Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For students who truly want to attend UMD, starting at a Maryland community college is often the fastest, most affordable, and most straightforward pathway. Maryland has a guaranteed transfer route through the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP). Students can complete general education requirements, save significant money, and transfer to UMD well-prepared and competitive.
Many students find this route actually sets them up for more success once they arrive at UMD—smaller classes, more support early on, and less financial pressure.

If a student is set on a four-year college experience right away, it’s also worth looking closely at other schools in the University System of Maryland. UMBC is excellent for STEM fields, Towson is strong in education and business, and other system schools offer great academics, campus life, and transfer opportunities later if UMD remains the goal. That said, my advice is that if a student starts at a four-year school, they should do so with the mindset that this is where they’re staying—at least for now. Go in with an open mind, get involved, build relationships, and really give the school a chance. Many students end up thriving in places they hadn’t originally imagined, like the poster upthread who shared how much her child ended up liking Towson.

publics in MD
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1312211.page#31583007

and programs at Shady Grove
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1312778.page

Anonymous wrote:For students who truly want to attend UMD, starting at a Maryland community college is often the fastest, most affordable, and most straightforward pathway. Maryland has a guaranteed transfer route through the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP). Students can complete general education requirements, save significant money, and transfer to UMD well-prepared and competitive.
Many students find this route actually sets them up for more success once they arrive at UMD—smaller classes, more support early on, and less financial pressure.

If a student is set on a four-year college experience right away, it’s also worth looking closely at other schools in the University System of Maryland. UMBC is excellent for STEM fields, Towson is strong in education and business, and other system schools offer great academics, campus life, and transfer opportunities later if UMD remains the goal. That said, my advice is that if a student starts at a four-year school, they should do so with the mindset that this is where they’re staying—at least for now. Go in with an open mind, get involved, build relationships, and really give the school a chance. Many students end up thriving in places they hadn’t originally imagined, like the poster upthread who shared how much her child ended up liking Towson.

publics in MD
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1312211.page#31583007

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rutgers has rolling admissions and is ranked identically to UMD overall.

I don’t believe Rutgers has rolling admissions. But I agree with the second point: UMD is so overrated in the DMV area! Btw, Rutgers is the safest school on my son’s list. Its application is also super easy with no supplemental essays. UMD has designed its application like an Ivy League’s with those open handed fill-in-the-blank questions. 🙄

Ranking may be similar but the campuses are not.

Rutgers is super disjointed. My niece went there. Good school, but campus sucks. She said that sometimes she would not go to class in the winter because she didn't want to wait outside for the shuttle to take her to class.

My kid goes to UMD and has never had this issue.

Haha, if your niece wanted to skip classes, she had millions other excuses. How is it different from walking in the cold from the dorm or off-campus housing to different campus buildings?

That said, I do think it’s no big deal to skip some of those more boring lectures in college though!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rutgers has rolling admissions and is ranked identically to UMD overall.

I don’t believe Rutgers has rolling admissions. But I agree with the second point: UMD is so overrated in the DMV area! Btw, Rutgers is the safest school on my son’s list. Its application is also super easy with no supplemental essays. UMD has designed its application like an Ivy League’s with those open handed fill-in-the-blank questions. 🙄

Those fill in the blank questions were thoughtful I thought. Literally there's no right or wrong answer. All your kid had to do was think for a few minutes for each question. No big deal. I disagree that UMD is overrated. I just think some people are pissed that their snowflake didn't get in. Remember it's a holistic process so they look at you beyond your grades and test scores.

My son got in but we still think UMD is overrated. But we’re originally from another state, so we got a different perspective!
Don’t get me wrong, I like those open-ended questions just as I like the Yale 35-word questions. But UMD is not in that league. Just saying.

+1
UMD is highly sought after because it is a decent school with a very low price tag, not because of its outstanding academics.

Anonymous wrote:Maryland, Rutgers, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, etc...kinda all the same (some better depending upon major)

Most people choose based on cost & location.

You might as well Cal and UMich on the list.
LOL!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rutgers has rolling admissions and is ranked identically to UMD overall.

I don’t believe Rutgers has rolling admissions. But I agree with the second point: UMD is so overrated in the DMV area! Btw, Rutgers is the safest school on my son’s list. Its application is also super easy with no supplemental essays. UMD has designed its application like an Ivy League’s with those open handed fill-in-the-blank questions. 🙄

Those fill in the blank questions were thoughtful I thought. Literally there's no right or wrong answer. All your kid had to do was think for a few minutes for each question. No big deal. I disagree that UMD is overrated. I just think some people are pissed that their snowflake didn't get in. Remember it's a holistic process so they look at you beyond your grades and test scores.

My son got in but we still think UMD is overrated. But we’re originally from another state, so we got a different perspective!
Don’t get me wrong, I like those open-ended questions just as I like the Yale 35-word questions. But UMD is not in that league. Just saying.

For students who truly want to attend UMD, starting at a Maryland community college is often the fastest, most affordable, and most straightforward pathway. Maryland has a guaranteed transfer route through the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP). Students can complete general education requirements, save significant money, and transfer to UMD well-prepared and competitive.
Many students find this route actually sets them up for more success once they arrive at UMD—smaller classes, more support early on, and less financial pressure.

If a student is set on a four-year college experience right away, it’s also worth looking closely at other schools in the University System of Maryland. UMBC is excellent for STEM fields, Towson is strong in education and business, and other system schools offer great academics, campus life, and transfer opportunities later if UMD remains the goal. That said, my advice is that if a student starts at a four-year school, they should do so with the mindset that this is where they’re staying—at least for now. Go in with an open mind, get involved, build relationships, and really give the school a chance. Many students end up thriving in places they hadn’t originally imagined, like the poster upthread who shared how much her child ended up liking Towson.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rutgers has rolling admissions and is ranked identically to UMD overall.

I don’t believe Rutgers has rolling admissions. But I agree with the second point: UMD is so overrated in the DMV area! Btw, Rutgers is the safest school on my son’s list. Its application is also super easy with no supplemental essays. UMD has designed its application like an Ivy League’s with those open handed fill-in-the-blank questions. 🙄

Those fill in the blank questions were thoughtful I thought. Literally there's no right or wrong answer. All your kid had to do was think for a few minutes for each question. No big deal. I disagree that UMD is overrated. I just think some people are pissed that their snowflake didn't get in. Remember it's a holistic process so they look at you beyond your grades and test scores.

Maryland, Rutgers, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, etc...kinda all the same (some better depending upon major)

Most people choose based on cost & location.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rutgers has rolling admissions and is ranked identically to UMD overall.

I don’t believe Rutgers has rolling admissions. But I agree with the second point: UMD is so overrated in the DMV area! Btw, Rutgers is the safest school on my son’s list. Its application is also super easy with no supplemental essays. UMD has designed its application like an Ivy League’s with those open handed fill-in-the-blank questions. 🙄

Ranking may be similar but the campuses are not.

Rutgers is super disjointed. My niece went there. Good school, but campus sucks. She said that sometimes she would not go to class in the winter because she didn't want to wait outside for the shuttle to take her to class.

My kid goes to UMD and has never had this issue.

Anonymous wrote:If your kid wasn't accepted to UMD (in past 3 years), what college/university were they accepted to and to what program at that college?

My kid's friend was rejected from UMD this year (in state) but accepted to Penn State, Pitt, Michigan State, Clemson, Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan State, and Rutgers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rutgers has rolling admissions and is ranked identically to UMD overall.

I don’t believe Rutgers has rolling admissions. But I agree with the second point: UMD is so overrated in the DMV area! Btw, Rutgers is the safest school on my son’s list. Its application is also super easy with no supplemental essays. UMD has designed its application like an Ivy League’s with those open handed fill-in-the-blank questions. 🙄

*open-ended

Anonymous wrote:Rutgers has rolling admissions and is ranked identically to UMD overall.

I don’t believe Rutgers has rolling admissions. But I agree with the second point: UMD is so overrated in the DMV area! Btw, Rutgers is the safest school on my son’s list. Its application is also super easy with no supplemental essays. UMD has designed its application like an Ivy League’s with those open handed fill-in-the-blank questions. 🙄

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people are doing a year at Prince George's Community College and transferring over. If you maintain a high GPA you are almost guaranteed admission.

Or reapply for the Spring and do 1 semester at cc.

I saw a suggestion somewhere saying that do not reapply a college that rejected you. It is not specifically for UMD. More a general suggestion.

I think the guidance is not to reapply as a first year student. Sometimes people will decide they don’t like their options and take a gap year and apply again. In that case reapplying makes no sense.

But taking classes and reapplying as a transfer makes lots of sense. Having said that, I don’t know that applying for Spring Semester when you won’t have grades yet from the CC works. Most transfers from CC do the AA/AS and then apply.

Anonymous wrote:St Mary’s College of Maryland

Wow! Those are two very different schools.
How do they like St Mary's? We are looking at it for my DD.