Currently my son slightly prefers Rutgers over the others, mainly because he likes to stay around NYC and plan to find jobs there.
We will go to admitted students events of these schools in April before making decision.
Thanks!
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The bus system is a true pain. I am told it consumes 1-2 hours per day to move around between classes, waiting for the bus, the actual time on the bus etc
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Your son can find jobs in the NYC area likely from all three…certainly Rutgers and UMD.
And if you said you wanted to be out in CA, the answer would be the same.
It’s not a local world anymore - especially not at these large CS programs.
With indeed, linkedin, and handshake at the school, local doesn’t really exist unless you want it to.
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I think this should come down to Rutgers and Maryland.
For CS, Maryland is considered to be stronger – so if Maryland, though a little more expensive, is doable… I would choose it in this case. Not to impugn Rutgers or SCU, which are fine schools, but for CS among these three, MD is the choice. (and SCU’s position is further hampered by being twice as expensive)
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Have you investigated how easy/difficult to change status to instate ? I heard it’s extremely difficult to change to instate tuition once you are tagged as oos
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Residency Reclassification at UMD
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Very good point. I thought it would be easy to reclassify as in-state since we parents will both live and work in Maryland. This is from UMD FAQ:
"
Q5. I applied to the University while residing in another state attending college. Before college, however, I had lived my entire life in Maryland. I went to high school in Maryland. My parents have always lived in Maryland. I am financially independent, but will live at home with them. Will I be admitted as in-state?
A. Not necessarily. Again, because you were residing in another state at the time of application, the Out-of-State presumption in the Classification Policy is triggered. Your status will depend on your ability to assemble sufficient facts about yourself to rebut the conclusion that you are now residing in Maryland primarily for the purpose of attending the University. Again, such things as family circumstances, personal relationships, and employment separate from the campus may also have played a role. These will be considered by the University when assessing your primary reason for residing in the State.
"
Guess it’s harder than I think.
Is your student financially independent? (Asking because that’s the portion of the FAQ you quoted). Public schools have different rules for dependent and independent students.
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My son is financially dependent.
Among the 9 criteria, the most difficult one will be
“9. Rebutting the presumption that he or she is in Maryland primarily to attend an educational institution.”
FAQ says “It is important to note that you must provide clear, convincing and objective evidence of your actual primary reason for living in Maryland (e.g. full-time employment, family, etc.)”
We can demonstrate family reasons, not sure if that’s enough.
Would you move to Maryland if your student attends SCU or Rutgers?
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Yes it’s for job reasons.
Found some information on Reclassification from out-of-state to in-state residency in UMD:
“they wanted to see that I and my parents both were living in Maryland for at least a year, and paying taxes, and owned a house there and everything.”
We can do that.
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If you can pull it off then UMD is no brainer. UMD at in state tuition is steal for CS
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IMHO, UMD for CS … unless you can afford SCU without parental loans, in which case it becomes a matter of preference and fit.
If you can afford both, he goes to Admitted Student Days (or attends a full day shadowing a student) because if you told him he could attend the one he preferred he should decide after experiencing both (and definitely not based on rankings!)
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I think that issue is mainly for students trying to qualify for in state when the parents live elsewhere. In your case moving for work, paying taxes, etc is not what they’re worried about.
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What did you finally decide? I am debating the same decision. Rutgers Honors or UMD CS.
We visited all of them in the past two weeks and will decide this weekend.
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It turned out to be a very difficult decision. Eventually my son decided to commit to UMD.
First, we all love SCU very very much, for the gorgeous campus, the modern dorms, and the vibe of the student body. SCU even gave more scholarship after our appeal, another 9k/y, which we highly appreciated. The only problem is SCU is too far away from home.
Second, my son has a strong bond with Rutgers, having participated in events there, having heard good stuff about Rutgers from teachers and classmates. The location is very appealing, with easy access to NYC and DC. Most importantly, some of his close friends will go there for CS too. It was not an easy decision not to go Rutgers.
Third, UMD does have the best academic reputation in CS. The Iribe center is impressive. The job placement is slightly better than Rutgers. I think the food is the best among these three. And my wife strongly hopes my son go to Maryland with us.
Thank you all for sharing your advice with me.
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Congratulations!!
I committed to Rutgers HC but having serious buyers remorse to the point that I am thinking of withdrawing from Rutgers and change to UMD.
I am just not able to digest that I am letting t20 university go for something much lower ranked and I am compromising on my education.
What are the reasons you chose Rutgers over UMD, and have those reasons changed?
(Also, you should start your own thread to ask this question rather than take over someone else’s thread)
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