UMBC was my DS's second choice after UMD (which is where he currently attends). When we visited the UMBC several years ago, we were very impressed with what we learned about the school and the opportunities. DS was offered a fantastic merit scholarship, too. Several of his friends are students there and are very happy; they do not come home on a regular basis, although I have heard that a lot of kids do clear out on weekends.

Anonymous wrote:How does it compare to St. Mary's College of MD?

Completely different. St. Mary's is undergraduate focused, small, feels like a LAC, has a beautiful campus. UMBC is very much a commuter school, the focus isn't on undergraduate teaching, but it does have D1 athletics.

I live in Baltimore County and know quite a few people who go. It's a great school for STEM, but it is more of a commuter school as opposed to the more traditional college experience at Towson University or UMD. It is a research university, so there will be plenty of PhD students who are immigrants and not exactly great teachers. UMBC is a great option for self-starters, talented kids, passionate about science.

I know a family with a son who got a full scholarship to UMBC majoring in physics-related field. He invented a cancer-killing technology while at UMBC with a group of other students, and was invited by Stanford and MIT to present this finding. I think he will do graduate studies at either one of these universities.

That said, if you want a safety school that will have professors pushing your kid, UMBC is not for you. It is possible that your child will find a peer group that will spark his/her interest in the chosen field. This school is for people with math and science abilities, and has many students who took time to graduate due to having to work to support themselves, so called non-traditional students. It has traditional smart students as well whose parents couldn't pay for a fancy school.

UMBC's reputation for getting a job after college is amazing.

86% in-state
7% out of state
7% international

freshman not required to live on campus

That is not a suitcase school. That is a commuter school

Following. My DC is a junior and borderline for UMD (3.75 UW, 28 ACT, taking again in June) and out of state isn’t in the cards for us (unless major merit money and again, not sure that’s realistic given her stats). UMBC seems like a decent option given the circumstances, and she liked it when we toured, but of course you don’t always get the whole picture during a 2 hour walk through. I do have some concerns about the commuter/suitcase culture.

The president is amazing. I heard him talk. He has a vision for this school and it is all going in the right direction. The new arena is fabulous. Sadly, I think it would do better not having the University of MD name as it will always play 2nd place and most people know that little sister schools are always suitcase colleges. I also think they should be a D3 school with football and not a D1 school with just some sports. I think that would change the focus on the school academically while also keeping kids on campus during the weekends watching games and hanging out.

Anonymous wrote:It is known as a commuter school..pretty empty on the weekends. They tell you it is not when you visit but kids I know are home all the time. It is also a nice option for kids who want something smaller than CP.

I went there (for grad school, and was a commuter student) and I agree they're becoming less of a commuter school, and they do a lot to encourage a good on-campus-living atmosphere, but there are a lot of commuter students and that does affect the atmosphere.

I was pleased with my classes, my fellow students, and my professors. There is an on-campus social life, but it's not what you might typically expect at a school its size.

It is known as a commuter school..pretty empty on the weekends. They tell you it is not when you visit but kids I know are home all the time. It is also a nice option for kids who want something smaller than CP.

How does it compare to St. Mary's College of MD?

2nd best public school in MD. far distant second but nevertheless...

I wouldn't pay out-of-state tuition for it if I could go to a Virginia school in-state.

At my daughter's MoCo high school, the guidance counselor (and class advisor) were very impressed with this school (for science). Apparently the President is a visionary who is receiving national attention. I read that they are also trying to become less of a suitcase campus than they had been in the past. I know someone who went there a few years ago, and she said it was wonderfully diverse.

I am very interested as well.

Sorry for the typos!

I don't hear much talk about this school on here. Maybe because it isn't "prestigious". My DC is a sophomore right now, so we have plenty of time to narrow down schools. I am not even sure what her reach, target, and safety schools are right now. However, while doing some research on UMBC I have gathered that it is an up and coming college and currently has a strong STEM program. They also give out a lot of scholarships and tuition is reasonable even for out of state.

Any want to give any more insights about UMBC?

DC doesn't want to go away far- want's to be a driveable distance (we are in NOVA). DC is interested in health sciences, possibly going the pre-med route, but we can't be so sure right now as it is very early to decide career paths.

Would like to hear any experience's about this school or