I know its a bit late, but I have been struggling to choose. I am going to major in business, and was directly admitted to the Penn State business program. I was planning on going there, however I did not really like the campus when I visited. So, I was thinking about going to Maryland through its freshman connection program instead. Do you think this is a better decision? I have put in factors such as Maryland’s location near D.C (leaning more towards Maryland). Also, even though both reputations are good, why is UMD’s ranking so low, when it requires higher grades and scores to get in??
Rankings aren’t indicative to academic strength in the classroom; do you realize that?
how much would each school cost you? Are you OOS for both?
What are your parents saying?
PS…I wouldn’t want to be a spring admit.
If you have not already deposited at Penn State you’re getting supplemental housing.
No, I got in fall for Penn State. And I submitted a deposit for Penn already but don’t really want to go, so I was planning to withdraw. UMD has a freshman connection program which I can take and join the college in the fall. My parents are leaning towards UMD, because its closer to D.C.
Since I’m out of state for both, the tuition is basically the same, with UMD being the cheaper one.
Don’t worry about the rankings. The difference between PSU in a four-way tie at #47 and UMD in another four-way tie at #57 may seem big at first, but in between the two are just one school at #51 and five schools tied for #52. That’s not meaningful. Focus on what’s important to you – programs, location, cost, campus, and what you want to do when you graduate.
I just read Jeffrey Selingo’s “There is Life After College” and recommend it to you and your parents as you are making your decision. Good luck!
Ok. Thank you.