<p>Hi. I'm considering to apply to College Park as my 2nd choice college. I just want to hear what students attending/will be attending this college thinks is good or bad about it. If anyone can say a few things good and a few things bad about College Park, it would help me greatly. Thanks.</p>
<p>I taught there. Does that count?</p>
<p>Good things: Strong faculty with some well known credentials. Strong, well- ranked programs in business, communication, engineering and education. Many course options and a number of majors. Very reasonably priced compared to private schools. Thus, you get a good education at a bargain basement price. Very well known and respected in Maryland.</p>
<p>Bad things: Very large intro classes and sometimes large classes in sophomore and even junior year. A number of classes taught by TAs. Other than those majors mentioned above, other majors are not as good. Very large school, and you will indeed feel like a number. Dorms not that great. In fact, there is a lack of on campus living; thus, at some point you will need to get an apartment. In my opinion, uncaring administration. Lots of stupid core requirements from many different areas.It almost looks like a Chinese menu with requirements from here and there. However, this is a state wide mandate and not endemic to UMD. Finally, Maryland isn't that well known or respected out of state. It doesn't have the cache of the better known state universities such as Michigan Berkeley, Virginia and others. It also doesn't have the cache of some equivalent private schools such as NY or Rensselaer. Also, check out crime stats in college part. The area isn't horrible from a crime perspective,but isn't that safe either. There are reported robberies even on campus in the daylight!</p>
<p>Also, despite being a big school, some majors are either non existant or very limited such as visual arts.</p>
<p>Wow. Thanks for your thoughts. That really changed how I look at the school now.</p>
<p>Sorry for typlos. Just to correct my mistakes:</p>
<ol>
<li>I should have said:It also doesn't have the cache of some equivalent private schools such as NYU or Rensselaer. </li>
</ol>
<p>2.Also, check out crime stats in College Park.</p>
<p>I have found this site for crim stats in College Park for 2001-2003 and it is EXTREMELY high.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.umpd.umd.edu/brochure/CRIME.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.umpd.umd.edu/brochure/CRIME.htm</a></p>
<p>I really have to disagree with Taxguy......First off I compared the crime stats from UMD to UNC and William and Mary, 3 of the schools my daughter was considering (2 years ago). Stats were very similiar in fact W&M for a much smaller school had almost the same number of rapes. UMD is higher in petty theft. If you are cautious ie lock your door etc. then you shouldnt have any more of a problem than anywhere else.
Next my D. does NOT feel like a number at UMD. They have a good system of checks and balances to make sure kids stay on program. They also have a HUGE variety of groups that kids can join and become involved in.
On administration, we have found the teachers, advisors and support staff to be very helpful and caring.
Also College Park is a very desirable school and is becoming increasingly difficult to get into as more students apply. It has a reputation that is becoming stronger all the time.
The campus and facilities are awesome. I toured several colleges and UMD was heads and above most of them.
D. loves the school and all of the students I met there couldnt imagine being anywhere else.
There is a lot of love at UMD!</p>
<p>Angstridden, if you feel that College Park is relatively safe, I will let you speak to past students whose houses or dorms were burglarized or cars were broken into.. There is an article, if you search, in the UMD magazine about kids having things stolen from them in BROAD DAYLIGHT! Trust me on the stats: it doesn't tell the whole story about crime. </p>
<p>You also note, "On administration, we have found the teachers, advisors and support staff to be very helpful and caring"</p>
<p>Response: Go to the students review forums and check out what current kids say about large classes and teaching assistants. Those are from kids who attend Maryland now or recent grads. They note that there are large classes, and uncaring administrators. Are some nice and caring, surely. However, this is a problem in Maryland. I would have posted the URL for students review,but I was told that it would violate the TOS policy here. Just do a search for "studentsreview."</p>
<p>You also note that UMD is becoming increasingly difficult to get into and is geting a stronger reputation over time. I heartily agree. However, if you read the US News and World Report ratings, you will find that not all majors at UMD are highly rated. This is especiailly true for visual and performing arts ( although they do have a new performing arts building), and liberal arts such as english and history. Although I don't know about their regular science programs, students that I know there say it isn't up to the same level as the engineering programs. I can't say whether or not this is true. However, the US News ratings seem to confirm this.</p>
<p>You also note that the campus facilities are awesome. Compared to what? Yes, they are good. Are they awesome? WEll, do they have a cyclotron for physics research? How many computer and computer labs do they have per student? Top school might have enough computers to equal one half the student body or more.</p>
<p>Note, I am not knocking UMD. Let me make that clear, especially since I and my wife are huge Terrapin fans.</p>
<p>I think (and this is clearly my opinion and based on ratings that I have seen) UMD is a good school with some very strong programs, all offered at a great bargain price, which is an almost unbeatable combination.However, if I had a kids with almost 1400 on SATs and good enough grades for Maryland, there might be better choices for a number of majors.This is especially true for kids that don't do well in an impersonal envirnment or big school type of environment that has little nurturing.</p>
<p>I am not sure why you consider the environment to be impersonal. I have a daughter who is a current student there and she has found a lot of support from other students she met and faculty alike.
Just because it is very large does not make it impersonal.
We have found a strong system of checks and balances to make sure the kids are on track.</p>
<p>As far as crime. I agree that UMD has a higher rate of petty theft. But it is also a huge school and thus you are more likely to have higher crime. But as I said I did check out the crime stats and compared them between schools and found them inline with the others. Petty theft was higher and I think using commonsense goes along way as it would at any school. YES I am sure the crime is higher than at alot of smaller schools..but then the opportunties for other things are greater also. As far as stats not telling the whole story..that is likely true at many schools.</p>
<p>For classes D. has had a few very large classes but she has also had some very small ones. And even in the big classes she said she has been able to communicate with the teachers one on one. Last term she rode in the teachers car on a field trip. The teachers have been very responsive. The administrators we contacted (had questions about housing and programs) were quick to respond and super helpful).</p>
<p>You say you are not knocking UMD but you do sound like you are. I think you said your child goes to Towson. And I understand they have some great programs there. My D was offered a full ride there but opted to go to UMD because she wanted a much larger school ...Whats right for your child may not be right for another.
She also was offered a number of scholarships to other schools but was impressed with what she saw at UMD. It is an awesome facility and getting better all the time.</p>
<p>YES there may be better choices for other kids..and there may not be. It all depends on what you are looking for. Price wise and education wise we feel we are getting an outstanding value.</p>
<p>I completely agree that it is about fit for the student. My son would not have done as well at MD as he is with Towson. Large clases and even a larges school environment would clearly overwhelm him,which is why he chose Towson over Maryland.</p>
<p>I also believe that you are getting a very good value for the money.</p>
<p>taxguy. I don't have an opinion on many of the issues discussed. One thing you mentioned may be true, the performing arts at UMD may not be highly rated in magazines, but in the music world UMD is very highly regarded. Just in the areas I'm familar, the jazz program is led by Chris Vadala (played the Feels So Good sax solo on the Chuck Mangione hit), the Wind Symphony is conducted by Col. Timothy Fole,y recently retired conductor of the Marine Band and the trumpet studio is directed by former Julliard faculty member Chris Gekker. UMD's music department is very selective and is considered by many one of the finest music programs in any state university.</p>
<p>To bad D. does not want to be a classical singer..instead of a pop singer! Then she could go to UMD like her sister! Anyway she cut her demo which turned out great so that may help her with her college choice!</p>
<p>Good to hear about their music program. I have not seen rakings or ratings on these. In Maryland, I was thinking about Musical Theater and Drama,which don't seem to be a standout there,but are hard to get into. However, Maryland is getting more selective in everything each year.</p>
<p>Its amazing how hard it is getting to get into it..when you consider they have sooooo many slots! Isnt the undergraduate student body 24,000 or something like that?</p>
<p>Angstridden, Yes, Maryland is a pretty big school. However, the State of Maryland produces a lot of college oriented kids. We have one of the highest college and post college populations around. Plus, University of Maryland College Park is the flagship for the whole state university system. We do have St.Marys , which is a nice small public LAC, and we do have Towson, which has some good programs for certain majors, but Maryland, overall, is considered the best. Thus, most Maryland students apply there. They also have a strong honors program with three levels of honors.</p>
<p>Also, Maryland has a strong regional reputation as well. Many kids from both NJ and NY apply there, as does a number from West Virginia and Pensylvania. </p>
<p>Maryland is also very resonably priced for out of state folks. This also adds to the demand.</p>
<p>Thus, it is simple economics: large supply but much larger demand= very selective.</p>
<p>yeesh, this thread makes umd sound awful.. i was gonna apply there EA as a "safety" (sorry i hate that term) ..now im wondering if i should save my $50 instead...</p>
<p>any more positive experiences there?
how would people rate umd socially... what do people do for fun there? is there a lot to do on campus? whats going on in college park?</p>
<p>im currently a freshman at umd and im loving it. the campus is awesome and the people are nice. yes, a lot of your freshman classes will be huge (200+ students), but most of the time they have discussion sessions held once a week with a TA so its not all bad. Large classes are not necessarily a bad thing either. </p>
<p>Also, crime seems to be confined to off campus. On campus you have nothing to worry about, but once you step across route 1 you'd better be careful. People will get mugged once in a while, but generally if you are smart and dont walk alone at 3 in the morning you'll be fine.</p>
<p>I also have to commend the honors program here. It is an awesome program and really makes the university seem smaller and more personal. All the staff and faculty I have met so far have been helpful and friendly.</p>
<p>Maryland also has a really good social life. There is always something to do on campus. Just last week we had a comedy show to kick off homecoming with tracy morgan and carlos mencia. There are always shows at the performing arts center or things to do at the union or anywhere on campus. There is also a decent party scene (we were rated #20 party school in this years princeton review) that is mostly limited to off campus. There are always parties behind frat row and on knox road.</p>
<p>The dorms and food here are the two things i would complain about. If you are a freshman living on campus, odds are your dorm will be in a high rise on north campus not have AC. This isnt so bad after the first few weeks of school when it starts to cool down a bit. The dining plan is a complete rip-off and the food isnt the greatest, but its edible.</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman is LOVING every second of her time at Maryland. She says Maryland is the perfect fit for her and she is grateful to be there. As a member of the Dance Team, she is very busy with games, practices, etc and that's about the only thing, other than studies she has time for. Her only major complaint at first was ALL the walking...but I think she's gotten used to that. Dorm has been HOT, but she likes it, clean, friendly...not partyish, which is a minor complaint...LOL, but she is getting lots of studying done...She's met so many people and has adjusted remarkably. Roommates are nice and friendly...everyone gets along. Always something going on around campus, so it's never boring. Academically, she's doing ok, but she is studying a lot. Only has one huge lecture class....all other classes have around 20-35 students. Professors have been friendly and helpful. She has found as long as she goes to class, she can keep up pretty well...she has not skipped any classes.... yet.....! Does not like the UNIV class...they don't do much in there and she feels she could use that extra two hours to get work done...but it is requirement for ARHU department and kids she's met in the class are great. She is so happy, but she knows of a few people who aren't for different reasons, homesick, not adjusting well, etc. She is a very outgoing, social person and has made friends quickly... So far, so good....and as a parent, I've found any questions I have had answered in a timely manner with the utmost professionalism and courtesy. I give UMD two thumbs up.....GO TERPS!</p>
<p>Desvw - How did your daughter feel cheering at the WVU vs. MD game?
We had tickets for that..oh my it was so hot and we were squeezed in like sardines.. I had to leave at halftime!</p>
<p>We are lucky D. is in honors program and has a wonderful room, air conditioned and carpeted..great view - she loves UMD. I will say that she is not super fond of the food and her first year she lost weight from all the walking. She is very very fit looking now (not that she wasnt slender before) but the walking and the fencing and the gym and she is really in shape. Look at the walking as a bonus!</p>
<p>That was an interesting game for sure! She was really happy....lots of her friends from WVU were there to see her perform so it was fun for them seeing her in uniform....but she heard a ton of grief from the obnoxious ones...(about 60% of her high school classmates are at WVU.) She loves dancing in front of the MD student section...the students are very supportive of the Dance Team. She doesn't complain too much about anything...the walking at first was ALL I heard about. She came home last weekend for a visit and was ready to go back on Sunday. Food is ok...not anything special...kind of like home in that respect...no major problems, just little ones that have been easily fixed. She's totally happy and loving life right now.</p>
<p>Is she on the cheer team or the dance team? I was so thinking of her when I saw all the gals dancing/cheering on the turf..They look great! I dont know how they do it..it was so hot. Too keep that energy up and look so cool and comfy. If I recall I think the dance team changed into lighter outfits.</p>
<p>How does she like her classes? And her roommate?</p>