UMD vs UVA

[Anonymous]

Why is it that the high school kids in VA are happy to go to UVA but kids in MD won’t even consider UMD as an option? Why does UMD get no respect? What’s so bad? Especially kids planning engineering or cs? What’s the issue?

[Anonymous]

LOL. Your post is 100% wrong but, other than that, it's a good question.

[Anonymous]

What kids are you talking to?

[Anonymous]

UMD is, indeed, a great school for many subjects, including engineering and computer science. But it has a kind of homely campus in a dumpy town and it's very close to where many of the posters on DCUM live. I think most kids would prefer to go to a more idyllic campus in a cute college town a little removed from their HS.

It's also the case that UVA has had a great reputation for a State school for decades, while UMD's rise in the rankings and prominence started relatively recently. Still, even if they had the exact same prestige, I think people would be vastly more excited to go to UMD if it were in Annapolis or someplace else cooler than College Park. Most kids I know who end up there love it though, regardless of how excited there were about it in HS.

[Anonymous]

MOLD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it that the high school kids in VA are happy to go to UVA but kids in MD won’t even consider UMD as an option? Why does UMD get no respect? What’s so bad? Especially kids planning engineering or cs? What’s the issue?

Has the anti-MD crowd found the college board too? I think you are way off base! UMDCP has a great Honors Program and is very strong in many of the sciences, engineering, comp sci... It is popular with high performing kids. Sure they might have been happier saying they go to MIT but so would UVA kids.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD is, indeed, a great school for many subjects, including engineering and computer science. But it has a kind of homely campus in a dumpy town and it's very close to where many of the posters on DCUM live. I think most kids would prefer to go to a more idyllic campus in a cute college town a little removed from their HS.

It's also the case that UVA has had a great reputation for a State school for decades, while UMD's rise in the rankings and prominence started relatively recently. Still, even if they had the exact same prestige, I think people would be vastly more excited to go to UMD if it were in Annapolis or someplace else cooler than College Park. Most kids I know who end up there love it though, regardless of how excited there were about it in HS.

I would rather be some place where I could jump on the metro and be in DC than Charlottesville..

[Anonymous]

UMD has gotten a lot better and is a great school.

It's not because kids do not want to go to UMD for the most part they can not get it.

UMD takes a huge number of out of state kids for the revenue. Think like 39% unlike UVA..MY oldest year out of approx 600 graduating students 1/3 class got got accepted. For my last child only 36 kids from same high school got in. About a 8 year difference, but still slowly declining over the years in terms of acceptance.

Also, up until recently UMD had some freshman connection where freshman started in a program where they could not start classes until 3 in the afternoon or live on campus.They created a private dorm at the tune of $12,000 a year. That priced some kids out or some kids going to class at 3 in the afternoon not a good fit. That program has changed.

Now it's the issue for the Business school and taking a bus to the Shady Grove campus. Sorry not for my kids pain in the neck.

One of mine choose UVA over UMD at the time the difference was only a $1000 a year. No reason to go to UMD engineering for that small amount.

[Anonymous]

This is my DD. We live in MD. She says her first choice school is UVA and she absolutely doesn't want to go to UMD--even though she may study engineering.

Two reasons.
1. Landscaping (UVA seems like a more elegant, traditional historical university.
2. Proximity to home. She doesn't want to go a few miles away. Charlottesville is a few hours away.

In sum, it's all superficial--not based on quality of school.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
UMD has gotten a lot better and is a great school.

It's not because kids do not want to go to UMD for the most part they can not get it.

UMD takes a huge number of out of state kids for the revenue. Think like 39% unlike UVA..MY oldest year out of approx 600 graduating students 1/3 class got got accepted. For my last child only 36 kids from same high school got in. About a 8 year difference, but still slowly declining over the years in terms of acceptance.

Also, up until recently UMD had some freshman connection where freshman started in a program where they could not start classes until 3 in the afternoon or live on campus.They created a private dorm at the tune of $12,000 a year. That priced some kids out or some kids going to class at 3 in the afternoon not a good fit. That program has changed.

Now it's the issue for the Business school and taking a bus to the Shady Grove campus. Sorry not for my kids pain in the neck.

No it’s not exactly that they couldn’t get in. My son’s friends didn’t even apply to umd as going to your state school especially umd is ‘lame’.

Whereas my nieces in fairfax county wanted to go to UVA and so did many of her friends.

One of mine choose UVA over UMD at the time the difference was only a $1000 a year. No reason to go to UMD engineering for that small amount.

[Anonymous]

Not all Va kids eligible want to go to UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
UMD has gotten a lot better and is a great school.

It's not because kids do not want to go to UMD for the most part they can not get it.

UMD takes a huge number of out of state kids for the revenue. Think like 39% unlike UVA..MY oldest year out of approx 600 graduating students 1/3 class got got accepted. For my last child only 36 kids from same high school got in. About a 8 year difference, but still slowly declining over the years in terms of acceptance.

Also, up until recently UMD had some freshman connection where freshman started in a program where they could not start classes until 3 in the afternoon or live on campus.They created a private dorm at the tune of $12,000 a year. That priced some kids out or some kids going to class at 3 in the afternoon not a good fit. That program has changed.

Now it's the issue for the Business school and taking a bus to the Shady Grove campus. Sorry not for my kids pain in the neck.

No it’s not exactly that they couldn’t get in. My son’s friends didn’t even apply to umd as going to your state school especially umd is ‘lame’.

Whereas my nieces in fairfax county wanted to go to UVA and so did many of her friends.

One of mine choose UVA over UMD at the time the difference was only a $1000 a year. No reason to go to UMD engineering for that small amount.

I agree. My DD’s friends worry about college al the time and whenever they think they didn’t do well on a test they tell themselves ‘it’s ok I’ll JUST go to umd’

[Anonymous]

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.