McDaniel College in MD

<p>This school was formerly Western Maryland College. Does anyone have a son or daughter attending? Anyone know much about this school? I'd like to learn more.</p>

<p>I can't shed any real light on the academics, campus, or student body in general. I do know they're in the Centennial athletic conference (D3), and that most of the women's teams, at least, are pretty competitive.</p>

<p>A close friend of mine has a D there in her 2nd year. She is playing basketball for them. A couple of kids from my S class of 2007 are freshmen there this year and from I am hearing they are very happy. You can PM me if you want me to ask additional questions.</p>

<p>Can't really help much, but I was impressed when my S withdrew his application due to an ED acceptance elsewhere. He received a very nice letter thanking him for letting them know. It included a handwritten note from the Admissions dean telling him how much she enjoyed his essay, good luck, keep us in mind if you want to transfer, etc. And it's not as if my S was an unbelievably top-notch applicant. It was a really nice thing to do. </p>

<p>A poster named OrangeBlossom has a son attending, but I haven't seen her posts in quite awhile. You might try sending her a private message.</p>

<p>ne-mom....don't have family there, but live not too far away....kids have done overnight sports camps there in the summer. Dorms OK from my recollection....gym also OK...all relative to other D3 schools I've seen (lots!) Nice campus w/ quad layout, quaint town. Kind of on the fringe of Baltimore sprawl and farm land. I know nothing of their academics other than hearing that they have a fairly unique program in deaf studies, but I think thats at the graduate level.</p>

<p>My son applied and it looked interesting. It logistics had worked out he would have visited. But he liked his west coast options and it proved to difficult and expensive to pull off a visit.
Like Iderochi we had nothing but positive interaction. My son who was not a top notch student did receive a merit offer from them.($8000 a year I think) They also sent him a letter later telling him to keep them in mind if he decided to transfer.</p>

<p>My son is applying there and actually should hear by the end of this month. I am anxiously hoping for some merit money as his scores are in the very high range of the 75%. He liked it a lot and my daughter goes to school near by at Goucher and though he applied there she thinks he might like it better at McDaniel. From what I hear, it's very sports minded but also has a big theater music dept. They have frats, but they are in dorms. Also, they just built or are finishing building a big sports complex.</p>

<p>You might want to check it out in the book "Forty colleges that change lives" very nice write up. I would not be disappointed if my son ended up there, although he has some other very similar schools on his list.</p>

<p>My son got his acceptance today. It said letters about merit awards will be coming out in mid January. I really liked the school. Hopefully he can get some money there!</p>

<p>curlygirl, Congratulations! I'll keep my fingers crossed for the merit aid! Let us know how it all turns out!</p>

<p>My D is a sophmore. She posted some stats last year so you can search for ahoo2u. She chose McDaniel over better known schools for several reasons. Best combo of 1-merit & grant aid 2-very small classes/good profs for freshman classes and 3-good academic support program for LD/ADD. All those have lived up to expectation. The school has proven itself to be the most helpful over financial matters, they seem to really give like 97% of need as the collegeboard people say.</p>

<p>Briefly, what she says she likes best. beautiful campus, really get to know your professors ('the school that changes lives evironment thing'), very good & modern fitness center, small school so you walk to classes in 5-10min & don't freeze. It is academically more challenging than she anticipated. As a rising sophmore, she got an outstanding internship at CBS3 Newsoom - almost unheard of....so McDaniel is well respected out in the business world.
Small school, so easy to get published in the paper and leadership positions in activities.</p>

<p>What she says she doesn't like. The dorms for underclassmen are old, some with no elevators, air conditioning with dr's note only. Food is unbearably repetative & not health food (food from supermarkets has cost mom a fortune & can't opt out of meal plan if living on campus) Westminster may be not too far from Baltimore & Wash DC...but there is no public transportation out of Westminster & school shuttle to town & metro is only Sat/Sun. So not much to do except drink & party. Also, I hate that she can't take a bus or taxi to train/plane to get herself home for week-end. She is going stir crazy without a car, it's tough to even go buy printer ink without a car on campus! </p>

<p>Any other specific questions, post or PM me and I'll ask her to respond while she's home for XMAS.</p>

<p>ahoo, Thanks for posting here. I had a hunch about the food. Why can't she get a cab to a train or plane to get home? How far is the nearest Amtrak, and how far to the nearest airport? How does she get there?</p>

<p>I was afraid that one could go crazy without a car, and a car is a big a ticket item. Can one get a cab to a mall, or a bus station if needed?</p>

<p>Oh, and about the food- do they offer a decent salad bar, soup and fresh fruit?</p>

<p>D did a student interview for journalism course - most frequent thing that students would like to change - the food. Yes salad bar, fresh fruit. Don't know about soup. Students can not take food out of cafeteria. </p>

<p>Don't know if there is a westminster cab service, but no bus or train service. Kid's take limo's to BWI (both for flights & amtrak there) or to baltimore Amtrak. There is a school shuttle to stores and Owing Mills metro station (will get you into Baltimore), but only makes a couple trips Sat & I think sunday. Amtraks stations like 45 min away, same with airports 45-60 min. BWI or Reagan (estimated) Sometimes only about 30 min but depends on traffic.</p>

<p>There IS a special school shuttle to the airports for semester breaks. </p>

<p>But if your student needs to zip home for a week-end or something like family wedding or Jewish holiday etc. it is not very convenient. Students say they need a car to get off campus for job or internship.</p>

<p>Nephew is a freshman there. Am sure we will hear all about it when we see hiim at Christmas. As far as I know he likes it very much. Plays football. Is considering a bio/pre-med type of courseload, but really doesn't know yet what he wants to do. I do know that he wishes he had a car on campus, but that is the only complaint we've heard so far.</p>

<p>My friend's son is a senior there.....LOVES it....very happy all 4 yrs, great programs and clubs.....$$$ to start things if you want... seems there are many houses nearby to rent and live in..... large groups of kids seem to do this... sports are a factor for kids, available and they seem to all participate in some level of activity..... has a golf course too, is my understanding.... overall, I think it is a school that attracts a lot of nice, hardworking kids. Lots from Maryland so if you want geographic diversity you might want to look elsewhere is my understanding.</p>

<p>Maine parent, is your friend's son from Maine? </p>

<p>I am very impressed with the school. My daughter is a Junior at Goucher so at least for next year, I suppose she could go pick up my son and drive him home.. It's only about 40 minutes away.</p>

<p>She also gets the Super SHuttle to the airport if needed. Glad to hear the school offers a shuttle to the airport during break times.</p>

<p>I am thinking depending on what she ends up doing after graduating, my son might inherit my daughter's car. He does have a 92 Jeep Wrangler which I would have no problem having him have on campus if it would make the drive from Maine to Maryland.</p>

<p>He is still waiting to hear from Goucher, Susquehanna, Hartwick, Gettysburg and St. Lawrence so good to know McDaniel has good aid. His list was made in part by which schools would offer him some good merit/fiinancial aid combo's as I am a single parent with no support from the non-custodial parent.</p>