Transfering from UMD to Penn State

Transfer Students
1

<p>Dear CC Members,</p>

<p>I am currently making a tough decision of transferring from University of Maryland to Penn State. For the rest of this post I will list some aspects.</p>

<p>Academic Goals:
1. Major in Engineering (most likely chemical or bioengineering)
2. Gain business experience/take business classes
For the most part I believe both schools are equal on this front. Academically I see PSU as the equivalent to UMD or better. If you think otherwise please state your argument and evidence. The only difference is that I see PSU’s entrepreneurship and engineering mix as slightly stronger than UMD’s mix. PSU has a minor and organized programs.</p>

<p>Current Status
Now I am going to get into some detail. I am a freshman in the engineering school at Maryland. I have a 4.0 GPA, and if I finish this semester I hope to have another GPA that is close to 4.0. I am also in a fraternity, but I will not say which one. From an academic standpoint I am doing well. On a social standpoint, I love the friends I have made in my dorm, in my classes, and in my fraternity. I am enjoying the party scene for the most part (I am not a huge partier, but I’ll admit that I go out on the weekends). UMD has been a great experience overall, and it has slowly gotten better and better. The strongest part of UMD has to be the social experience. My fraternity is composed of a great group of guys and I have made some close friends very quickly.</p>

<p>Problems at UMD
So, after reading my current status you might be wondering why I am thinking of transferring. Well here are the problems. I’ll start for the least important problem and go to the most important problem.
1. College Park Area
- I am not a huge city slicker and I really wanted a college town. College Park is not much of a college town. It is small, and due to the recent closure on the bar scene and crimes, many people are not out. Yes there are people, but I just do not feel the college town vibe. I have enjoyed CP for the short time I have been here, but I cannot see myself in CP for four years. Even though DC is close, it is a hassle to go to in my opinion and I am not much of a city type guy.
2. Feel Trapped at UMD
- Weird right? For some reason I cannot get this thought out of my head that all I am going to do at CP is school work and party/drink. However, I want to make my experience unique and do things that are out of the norm. I am an outdoorsy guy and I love ice hockey and golf. At UMD, I have not done either of these things. Yes I know there’s the opportunity to do them at UMD, and if I stay I know I will try and do them. However, for some reason I feel like it would be easier to do the things that I loved as a kid at PSU. The way I have experienced it at UMD, clubs are a joke. PSU seems to be more organized than UMD and the PSU clubs seem to be much more active. Also, I feel as if there are not as many out of the normal experiences for me at UMD as there are at Penn State
3. I have been to PSU
- Ok, I am a country boy at heart. My brother goes to PSU (also an engineer) and he has invited me up a couple of times. Every time I have gone, I have absolutely loved PSU. The thing is that I have this strange affinity for the school. During my college decision process, I did not fall in love with any school. However, I have slowly been falling in love with PSU. The parties I went to at PSU were not better than UMD’s. They were pretty much the same deal. However, there seems to be a ton of happy people in Happy Valley (guess that’s how it got its name). I guess sometimes ignorance is bliss, and had I never seen PSU I probably would not have this problem.</p>

<p>Summary</p>

<p>The main thing keeping me at UMD is the social network and friends that I have made. The academics and atmosphere are not keeping me here. I hope that the bonds that I made at UMD with a few of my closer friends last a long time even if I transfer. But is it worth staying at UMD because I love my few close friends and fraternity? I know PSU would be fun, but I do not know if it is worth risking a good social life for it. Any opinions or support could help me a lot. I am literally a 50 50 split on making this decision and I only have a couple of weeks to determine whether I should move.</p>

<p>Thank you so much. Sorry for the long post
Snowbound360</p>

2

<p>Hey dude, I’m actually looking to transfer to UMD for fall 2011. I was looking at PSU and they only let you transfer if you’re applying as a junior. Otherwise I think you have to transfer to a PSU regional campus and then go to Happy Valley as a junior.</p>

3

<p>I understand that. However, I am fortunate enough to be in a position where I can enter PSU in the fall. If you have any questions about UMD you can PM me. I have plenty of information. Still, I am wondering if any experienced transfer student who was once in a similar position or an experienced Penn State student could advise me on the decision of transferring from UMD to Penn State. Other general transfer students opinions would be appreciated too. Thanks</p>