Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 11:06     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS got $18k/year from Mason from OOS (making tuition 20k/year +room and board.)

DS ended up at Towson. Yes, UMBC is better academically, but he preferred the campus, size, and culture of Towson.



This is helpful - thanks! For our kid it will be GMU vs UMBC if he gets merit at GMU. The UMBC campus seems pretty isolated. Also thinking he would need a car there vs not needing one at GMU.




I am the PP. Yes, if DS had gone to UMBC he probably would have taken his car since nothing is walkable - I can't remember their shuttle situation.. At Towson there are several things he can walk to (restaurants, bars, Whole Foods, Starbucks, etc.) At Mason, there is University Mall across Braddock and then the shuttles but he probably would have taken his car there too since it wouldn't have been so convenient to go get him.

FWIW. DS got 2k/year from Towson and 3k/year from UMBC. Making them significantly cheaper than GMU.

OP here- thanks!
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 10:50     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DS got $18k/year from Mason from OOS (making tuition 20k/year +room and board.)

DS ended up at Towson. Yes, UMBC is better academically, but he preferred the campus, size, and culture of Towson.



This is helpful - thanks! For our kid it will be GMU vs UMBC if he gets merit at GMU. The UMBC campus seems pretty isolated. Also thinking he would need a car there vs not needing one at GMU.



I am the PP. Yes, if DS had gone to UMBC he probably would have taken his car since nothing is walkable - I can't remember their shuttle situation.. At Towson there are several things he can walk to (restaurants, bars, Whole Foods, Starbucks, etc.) At Mason, there is University Mall across Braddock and then the shuttles but he probably would have taken his car there too since it wouldn't have been so convenient to go get him.

FWIW. DS got 2k/year from Towson and 3k/year from UMBC. Making them significantly cheaper than GMU.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 10:39     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:Townson is in state and if you live in Maryland a way shorter commute to pick up and drop off kid.

If price a issue and want to stay close look at Loyola my daughters good friend has medical issues where she needs to see a doctor a lot and lives in Bethesda. She wanted a school not that far away she could live on campus and her budget was only the MD in state rate. That was what her parents agreed to pay.

She was suprised when she got accepted to both Towson and Loyola that with merit aid Loyola tuition was lower than Towson. She also applied JMU but even with merit aid it could not beat Loyola offering below in state tuition.

So on the second tier schools Loyola for folks wanting to stay close is a great option. She did not want to apply, but my older daughter got a 100k merit offer from their (25 a year four years) and when we talked to school cause on fence they liked my daughter and threw in an extra 1K a year and said that was it. So 104K off tuition! She still turned it down the stinker.

My DC is looking at Loyola, too, but even with $25k/yr merit, it's much more expensive than Towson, though cheaper than GMU oos without merit. The current COA for Loyola is knocking on $80k/.

Loyola is also so different from the other two. It's a tiny college.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 10:33     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Townson is in state and if you live in Maryland a way shorter commute to pick up and drop off kid.

If price a issue and want to stay close look at Loyola my daughters good friend has medical issues where she needs to see a doctor a lot and lives in Bethesda. She wanted a school not that far away she could live on campus and her budget was only the MD in state rate. That was what her parents agreed to pay.

She was suprised when she got accepted to both Towson and Loyola that with merit aid Loyola tuition was lower than Towson. She also applied JMU but even with merit aid it could not beat Loyola offering below in state tuition.

So on the second tier schools Loyola for folks wanting to stay close is a great option. She did not want to apply, but my older daughter got a 100k merit offer from their (25 a year four years) and when we talked to school cause on fence they liked my daughter and threw in an extra 1K a year and said that was it. So 104K off tuition! She still turned it down the stinker.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 10:27     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
My kid had excellent research experiences at GMU CS. Professor and grad students were fantastic in every way. Kid has done research at three different colleges now and in reflection the GMU group stands out.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 10:23     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:GMU admissions can be weird. Friend got into George Washington U and not GMU

That happens with colleges at the upper tier, too. Like rejected at UIUC but admitted to UMich, which is > UIUC.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 10:15     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
9:58 again. Virginia resident, btw
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 09:58     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
GMU admissions can be weird. Friend got into George Washington U and not GMU
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 09:55     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD was offered $80K in merit and honors program, so they do have merit. However, she ended up at UMD.


$20K/yr for 4 years?

NP. I would assume. Don't know why some posters present a lump sum.


We have received a few acceptance letters where the first sentence related to merit is the 4 year total. Trying to emphasize it is a 4 yr package.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 09:53     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:DS got $18k/year from Mason from OOS (making tuition 20k/year +room and board.)

DS ended up at Towson. Yes, UMBC is better academically, but he preferred the campus, size, and culture of Towson.



This is helpful - thanks! For our kid it will be GMU vs UMBC if he gets merit at GMU. The UMBC campus seems pretty isolated. Also thinking he would need a car there vs not needing one at GMU.

Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 09:42     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
DS got $18k/year from Mason from OOS (making tuition 20k/year +room and board.)

DS ended up at Towson. Yes, UMBC is better academically, but he preferred the campus, size, and culture of Towson.

Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 09:26     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
GMU and UMBC are very similar. Towson is a notch below.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 08:49     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD was offered $80K in merit and honors program, so they do have merit. However, she ended up at UMD.


$20K/yr for 4 years?

NP. I would assume. Don't know why some posters present a lump sum.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 08:46     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:GMU is way better than UMBC or Towson


I think of it as similar to UMBC and > Towson.
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2024 08:45     Subject: George Mason as alternative to UMD for Marylanders
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Some of the GMU programs are excellent - is a school on the rise


CS?


CS and ECE both are good undergrad programs at GMU. They are academically solid. Lots of tech companies recruit and hire from GMU - It has great job placement into Tech firms not just locally, but also for jibs in RTP or Austin or Silly Valley.