I have narrowed my options down to two schools and I have no idea which to pick. PSU is ranked higher overall and has a strong alumni program, while Maryland is in a prime location for the field I want to explore. I want to do criminology and psychology. PSU is ranked higher in psychology while Maryland is ranked higher in criminology. PSU seems to be proud of their oppertunites and connections within alumni and because of its networking and Maryland has connections to surrounding businesses and DC. Which has a better reputation with employers and which can give me the best oppertunites? I am out of state for both and they are about the same price. Please help!
4 points separate these schools in USNWR rankings.
By student SAT scores, UMD is on a different level than Penn State
As far as I know, undergraduate departments such as those in psychology are not ranked anywhere.
Have you visited both of them? If not, that would be your next step.
Agree with merc81 that undergrad depts are not ranked and ranking of grad depts isn’t relevant for your purposes. If you think criminology is a serious possibility, then go to UMD: Both schools are likely to be about the same for psych.
Go and visit. I’d go with UMD for criminology indeed. Penn State if forensics is of interest alongside Psychology.
Can you afford both of them OOS?
(keep in mind you can “only” borrow 5.5K for feshman year, so make sure your parents can pay “out of pocket”, ie., from income and savings.)
The SAT scores at Maryland are about 125 points higher than at Penn State (Math + CR). You’d be surrounding yourself with better students at Maryland. Maryland is in a much more exciting location than Penn State for both Psychology and Criminology. I’d go with Maryland, definitely.
IMO trankings etc. are close enough to be pretty irrelevant to your decision. The schools are different in terms of location and size. Since there is no significant financial difference between the two, you should base your decision on your personal preference. I’d go for UMD myself, but it is what you think and where you feel most comfortable that is important.
Please don’t choose a school based on a failed magazine’s ranking or SAT scores.
What is the goal? Graduate and have a dream career.
Look at graduation rates
Freshman retention rates
Look at average starting salaries
Look at alumni networks
Visit and feel where you fit in
Etc
You should visit, spend time at each campus, eat in the cafeteria, talk with students, read the paper, attend a gen ed/mandatory freshman class and a class in your future majors, taking notes. See how you feel on each campus. You can’t go wrong as these two institutions are peers.
In my opinion, the time for living in a college town is while in college, but having DC nearby is a powerful lure, too. It guess it’d depend on your prioritizing your daily environment or your weekends’environment.
Is cost really not an issue? If it isn’t, then go with the one where you feel you can be happiest for four years and achieve your educational goals.
But, please, make sure you’re not being saddled with a lot of loans to be able to attend either of these schools, which are very pricey for OOS students at ~ $45,000 a year.
Criminology and/or psychology graduates don’t typically go into high-paying first jobs, so you need to factor in the debt service on any loans you might be taking on.
^^good advice above. Aside from those considerations, I would lean toward UMD because of the location.
I would also lean towards UMD, since Penn State is very isolated. But that’s me!
You can’t go wrong with either. You should visit, if possible.