Penn State or UMD

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<p>I need all the advice I can get....please help.</p>

<p>I am a senior at a public high school in Maryland.</p>

<p>I live in Maryland, and I applied to the University of Maryland School of Business. I have been accepted to UMD for Fall 2010, but not the business school, I have been placed into the school of letters and sciences. On the other hand, I have been accepted to Penn State University Park School of Engineering for the Fall 2010. I know for sure that I either want to major in a field of business or engineering, but I am not sure which one I prefer yet. I realize that both business and engineering are LEP programs at UMD. I like UMD more than Penn State, but I am not sure what to do anymore. Do you believe it is worth the chance of going to UMD and hoping to be accepted to the business or engineering school after two years? Or do you think I would be better off just going to Penn State?</p>

<p>What are the resons that you like UMD better than Penn State?</p>

<p>Well mainly because I have grown up in college park, and I have been a season basketball ticket holder for my whole life. On the other hand, I also sort of want to get out of the state of maryland, and expand my herizons.</p>

<p>Speak with advisors versed on the LEPs of interest to you at UMD. Ask them statistics on acceptances into your specific LEPs of interest after sophomore year and the cummulative grade criteria, etc. the LEPs look for to make you competitive for acceptance, along with the average number of spots typically open in each. Also, see how many classes you would need to catch up to graduate, if any. Some majors, in addition to LEPs begin their curriculum from first semester freshman year, so make sure you can take these classes without being officially accepted into the LEP from the start. Research your possibilities at both schools, consider cost for attendance (you may need to take summer classes at UMD to catch up to the others in your LEP, and consider the possibility that you may find another major that interests you at either school), and weigh such factors before deciding.</p>