Anonymous wrote:I'd look at 4 year graduation rates in addition to the other information, especially for a first generation college student. Salisbury's is 47%, and Frostburg's is 25%. Someone mentioned McDaniel and while it is private, 40% of its students are first generation college students and it has a higher 4 year graduation rate.

My siblings and I were poor and went to college on Pell Grants. Those of us who went to private schools got more aid, were finished sooner and ultimately had fewer student loans, as weird as that may seem.

I work for an org that serves first-gen college students-our students have been very successful at McDaniel, although it seems like they have gotten less generous with aid recently.

Salisbury is better academically as others have already mentioned. Both are party schools due to their somewhat remote locations, but that doesn't mean that every student parties! Salisbury as a town has become a little more rough over the past few years with crime and some gang activity - I still feel safe there, but could be a factor for a college student. Frostburg is known to me as somewhere people go who can't get in anywhere else. Another option would be to do the 2 years of community college and transfer into a Maryland school. My husband did this and transferred to Towson. I went to a big private school and have tons of loans. He makes more money than me. Hmmmm!

I'd look at 4 year graduation rates in addition to the other information, especially for a first generation college student. Salisbury's is 47%, and Frostburg's is 25%. Someone mentioned McDaniel and while it is private, 40% of its students are first generation college students and it has a higher 4 year graduation rate.

My siblings and I were poor and went to college on Pell Grants. Those of us who went to private schools got more aid, were finished sooner and ultimately had fewer student loans, as weird as that may seem.

Anonymous wrote:If admissions requirements and finances were not an option then I think he'd like a college like Villanova (or a smaller version of Villanova). He wants smaller classes with the ability to access direct contact with profs, and good academic supports; a social and diverse student body but not one focused only on drinking and frats; good sports; to be on a picturesque campus but near a city; and the catholic part wouldn't hurt. But we live in the real world

There are so many small Catholic private schools up and down the East Coast. It's quite possible that there would be one with a scholarship for him. What does he want to study? What are his stats like?

Anonymous wrote:OP why those schools? A 1st gen student might do better at McDaniel, St Mary's, or Washington College.

Two of those schools are private with high tuitions. Neither is a "full need school". That would be enough to keep most first gen students away, although of course there are exceptions.

St. Mary's is more selective, and while it's worth applying, may be hard for the student to get in.

I posted about Salisbury above. I would choose community college for 2 years over either school. He can focus on his classes and grades and then look to transfer somewhere better. Neither school is worth the money IMO.

If admissions requirements and finances were not an option then I think he'd like a college like Villanova (or a smaller version of Villanova). He wants smaller classes with the ability to access direct contact with profs, and good academic supports; a social and diverse student body but not one focused only on drinking and frats; good sports; to be on a picturesque campus but near a city; and the catholic part wouldn't hurt. But we live in the real world

St. Mary's?

Does he know what he wants to major in? If he had the grades, the SAT scores, and the money, where would he pick? I'm trying to get a sense of what he would like outside of those pesky admissions barriers.

Salisbury is stronger academically.

OP here. Thanks for the thoughts - I, too, am concerned at how rural/remote both frostburg and salisbury are (seems to encourage more of a hard partying atmosphere, plus this boy is used to taking the metro downtown, going to concerts at the 9:30 club, etc.), but there are not a lot of colleges in the state of maryland system/in state tuition - u of maryland and even towson are pretty competitive so unlikely he will get in, although he did apply to both. To the immed pp, I much appreciate the suggestions and welcome any others, but we looked at those schools and they are all private so much more expensive than frostburg and salisbury, and at least based on naviance it is highly unlikely he would get into mcdaniel or washington college. he's got a 3.1 gpa and so so SAT scores.

OP why those schools? A 1st gen student might do better at McDaniel, St Mary's, or Washington College.

I went to Salisbury my freshman year and transferred after it was over. A lot of kids were on the 5 year plan there and it just wasn't challenging. I went to a challenging private HS so maybe that raised my expectations. There wasn't much to do there except party. The beach in the winter was depressing. I toured Frostburg and it looked even more remote and the campus seemed depressing. How about Towson?

Academically, Sallisbury has a better reputation than Frostburg. The kids I have known who have gone to Salisbury received A's and B's in high school, but either didn't want to go to a school as big as UMD or weren't admitted. At least where I live (upcounty MoCo), Frostburg is known as four year school for B-C students who couldn't get into any of the other state schools.

Can anyone share their thoughts on one of these colleges compared to the other? Does one have a better academic or job placement reputation than the other? Does one have a more diverse student body than the other? Does one have more of a "party" reputation than the other? Does either draw more from Montgomery/PG County than the other? A friend's son applied to both (he does not have the grades/SATs for UMaryland), and he is trying to figure out which would be a better fit for him, academically and socially - he has toured Frostburg and will tour Salisburt but it is really hard to know what it is really like day to day at the college from a 1 hr tour. He is a very nice kid with a small but close group of friends, who enjoys sports (soccer in particular, which he plays on his MoCo high school team and for a club, but hasn't been recruited to play anywhere) and socializing but is not into hard partying/alcohol. He is the first in his family to go to college, and is latino. Thanks for any advice.