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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]UMD economics is a strong department with professors who are world-class. That brings with it a degree of exposure and a set of opportunities that have their own value. On the other hand, WM will have smaller classes and greater faculty attention from professors who are very good at economics and will be excellent teachers. Which will suit your Dc better?[/quote]

OP I think this poster makes an excellent point.

Fwiw my kid faced a similar choice a few years ago.  W and M Monroe vs UMD honors with a little scholarship.  Financially, UMD made sense but W and M was financially doable.  So it came down to what DS preferred.  
The caliber of students is identical  (see the CDS numbers at the end of my post). 
W and M is a slac with small class sizes, a focus on writing and a compact campus.  These were all attributes that appealed to my DS but when we visited he did not like the town itself- it felt too provincial.

He ultimately picked UMD (Stem focused major) His science classes have been good but big.

Humanities and social science classes mostly small (20-30 in many cases) and several classes have been taught by graduate students.  Writing assignments are not as plentiful or as rigorous as they would be at a slac.

OTOH he has found it surprisingly easy to get research opportunities and been able to work quite closely with professors.  All his friends are graduating with jobs (consulting , federal govt, engineering, finance) or going to graduate school (good PhD programs, medical school, law school).

UMD is a R1 (top tier research institution) just a metro ride away from Washington DC.  If your child is interested in Economics, they have top  faculty. Of course it is a massive department and your child will have to be highly motivated to take advantage of the research opportunities that exist on campus and the internship opportunities off campus.

Ultimately these are both great schools but very different and it will ultimately come down to fit and priorities. I hope they visit both before deciding.

William and Mary (2023 CDS with 45% reporting scores)

1365 (25th)
1450 (50th)
1510 (75th)

UMD (2023 CDS with 41% reporting scores)
1380  (25th)
1450 (50th)
1510 (75th)[/quote]

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