UMD vs Pitt
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Anonymous
| Which is better? |
Anonymous
| Depends on the major. Both are really good schools. I choose Pitt for the major. My kid will chose UMD for the major. Either school you can't go wrong. UMD has a prettier more campus feel. Pitt is much more urban but fun because of that. |
Anonymous
| Both are better than UVA! |
Anonymous
 Good one UMD marketing intern!
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Anonymous
UVA is a good school too. I’d pick by for price, major then location. |
Anonymous
| PITT has some catching up to do but it’s very similar. Tough smart resilient kids. |
Anonymous
| Oakland > College Park |
Anonymous
Nice try. Inside the beltway of the worlds most powerful city vs ... to don’t want to be mean.... |
Anonymous
If you like an urban campus, there’s no contest here. Oakland wins. |
Anonymous
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Love them both! My twins went to Maryland, and my youngest went to Pitt. All are proud graduates. (My oldest went to a different college in Pennsylvania.)
Son at UMCP was a Banneker Key scholar, and he had a top-notch experience as part of the Gemstone community. He earned 2 degrees (B.S. Computer Science & B.A. Classics). His twin sister at UMCP earned a B.A. in Criminology. Both received excellent educations and are well-employed, and both enjoyed their time in College Park. They were both geeky kids who mostly hung out in small groups with close friends. Daughter at Pitt was a Bio major. She was torn between UMCP and Pitt, but she felt drawn to Pitt’s campus and community & ultimately selected Pitt after some teary nights. She loved Oakland, loved the people, loved the professors, loved everything about it. As an honors college participant, she was able to live in the honors dorm freshman & sophomore years, where she made close friends. Although she struggled with emotional health issues over the years, she found abundant support. Pitt’s disability services department is excellent. Highlight for her at Pitt was the arts program - she and her best friend went to arts events often weekly, all of which were free of charge (and sometimes they provided food  ). She was able to attend lots of ballets, operas, etc.
I have more I could contribute, but first I’d want to know a little more about your child and his/her interests. Just LMK if you want more information based on my kids’ experiences. My sibs & I all went to UMCP, but that was in the eighties, so I doubt it’s pertinent. |
Anonymous
| Both Pitt and UMD are more important to the United States than UVa based on investment dollars. And Hopkins... forget about it. |
Anonymous
| My child was admitted to both last year (honors programs with merit aid in both cases). I thought he would like Pitt because of the location- it feels like a college town. He just did not like it. I am not sure why - if I had to guess, the emphasis on school spirit/sports at the accepted students presentation might have turned him off. Otoh he came back from the UMD accepted students day full of enthusiasm. I can’t tell if the OP’s child is trying to decide between the two but I hope your child has an opportunity to get a feel for both places so they can get a sense of whether it would be a good fit. They are both good schools. |
Anonymous
| My senior is in at honors for both, received merit from both, and choose Pitt. Location, all the hustle and bustle at Pitt, and that it is not as close to home and hundreds of kids from their HS will go to UMD likely assisted in that decision. |
Anonymous
I am the pp and these are all the excellent reasons why I was sure ds would pick Pitt over UMD but he didn’t like it. All of which is to say, I hope your student is able to get a sense of both places before deciding |
Anonymous
|
UMD 44%
Pitt 56% |