full ride at umd vs other great schools

College Search & Selection
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<p>So I've been given a full ride at UMD (as a Banneker/Key Scholar) and I'm pretty sure I'm going to take it. But I've also gotten into other schools that seem to be offering me things that I might not be able to get at UMD. So I would appreciate any thoughts on the schools I'm considering, like if there's anything I should be considering or if there's a school that you think makes no sense. Thanks for sharing any opinions you have!! :)</p>

<p>Going through everything is going to be super long, so I'll just quickly list the pros and cons of each school and in my next post I'll give my detailed thoughts on each school.</p>

<p>Option 1: University of Maryland - College Park
PROS: free (the biggest draw), good Arabic program, perfect location, flexible with study abroad
CONS: huge and impersonal, not sure I'll find a good community, huge core curriculum and long requirements for majors -> less time for electives, doesn't really have the academic program I want, might not be challenging enough</p>

<p>*Option 2: Georgetown University *
PROS: amazing program and perfect location, awesome Arabic program, great community, politically active and diverse, good curriculum, challenging enough
CONS: cost, study abroad would be tough</p>

<p>*Option 3: Swarthmore College *
PROS: great academic programs, awesome with study abroad, flexibility with classes, challenging enough, my perfect community
CONS: cost, not in DC</p>

<p>*Option 4: George Washington University *
PROS: honors program, good academics, good Arabic program, good challenges, perfect location
CONS: cost (though better than Swarthmore and Georgetown), no campus -> less sense of community?</p>

<p>*Option 5: American University: *
PROS: global scholar program -> MA after 4 years, decent IR program, perfect location
CONS: no idea what's going on with money (see long post), study abroad would be annoying, not sure how challenged I'd be</p>

<p>Thanks for any advice you have! :)</p>

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<p>What I’m looking for: [ul]
[<em>]Cost is definitely a huge factor; I would probably have to take out a good deal of debt to go to any school other than UMD (though my parents still haven’t told me how much they can pay, so I don’t know how much debt would be involved).
[</em>]I want to study international relations, specifically politics (and culture/religion) in the Middle East.
[<em>]Because I’m interested in the Middle East, I’m really looking for a good Arabic program.
[</em>]I’m looking for flexibility when it comes to study abroad because I want to go to the Middle East (specifically the West Bank), which can be hard at some schools.
[<em>]I love politics so DC is my ideal location, and I really want to go to a school that has good internship opportunities.
[</em>]I don’t care that much about the size but I would prefer a smaller school to have a greater sense of community. I’d also like a politically active campus with political diversity.
[<em>]I’m a totally nerd so I’d prefer a place that’s a little more geeky and quirky.
[</em>]I’d prefer to have more flexibility in my class options, so I’d prefer a smaller core curriculum.
[li]I tend to get bored in classes that go too slowly so I’m really hoping to go somewhere that will challenge me.[/li] [/ul]</p>

<p>**Option 1: University of Maryland - College Park ** [ul]
[<em>]The biggest draw to this school is the full ride. No matter what its other flaws are, I don’t know if I could see myself turning down the idea of going to college for free.
[</em>]It doesn’t really have an IR program but it’s Government/Politics program is pretty good. I also don’t love the requirements of its Arabic Major, so I might design my own Middle Eastern Studies major and double that with Government/Politics but that’ll be a hassle to set up. Basically I can find a way to make it work but in terms of majors, it’s not ideal.
[<em>]It’s Arabic program seems pretty good, though I don’t know much about its reputation. It offers some dialects though, which is nice (basic background: most colleges teach Modern Standard Arabic, which nobody speaks in real life), and it has an Arabic language house which could be really helpful. There’s also an Arabic Flagship program; I don’t know whether or not it would be right for me but it’s definitely a good opportunity.
[</em>]It seems really good when it comes to study abroad; I’ve talked to multiple staff people about it and they seem on board with letting me go to Palestine, which is really nice.
[<em>]The location is perfect (basically in DC), and they seem pretty good about internships.
[</em>]I’m a little concerned about the size. Being in the honors college might help a bit but I’m still concerned about finding a community of people I can relate to. I also don’t know much about political activism on campus.
[<em>]It’s not as quirky as I like, and because of an online chat with other admitted honors students, I’m a bit afraid that even in the honors college I’ll be seen as a nerd; I’m not concerned about being judged or anything, it’s just that I’d prefer to be with other people who just like to learn.
[</em>]Their requirements are really tough to fit in together, and I think double majoring (which is important to me) and studying abroad (even more important) are going to be hard to fit in even with all my AP credits, and I don’t think I’ll have much room for electives.
[li]Even though I’m in the honors program, there isn’t a huge number of honors classes that fit into my major so I’d be taking 0-2 honors classes a semester, and I’m worried that my non-honors classes won’t be challenging enough for me.[/li][/ul]</p>

<p>**Option 2: Georgetown University ** [ul]
[<em>]It would cost about $40k a year, definitely more than we can pay.
[</em>]Their School of Foreign Service has the perfect IR program for me; I can get a BS in IR and concentrate in the Middle East.
[<em>]Their Arabic program is awesome; they offer intensive options and 3 dialects (Levantine, Egyptian, and Iraqi; UMD offers the first 2).
[</em>]They’re not great with study abroad; from what I can tell they won’t even be ok with my going to Israel. They do have a satellite campus in Qatar though, which is a nice draw.
[<em>]The location is amazing, and I’d have great opportunities for internships and jobs in the city.
[</em>]I think the community would be really amazing; I’ve had a really great experience getting to know people on the facebook group, and I got to debate with a bunch of other accepted students over the merits of military isolationism and it was really great to debate with other people who knew what they were talking about.
[<em>]I like that a lot of people are kind of nerdy there and just really into whatever they want to be studying.
[</em>]They have a big core curriculum but in SFS it’s all IR-related so I don’t have a problem with fulfilling all those requirements. They’re also the only school that doesn’t require me to take a science class, which I like because I think I could be doing better things with my time.
[li]I think that the classes there are going to challenge me enough. [/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>**Option 3: Swarthmore College ** [ul]
[<em>]It would be about $40k a year, same as Georgetown.
[</em>]It has awesome programs in Politics and Islamic Studies.
[<em>]It offers Arabic, but I’m not sure how good their program is compared to some of these other schools.
[</em>]They seem really great with study abroad; they’re the only school other than UMD that seems open to sending students to Palestine.
[<em>]The location is ok but I’d prefer to be in DC.
[</em>]The community there would be awesome; I love how politically active and quirky it seems to be.
[<em>]They have diversity requirements rather than a core curriculum and the flexibility would give me tons of room for electives.
[</em>]I think the classes there would definitely be challenging enough. [/ul]</p>

<p>**Option 4: George Washington University ** [ul]
[<em>]I don’t know my need based aid yet but I got $20k a year in merit aid, which already brings it down to the same level as Georgetown and Swarthmore, so it might be better than them in that if I get outside aid, it won’t be taken away from my 20k and it could make GW more affordable.
[</em>]I got into their honors program which is tiny (like 100 people in each class), which would probably give me really good opportunities.
[<em>]It has awesome programs in IR and Middle Eastern Studies in the School of International Affairs.
[</em>]The Arabic program seems really good; they don’t offer dialects but they have an intensive program.
[<em>]I haven’t been able to get a clear answer on study abroad but there’s a chance it could work out.
[</em>]Its DC location is perfect and they’re really committed to internships.
[<em>]It’s a little bigger than I’d like and I’m a little concerned that the lack of a campus would make it harder to form a community.
[</em>]I don’t really know about the nerdy/quirky factor, but I’m guessing that the location would draw in a lot of other people interested in politics.
[<em>]Their core curriculum seems decent; I feel like the classes I would be taking would be relevant.
[</em>]I think I’d be challenged enough, especially being in the honors program. [/ul]</p>

<p>**Option 5: American University ** [ul]
[<em>]I have no idea how to factor in cost to this one; I got $22k a year in merit aid and none in need based aid, making it $33k a year, which is more doable than the other options. However, I got into the Global Scholars program where we take summer classes and graduate in 3 years, and they’re being a bit unclear on how much that costs and how financial aid works with the program.
[</em>]Money aside, the Global Scholars program is a great, unique option; it would let me get my BA in 3 years or a BA and MA in 4, so it could really put me ahead early.
[<em>]It seems to have a good IR program; I really like the classes offered by the School of Foreign Service.
[</em>]It offers Arabic, but I don’t know how good the program is.
[<em>]They’re against studying abroad in Palestine like other schools, but they have decent other options in the Middle East.
[</em>]They’re in the perfect location for me, and they seem to really focus on getting students real world experience through internships.
[<em>]I don’t really know about the community; I know they say they’re politically active but I’m a bit concerned based on my feeling when I went there that a lot of it is pseudo-activism, so I’m a bit worried about that. But I think that being in the honors program would help me find people who have more in common with me.
[</em>]I’m a bit concerned about being challenged there. [/ul]</p>

<p>Thanks so much to anyone who took the time to read all of this, and please let me know what you think!! :)</p>

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<p>Are you going to have that conversation soon?
Until you do, you really don’t know if you have much choice here at all, because there are strict limits on what you can borrow in your own name. ([Student</a> Aid on the Web](<a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/studentloans.jsp]Student”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/studentloans.jsp))</p>

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<p>^Yes, my parents said they would talk about it this weekend. And I think they’d be taking out some of the debt (they’ve been talking about a second mortgage, which I don’t want to make them get but once again they’re really not telling me anything) so it wouldn’t be in my name.</p>

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<p>At [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) there are a whole bunch of nifty calculators for estimating loan payback and comparing award letters. Run some of them.</p>

<p>Yes, UMD is huge compared to the others on your list, but there is an awful lot of interesting stuff you could do with the money you save by going there.</p>

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<p>You already state that GTown and Swarthmore are more than your family can afford. Why are they still on your list?</p>

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<p>Thanks happymomof1, that’s what I’m thinking too. I’m like 99% sure I’m going to UMD but I’m trying to make sure it’s not worth it to take out some debt to go to a place I really love.</p>

<p>And Erin’s Dad, sorry if I was unclear. I mean more that we can afford without taking out loans, which most people do for college. I don’t think it would be unreasonable for us to try to work it out, though I doubt I’ll actually end up making that decision since I have a full ride to consider.</p>

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<p>If your parents are wishy-washy about the money (which you should have discussed with them last summer or early fall before you started making up your application list; if they still have not told you what they are able and willing to pay, then it likely means that their financial situation is worse than you think), go to UMDCP on the full ride so that you won’t have to worry about (a) having to drop out because your parents ran out of money, or (b) putting your parents in the poor house for your college education.</p>

<p>It is not necessary to double major. You can single major in the major whose requirements most coincide with the courses you want to take, then take out of major courses in other areas (e.g. Arabic language) without worrying about having to fulfill a second major’s requirements.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice; just to add more information, a big part of why they’ve been so annoying about discussing this with me is that my dad is changing jobs, so his salary will be different next year and he just confirmed what he’ll actually be doing this past week. But I agree that it’s probably the best option to stick with UMD so I don’t have to worry about money.</p>

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<p>As another poster said, you need to take the “can’t afford them” schools off the table. I recommend that you do some research on what “experts” recommend as a reasonable amount of college debt. There’s a lot of information out there about this, because out-sized college debt is a growing problem. When you have a terrific option like the University of Maryland available for free, there is little reason to take out debt to go somewhere else. But if you really yearn to go somewhere else, make sure the debt is a reasonable, bearable amount (based on whatever formula you’re comfortable with, but be realistic). For sure, have the conversation with your parents as soon as possible.</p>

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<p>To clarify again, I only meant I couldn’t afford them without taking on some debt, though admittedly I’m not yet sure how much debt that would be. But I definitely see your point about UMD being a great option especially considering that it’s free.</p>

<p>On another note, does anyone think it’s worth it to ask American and/or GW for more money, considering it’s merit aid and I got a better offer elsewhere in the city? Maybe I could tell them that I’d rather go to one of their schools than UMD because they have strong IR programs but that I would have to go into debt to go there, so I would appreciate more aid so that those schools could remain an option?</p>

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<p>I think that it is often a better option to be in a top scholar program at a top public flagship that just be another student at a top private university.</p>

<p>As an example, I was just another student at Northwestern. If I was going to interview for jobs, I went through the normal interview process and queued up for interviews just like anyone else. No special programs or events for me.</p>

<p>Compare that to the Hawkinson Institiute scholars that we have at U Iowa. These scholars are specifically interested in finance. They have loads of special events and the like only for these scholars. They bring in recruiters that only interview seniors from this special program. Each year, several graduates go to work for IB firms. The Hawkinson students at U Iowa will be getting better jobs than the many of the Northwestern grads also looking for jobs in finance.</p>

<p>[About</a> The Hawkinson Institute of Business Finance - Tippie College of Business - The University of Iowa](<a href=“Hawkinson Institute - Undergraduate”>Hawkinson Institute - Undergraduate)</p>

<p>I will bet that the Banneker scholar program offers more perks and advantages to you than what you might have at GW or American. Unless of course, you can get into some type of scholar program at oneof those.</p>

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<p>If your parents’ finances and ability to contribute to your college education are uncertain, do you really want to be worrying about that for the next four years?</p>

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<p>It can’t hurt to ask for a review of the package; others may chime in on the most effective and gracious way to do this.</p>

<p>I want to comment on the question of whether you would be challenged at the University of Maryland: You will be if you want to be. If the regular coursework isn’t challenging enough, you can challenge yourself by organizing a program, doing independent research, reading more books, being an activist for a cause, etc. The world is a challenging place, and the politics and cultural/religious issues of the Middle East particularly challenging. Last I heard, there was no one at any of these schools who had that all figured out. So you’ve got room to make your mark.</p>

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<p>I always find these “large and impersonal” arguments against large schools a bit incongrous when the same individuals would have no issues living in a “large and impersonal” city. Really, they are both just options for finding more opportunties.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all of your advice everyone! It’s made me feel a lot better about the decision to go to UMD. :)</p>

<p>@Haystack: I’d be in the honors college (only 400 students out of a student body of 10k) at GW and the honors program and global scholars program (letting me get an MA in 4 years) at American. I know you probably aren’t familiar with the specific programs but do you think those would be comparable to the special treatment I’d get at UMD? I feel like global scholars has the potential to offer me more since it’s specifically an IR program, whereas the Banneker/Key award (which I believe doesn’t have special events though the honors college does) is just a general award not correlating to any area of study.</p>

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<p>Need to compare $$ after you hear from GW FA…UMD otherwise is a no-brainer…</p>

<p>Unless GW=UMD, I would go to the turtles…</p>

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<p>UPDATE: I just talked to my parents, and unless we can get other colleges to give us more aid, going to any other school would involve me graduating with $20k in debt. While I think that isn’t too bad, it isn’t a reasonable choice when I have a full ride to a school in an amazing location. So unless something drastically changes, it looks like I’m going to be a Terp next year!</p>

<p>Thanks so much to everyone for all your help and advice :)</p>

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<p>CONS: huge and impersonal, not sure I’ll find a good community, huge core curriculum and long requirements for majors -> less time for electives, doesn’t really have the academic program I want, might not be challenging enough</p>

<p>???</p>

<p>Do you have AP credits? How is UM-CP with AP credits. My kids came into their flagship with lots of AP credits which nearly covered all of their Core Curric…that freed their schedules up for “fun” classes. </p>

<p>What is UM-CPs policy on APs?</p>

<p>As far as “huge and impersonal”…would that be true as a B-k scholar. Are there any extra perks with that? Any extra visibility? </p>

<p>As for the “challenging enough” aspect…I find it hard to believe that UM-CP wouldn’t be challenging unless you’ve opted for a basket-weaving major.</p>

<p>*Cost is definitely a huge factor; I would probably have to take out a good deal of debt to go to any school other than UMD (though my parents still haven’t told me how much they can pay, so I don’t know how much debt would be involved).
*</p>

<p>Taking out a “good deal of debt” is just a very bad idea. Besides, your parents would have to co-sign, which most parents (wisely) won’t do.</p>

<p>edited to add…I now see your update. I think going to UM is a great idea.</p>

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<p>Thanks mom2collegekids :slight_smile: As for the AP credits, I’ve factored that in (I’d be coming in basically as a sophomore) and it would still be pretty hard (I can email you my detailed 4 year plan if you don’t believe me) :frowning: But I’m sure that all my reservations about UMD will work themselves out, and the whole being in DC for 4 years for free certainly evens it all out!</p>