<p>Today, I was chatting with someone who works in a science field for a pretty prestigious company (He mentioned NIH but I'm not 100% sure what that means) and be told me that UMBC is HIGHLY regarded in Maryland for the sciences, and it's reputation keeps improving exponentially. He said that he hires UMBC grads. I just wanted to point that out to people who think UMBC isn't a great school. I also wanted to refute a few points:</p>
<p>UMBC is NOT a commuter college anymore. Some 70%isn people stay on campus, which is pretty average. Nor does it resemble a community college. </p>
<p>Many people decide between UMBC and UMD, believing that UMBC is much inferior due to rankings, name recognition, etc. I can tell you that UMBC is not inferior to UMD. The two schools are very different. If you are a very serious student who studies often, wants a smaller environment, and smaller, more intimate and discussion-based classes, then UMBC may be for you. Meanwhile, if you want to attend a large traditional college environment with many more large and lecture-style courses (initially) then you may lean more toward UMD. Both are great schools, with very different personalities. (Just randomly throwing this out there, UMBC is known for giving more merit aid than UMD). </p>
<p>When I tell people that I have been accepted to UMBC, I usually get the response "Wow, that is a great school!" People are generally very impressed, especially in my area. Furthermore, the president Hrabowski has been making inumerable positive changes to campus life and the quality of STEM fields. </p>
<p>So I guess I just wanted to give something to consider before you disregard UMBC. </p>
<p>If you have any thoughts, opinions, or personal experiences with the school, feel free to share!</p>