Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I teach at UMD-College Park. I would really urge you to consider it. It has all the things you say you are looking for. As an insider, I can tell you that it is a very good fit for a kid with your daughter's profile. I have seen a lot of kids prosper there. It really has a lot going for it if you can get over thinking of it as a local, commuter school, which it really isn't. It will also be half the cost of an OOS public school.

Seriously? Does College Park really lower its admissions criteria that much for minority applicants?

Not being snarky, but if a black applicant can get in with grades and scores that much lower than what would be acceptable for a white or Asian student, it is time to reconsider the admissions process. Any white kid at my kid's school with those qualifications would be told not to waste her time applying to College Park.

Then the white kids at your child's school are being given terrible advice. Like all big state schools, UMD has a wide range of students, from straight A high school students with top scores who get into the Honors program and are admitted directly into the competitive majors to average, B students with average scores who enter the general program as undeclared majors. I usually have the whole spectrum in my intro freshmen classes. If all the white and Asian students in my classes were A students in high school, there is something seriously wrong with high school education in Maryland. Their skills are simply not indicative of top student work when they start college. With a little help and guidance, most of my students go on to do fine at UMD.

One trick people don't always consider is January admission. All universities have to report their admission numbers based on the students who are admitted in August, but most state schools admit a healthy portion of their students to start in January, and those student's stats are not used to calculate rankings. If you get rejected by a state school for August, try applying for January admission if it is the school you really want to go to.

It's true the student loans follow you around forever. I finally paid off my last of college and law school @ age 35. But they were minimal amounts, $35 and $50 a month, respectively. The problem is that the monthly amounts owed to the federal government for a $55K a year (including everything) education is not "minimal", especially if you don't have a job after graduation.

Anonymous wrote:Just to drive home the point about student loans - you need to know that student loans follow you around forever. You cannot discharge them in bankruptcy. The federal loans stay on your credit report forever - even if you default they do not disappear in 7 years like other debts do. The government can garnish your wages and social security if you default.

It's a good thing these loans which come out of other people's money CANNOT be discharged in bankruptcy. Hmmm. Should any loans be written off?

I thought you had to apply by Nov 1 to have any chance of getting into UMD.

Please don't burden DD with huge amounts of student loans. My cousin graduated for as $55K a year school and owes the college $20K (no diploma until she pays up), $60K to federal government (loans) and $20K to mom and dad plus has huge credit card debt. Also no W2 because she works in the "arts" so she can't go to a loan consolidator. She will have to file bankruptcy at age 23.

Not being snarky PP? Oh but you are.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I teach at UMD-College Park. I would really urge you to consider it. It has all the things you say you are looking for. As an insider, I can tell you that it is a very good fit for a kid with your daughter's profile. I have seen a lot of kids prosper there. It really has a lot going for it if you can get over thinking of it as a local, commuter school, which it really isn't. It will also be half the cost of an OOS public school.

Seriously? Does College Park really lower its admissions criteria that much for minority applicants?

Not being snarky, but if a black applicant can get in with grades and scores that much lower than what would be acceptable for a white or Asian student, it is time to reconsider the admissions process. Any white kid at my kid's school with those qualifications would be told not to waste her time applying to College Park.

Most of the MD schools are better than the schools on your list. Why on earth thumb your nose at state schools and the tuition break? I honestly don't know what's wrong with parents today. I vividly remember my parents sitting me down and telling me that the only affordable option was UMCP. I have friends and colleagues paying $50k a year so their kids can party out of state. Not me. I have four kids who can go in state unless they magically get scholarships elsewhere.

UMD has offered some great financial aid packages to kids from DC's high school in MD.

I'd have her at least apply to UMD. Then when the financial aid offers come in, there might possibly be a huge difference in net UMD costs vs. the other schools she's looking at might be persuasive. And if UMD doesn't offer her much financial aid, then nothing's lost but the application fee.

I also agree with the other posters that UMD is probably better than some of the other schools she's looking at.

Agree with others that she should apply to UMD and UMBC. She can decide not to go but you need some good financial choices since you don't know what your packages will be from the other schools. And those schools are as good or better than the OOS options she's chosen so far.

Many people go to state school, get a great education and job, and can afford their lives when they graduate. Try it!

Kiplinger financial magazine puts together lists of schools that are good value and schools with the low rate of students graduating with debt.

Here is the link to read their lists of the best value in public colleges and private ones.

http://www.kiplinger.com/reports/best-college-values/

I've read several times that private institutions sometimes offer more financial aid than state schools. I live in DC so we don't even have UMD as an option, but I agree with the other posters about having your daughter apply there. I would give anything to have that option.

Just to drive home the point about student loans - you need to know that student loans follow you around forever. You cannot discharge them in bankruptcy. The federal loans stay on your credit report forever - even if you default they do not disappear in 7 years like other debts do. The government can garnish your wages and social security if you default.

Op, you need a reality check, and I mean that in the nicest way! What you have discovered is that college costs are completely irrational - there is no way to make sense of it. The BEST thing you can do for your daughter is to be financially realistic and have her enroll at a place where she will end up with minimal or no debt. This consideration faaaarr outweighs concerns like wanting to move further away from home. It would be incredibly easy for her to go hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt - don't let her!!! And don't you take out the loans either, because you need to be saving for retirement.

Anyway, I bet she could get some merit/diversity scholarships at private colleges, but most likely they would lack in the diversity and academic quality she is looking for. Umd really looks like your best choice here!

I'm from NJ. You are crazy to pay so much and have your daughter take on loans to go there when she could go to UMD. Rutgers is not worth it. I went to college 30 minutes from my parents and I never saw them - I chose when to come home.