Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many better options for a girl with those stats within 8 hours of Long Island.

Forgive my ignorance. I have a friend who loved her time at UMD so that's why I thought of it. Please give me some suggestions- I really appreciate it.

For starters, the Virginia state schools aren't much further away, are much better, and are smaller. UVA and William & Mary are both probably targets for a LI valedictorian. They're expensive though, and don't give a lot of merit aid.

Not trying to start a whole thing here, but is W&M much better than UMD? -OP

It depends. W&M does far less research but its test scores are a bit higher and it's more of a nurturing environment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many better options for a girl with those stats within 8 hours of Long Island.

Forgive my ignorance. I have a friend who loved her time at UMD so that's why I thought of it. Please give me some suggestions- I really appreciate it.

For starters, the Virginia state schools aren't much further away, are much better, and are smaller. UVA and William & Mary are both probably targets for a LI valedictorian. They're expensive though, and don't give a lot of merit aid.

Not trying to start a whole thing here, but is W&M much better than UMD? -OP

Yes

lol

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for your responses. I really appreciate the different perspectives. If you have any other suggestions for targets and safeties that may offer merit aid, please share them.

I guess part of the motivation is that she's not too excited about the possibility of going to Binghamton. Not not excited. Just kind of like, eh seems okay. (UMD is at least Big10, so maybe a better college experience, idk.) I would like her to have a Likely option that she's more excited about. So looking for other options that would give merit aid, potentially in other states.

Thanks again!

If she would be o.k. with Bing and UMD, she will probably like Pitt (I am an alum). I have been to the city of Binghamton recently and took a look around. I understand its role for New York in-staters. Used to live in Maryland and understand the College Park scene although it has actually improved a lot since I moved.

I have been to CWRU's campus and have an alum in my family and a former employee as well. Pitt and CWRU are similar but Pitt is more of a broad university and CWRU is more STEMmy/pre-MED/engineering. I prefer Pitt and Pittsburgh. My husband and I have humanities and social science backgrounds.

Just for you to look into...what about UMass Amherst?

OP here

Thank you! What did you think of Binghamton?
UMass is on the list!

Also wanted to mention- it would be great to find schools with rolling, to maybe alleviate some of that anxiety while she's waiting for the springtime results to come in.

A couple of fall acceptances would be really nice, especially from schools that are exciting to her... not necessarily because they are 'prestigious' but just, known. (That may be part of her ambivalence towards Bing - people outside of New York often haven't heard of it, will it not be looked well upon for med school, etc) UMass is such a contender, but I don't think it offers rolling.

And if she's able to get merit aid, she (and her parents!) will know it's a real option.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for your responses. I really appreciate the different perspectives. If you have any other suggestions for targets and safeties that may offer merit aid, please share them.

I guess part of the motivation is that she's not too excited about the possibility of going to Binghamton. Not not excited. Just kind of like, eh seems okay. (UMD is at least Big10, so maybe a better college experience, idk.) I would like her to have a Likely option that she's more excited about. So looking for other options that would give merit aid, potentially in other states.

Thanks again!

If she would be o.k. with Bing and UMD, she will probably like Pitt (I am an alum). I have been to the city of Binghamton recently and took a look around. I understand its role for New York in-staters. Used to live in Maryland and understand the College Park scene although it has actually improved a lot since I moved.

I have been to CWRU's campus and have an alum in my family and a former employee as well. Pitt and CWRU are similar but Pitt is more of a broad university and CWRU is more STEMmy/pre-MED/engineering. I prefer Pitt and Pittsburgh. My husband and I have humanities and social science backgrounds.

Just for you to look into...what about UMass Amherst?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for your responses. I really appreciate the different perspectives. If you have any other suggestions for targets and safeties that may offer merit aid, please share them.

I guess part of the motivation is that she's not too excited about the possibility of going to Binghamton. Not not excited. Just kind of like, eh seems okay. (UMD is at least Big10, so maybe a better college experience, idk.) I would like her to have a Likely option that she's more excited about. So looking for other options that would give merit aid, potentially in other states.

Thanks again!

Based on that, she probably will like UMD. Def apply and come see the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many better options for a girl with those stats within 8 hours of Long Island.

Forgive my ignorance. I have a friend who loved her time at UMD so that's why I thought of it. Please give me some suggestions- I really appreciate it.

For starters, the Virginia state schools aren't much further away, are much better, and are smaller. UVA and William & Mary are both probably targets for a LI valedictorian. They're expensive though, and don't give a lot of merit aid.

Not trying to start a whole thing here, but is W&M much better than UMD? -OP

Yes

LOL. It’s not. Two completely different schools.

OP here. Thank you everyone for your responses. I really appreciate the different perspectives. If you have any other suggestions for targets and safeties that may offer merit aid, please share them.

I guess part of the motivation is that she's not too excited about the possibility of going to Binghamton. Not not excited. Just kind of like, eh seems okay. (UMD is at least Big10, so maybe a better college experience, idk.) I would like her to have a Likely option that she's more excited about. So looking for other options that would give merit aid, potentially in other states.

Thanks again!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many better options for a girl with those stats within 8 hours of Long Island.

Forgive my ignorance. I have a friend who loved her time at UMD so that's why I thought of it. Please give me some suggestions- I really appreciate it.

For starters, the Virginia state schools aren't much further away, are much better, and are smaller. UVA and William & Mary are both probably targets for a LI valedictorian. They're expensive though, and don't give a lot of merit aid.

UVA is a lot further away and is in the middle of nowhere.

UMD is a massive school of over 31,000 undergraduates in an undesirable area of the DMV and a meh campus. 77 percent of undergraduate are in state - and it’s a very small state. Many go home on weekends.

In 2024 it accepted 45 percent — nearly half — of OOS applicants and only 10 percent of those admitted enrolled. It’s not going to reject at valedictorian from LI. It’s a target school for her and there are better.

UMD is a good STEM state school, so if she wants to be a doctor, it's a decent choice. She should apply early action because UMD takes most of its class from EA, and only considers merit aid for the EA pool.

BUT -

If she's a strong student with high stats, I would think there are more prestigious choices for your money, as well as less expensive safeties, right? Wouldn't UMD be an expensive safety, considering it's out of state for you?

We are MD residents and my son was accepted early action as an Honors student at UMD. For him UMD was a low target/safety. But since he wanted to major in International Affairs, and UMD doesn't really have a lot of strength in that area, he went to George Washington instead (in DC). Much more expensive, but ranked top 10 in that major. To give you an idea, he was also accepted at McGill (where we have reduced tuition because we're French), William & Mary, St Andrews. He was rejected from Georgetown and Swarthmore.

On the other hand, maybe you DO want to get her into a not very STEMmy college, so she can be a big fish in a little pond and get into med school more easily? I don't know about the strategy to get into med school.

Anonymous wrote:I find UMD kind of impersonal and College Park somewhat unappealing. But, UMD is still a solid school and especially strong for certain majors. It’s certainly not a bad option, but there are probably schools where your student would get a more personalized experience.

Yep UMD is not for shrinking violets. It's for tougher kids. Look at the genius alumni impact on the country and world. You come out a lot tougher and more resilient.

Anonymous wrote:UMD is not a target for anyone. It's hard to get into.

It’s a clear target for a high stats valedictorian from LI.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many better options for a girl with those stats within 8 hours of Long Island.

Forgive my ignorance. I have a friend who loved her time at UMD so that's why I thought of it. Please give me some suggestions- I really appreciate it.

For starters, the Virginia state schools aren't much further away, are much better, and are smaller. UVA and William & Mary are both probably targets for a LI valedictorian. They're expensive though, and don't give a lot of merit aid.

Not trying to start a whole thing here, but is W&M much better than UMD? -OP

Yes

I find UMD kind of impersonal and College Park somewhat unappealing. But, UMD is still a solid school and especially strong for certain majors. It’s certainly not a bad option, but there are probably schools where your student would get a more personalized experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend's daughter is going there. She is OOS and got merit to bring it in under in state (Penn State). Her stats were not anywhere near the stats of the OP.

Pitt is an option of a larger school that appears small. Pitt will give merit. I bet OP will get decent merit form Case Western too if OP shows interest.

Thanks! I have heard CWRU is a good choice for pre-med, I will talk to DC about it.

DD toured CWRU - if your kid is pre med and ok with an urban setting it seemed like a really good option given the network with the hospital there.