think parents are more bothered about the lack of a traditional college town than students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've taken some classes on the UMD campus. I treasure my time there. It's a great, relatively affordable public institution with amazing programs especially but not exclusively in STEM, being superior to UVA in many of those respects.

That being said:

If your daughter is looking out of state for a school with a good "classic college experience," be wary. It's obviously not an ivy or SLAC, but it's also unlike a typical Big Football School. Perhaps due to its gritty suburban location, the feel on campus is less bro-y and "together" than somewhere like Ohio State.

Coupled with the fact that some near peer institutions have *much* better pre med advising, I would explore other options.

Gritty suburban location?!?

LOL 🤣

I had originally written "dumpy" but "gritty" sounded more positive to me. It's hard to capture in this medium, but College Park is not your cute college town out of central casting.

As much as I love UMD, this statement isn't wrong. If this is important to you, maybe you should look around other schools. School itself though isn't too bad - my kids actually liked it. It's just that the areas around the school isn't that pretty. Again, it has nothing to do with education itself but I know some folks put premiums on these things. We didn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP had a good suggestion re. Pitt/Case Western. Both are smaller than UMD. I'd add all three to your list. We are in-state to UMD and all 3 of my kids went to UMD Honors Program. Classes are larger in intro classes, not unlike any other big state Unis. but much manageable after that. One of my kids just finished medical school and started residency. Pre-med advising office is pretty okay but not much held holding. Your kid will have to be a self-driven kid.

Congrats to your kid, can you tell me the major your kid did in under graduate at UMD and where did your kid go for medical school?

Bio major, went to a top-20 med schools in west coast and now at one of the "Big 4" Internal Medicine Residency program - 2 Harvard programs, Hopkins, and UCSF.

[Anonymous]

A previous poster mentioned that students go home on weekends. That isn't my impression from my 2 students. We live pretty close and they don't come home often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only comment for you is that if your kid needs merit aid for undergrad and is considering med school, go in-state. Save any money for med school.

I would say go in state if it's the cheapest option.

Sometimes, with need based aid and merit aid, the cheapest option isn't your in state schools. I know plenty of people in that situation.

I know; I really think she'll do well with one of the SUNYs.

Buffalo is soooo far away, but they're great for pre-med. And Geneseo offers the smaller, prettier vibe.

+ 1 for Buffalo; she’d get some merit $ w her grades even as in state. It would help save money for medical school.

[Anonymous]

My OOS son was offered merit aid - $10k/year - but he ended up attending a different college. If you haven’t already visited UMD, I suggest you do so. I didn’t like it and I LOVE college campuses, however my son didn’t seem to mind it.

[Anonymous]

OP: there is a terrific FB group for families interested in/applying to UMD, run by some U-MD parents. LOADS of info on there, including applicants experiences with scholarship offers. I don't have the link, but found it on college confidential's U-MD forum last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A previous poster mentioned that students go home on weekends. That isn't my impression from my 2 students. We live pretty close and they don't come home often.

This. Lots of activity on Camila and easy train access into DC.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only comment for you is that if your kid needs merit aid for undergrad and is considering med school, go in-state. Save any money for med school.

I would say go in state if it's the cheapest option.

Sometimes, with need based aid and merit aid, the cheapest option isn't your in state schools. I know plenty of people in that situation.

The OP doesn't mention needing need-based aid, only merit, so I have a feeling they won't qualify for much need. Maryland likely won't be cheaper than a SUNY. Yes, they need to go with the cheapest option, which could theoretically be private. Med school is hella expensive. Save your $$ for med school! Maryland out-of-state tuition & fees is almost $42K (this is before housing). SUNY instate tuition & fees is around $9K per year (again, before housing). That means she's got to get a ton of aid for them to become closer numbers.

[Anonymous]

Look, UMD is a very good school. One of the better big state schools for sure. But for an OOS student? Nope. That doesn't make much sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only comment for you is that if your kid needs merit aid for undergrad and is considering med school, go in-state. Save any money for med school.

I would say go in state if it's the cheapest option.

Sometimes, with need based aid and merit aid, the cheapest option isn't your in state schools. I know plenty of people in that situation.

The OP doesn't mention needing need-based aid, only merit, so I have a feeling they won't qualify for much need. Maryland likely won't be cheaper than a SUNY. Yes, they need to go with the cheapest option, which could theoretically be private. Med school is hella expensive. Save your $$ for med school! Maryland out-of-state tuition & fees is almost $42K (this is before housing). SUNY instate tuition & fees is around $9K per year (again, before housing). That means she's got to get a ton of aid for them to become closer numbers.

Binghamton instate is 32K according to the website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only comment for you is that if your kid needs merit aid for undergrad and is considering med school, go in-state. Save any money for med school.

I would say go in state if it's the cheapest option.

Sometimes, with need based aid and merit aid, the cheapest option isn't your in state schools. I know plenty of people in that situation.

The OP doesn't mention needing need-based aid, only merit, so I have a feeling they won't qualify for much need. Maryland likely won't be cheaper than a SUNY. Yes, they need to go with the cheapest option, which could theoretically be private. Med school is hella expensive. Save your $$ for med school! Maryland out-of-state tuition & fees is almost $42K (this is before housing). SUNY instate tuition & fees is around $9K per year (again, before housing). That means she's got to get a ton of aid for them to become closer numbers.

Binghamton instate is 32K according to the website.

That’s for instate tuition, fees , room and board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My OOS son was offered merit aid - $10k/year - but he ended up attending a different college. If you haven’t already visited UMD, I suggest you do so. I didn’t like it and I LOVE college campuses, however my son didn’t seem to mind it.

What different college did he end up in?