<p>Hello fellows,
I was accepted to Binghamton for the fall of 2014 and UMD for the spring semester. I am out-of-state for both of them, and I probably will not get any financial aid for either school. I applied as undecided, but I'm probably going to end up double majoring in Bio-medical engineering and music composition. If you guys had any advice, that would be very much appreciated. </p>
<p>Thanks,
Your fellow student</p>
<p>Binghamton is the better value. The campus is much more intimate and manageable that UMD.
I visited Binghamton a few years ago and was impressed with the new dormitory construction.
If cost is a factor, pick Binghamton.</p>
<p>UMD is a close train ride from DC, and will have better college sports and access to cultural events.
UMD’s engineering program is probably higher ranked than Binghamton’s, which is usually a rating based on the amount of research produced by the professors. </p>
<p>UMD is on an Amtrak line, and may be easier to visit.</p>
<p>Both schools are highly ranked, and you can’t go wrong with either one.</p>
<p>Are you positive the UMD offers an undergraduate in music composition? It is my understanding their program is for graduate studies. The music department there is very well respected for their performers, I don’t hear as much about the composition. </p>
<p>Hi ANNE1389,
UMD does offer BMs in both Music Composition and Theory. I’m leaning pretty much leaning towards UMD b/c they have the overall better classes, but I don’t know if it is worth the extra $7,000 per year. Also, I have not heard very good things about Binghamton’s math department.</p>
<p>I know ranking is important on CC but not important when it comes to the environment you would succeed. UMD would be my choice hands down! I have relatives who attended both schools and I graduated from UMD. There is no comparison. UMD is a major engineering research institute with funding and depth of research beyond that of Binghamton. For undergrad, research is much less important than the industry connections and reputations the school develops. Again, there is no comparison with these two institutions. You have many UMD graduates in an area with one of the highest concentrations of PhDs, medical institutions (NIH, etc.) in the nation. This doesn’t mean that UMD’s environment will be best suited for you. That should be your first focus, where would you thrive. Then worry about what the school can produce for you when you are ready to graduate. I have to admit, Binghamton may enjoy a high ranking, but there is no way it is in the same category as UMD when it comes to engineering.</p>
<p>Hi fellows,
Here are three reasons that I am a bit concerned about going to UMD:</p>
<ol>
<li>Binghamton is less expensive</li>
<li>Because UMD is twice as big Binghamton, I heard that it would be much harder to stand out or to make myself known at UMD.</li>
<li>I have not actually been to one yet, but I heard that UMD’s dorms are disgusting in comparison to Binghamton’s. (I have heard on several occasions people have found mice and cockroaches in their dorms) </li>
</ol>
<p>Would anyone mind addressing any of these specific issues?</p>
<p>Thanks,
Your fellow student</p>
<p>if you can major in composition at UMD, can you graduate in four years with degrees in music and engineering? You should investigate this before going to UMD. </p>
<p>After a certain size, it doesn’t matter how large a campus is–you’re not going to be visiting all parts of it or seeing all the students in it. You’ll have your college and your friends and your hike to the library. It all works out.</p>
<p>I cannot give you any insights regarding Binghamton, however I can tell you a little about UMD Engineering and the concerns you have regarding size. First, my son is in the engineering program at UMD and will be graduating this spring. As a parent, one of the things we like so much about MD is the fact that the university has LOTS of connections to help graduates get jobs - especially in engineering. These jobs are often secured as internships as early as the completion of their freshman year or later through one of their many job fairs for engineers. I am not sure if you have a preference for music composition over engineering or visa versa. </p>
<p>This brings me to the next thought. I’m not certain exactly how easy school is for you now, but engineering at UMD is not a walk in the park. My son has many friends who graduated at the top of their class or near the top of their class. Several changed majors. Several had to retake courses due to failure. Some are taking longer than their 4 year goal. The thought of trying to do engineering AND music composition sounds like it COULD be overwhelming. Again, I don’t know your ability; I am simply reminding you that engineering isn’t an easy major so you might want to consider that where ever you end up attending.</p>
<p>Regarding the dorms - their dorms! haha My son was in the honor’s dorm his freshman year and at that time it was NOT air-conditioned. He didn’t seem to mind though as he had made some great friends and that was more important to him than the dormroom itself. That was him though, and as frugaldoctor pointed out, you need to consider what is important to you. I can tell you that he never told me anything about seeing cockroaches. 
</p>
<p>Last, you expressed concern about standing out. The funny thing about this really depends on you and your personality. In my son’s case, he went from a class of 1 (he was homeschooled) to the University of MD! lol! I can assure you that I was concerned about him being lost in such a large setting. My worry was needless. He got involved on campus, held leadership positions, did research, and went out of his way to “network.” He worked hard and standing out was not a problem. Again, though, that depends on your personality. You need to determine if you can stand out if you are doing a dual major. If the answer to that is that you don’t think you can standout, you probably want to determine which one is more important - dual major or standing out? These are probably things you want to consider regardless of where you attend.</p>
<p>Overal, for my son, it was more important to him to go to a school that had a strong engineering program that had lots of connections so he could get a job in this tough economy, so UMD was a good choice for him.</p>
<p>jkeil is being diplomatic - BM + B.Eng = either impossible of 6 years of very heard work. (Expect Engineering to be 4 1/2 to years in itself, + BA in music 5 years as a minimum). If you’re sure you want to do both, choose Bing, because 6 years of undergrad at the OOS for UMD are just too much.
UMD sure is better for football but $7,000 for better football…?</p>
<p>MYOS1634,
Where did 4.5 years for engineering from. If you think it’s b/c I received spring acceptance, I was planning on doing Freshman Connection.</p>
<p>Very few people graduate in 4. When I attended UMD, engineering was realistically a 5 year program. That’s without taking time off.</p>
<p>I’m a bit confused b/c my brother majored in chemical engineering, and managed to complete it in 4 years without using up vacation time.</p>
<p>If your brother did that at UMD, he is absolutely awesome.</p>
<p>When our family is at the B/K scholarship interview on Tuesday, I’m going to specifically ask about the 4 year graduation rate at UMD. It’s unacceptable for any school at these prices to have a greater than 4 year average completion rate. </p>
<p>Ask about the 4 year graduation rate for their scholar students in the specific major you are interested. It is absolutely conceivable why the state flagships have such a lower graduation rate. They do not weed out enough bad candidates during the application process. These students end up getting weeded out after they enroll. Some party too much, some just don’t care, and others for financial reasons can not continue their education. Top tier schools weed you out when you apply.</p>
<p>I look at the large state schools as providing a second chance. I should have been overlooked as a student when I applied to UMD. My SAT scores were so low that I am not ready to embarrass myself on CC and mention them LOL. But I went rogue when I entered UMD and worked my @$$ off to succeed. Many with my credentials were gone through attrition by the time junior year arrived.</p>
<p>So, your question should focus on how students with your credentials fare at UMD.</p>
<p>The University of Maryland is probably a better choice for your double major in music, and according to their website 40% of music majors at U of Maryland are double majors. They may give you more flexibility to complete both majors successfully. The Watson School at Binghamton is excellent for bio-engineering and very strong in all of the sciences… but I would encourage you to go elsewhere for music. </p>
<p>One thing about Binghamton is that a normal full load is 4 courses at a time, 4 credits each. A really good student would be capable of taking 5 courses and staying approximately on track. Since your plan is for extra years with the double major, don’t forget to factor in the most likely academic path and the cost of the extra semesters.</p>
<p>Are you sure that you can double major in biomedical engineering and music composition? Both of those tend to be very demanding majors. Music composition may not be as bad as performance (with all the lessons), but music majors typically take a lot of 1-credit courses scheduled at odd hours in addition to their normal courseload and as a composition major you may need to take piano. And engineering majors already often require more credits than a non-engineering major and have a very strict sequence of classes that have to be begun in freshman year. All I’m saying is that you should probably flip through the student handbooks and major sequences of both universities before you assume that you can do this double-major.</p>
<p>As for the two schools - I’m assuming that your family can afford both OOS and that money isn’t really a factor (because if you aren’t eligible for aid at either and your parents are paying out of pocket…that’s a lot of money). Personally, I would select UMD-College Park. It’s a great, well-reputed university and its closeness to Washington, DC can make for some interesting internships even if you aren’t interested in government and politics. Also, if you’re interested in music it may be beneficial to be nearby a large city and the musical outlets that provides. Having to begin the spring is a downside, though.</p>
<p>If cost is a factor Binghamton is likely to be much less expensive.</p>
<p>Why would you need to stand out or “make yourself known”? Unless you are planning to run for student government or something like that, and in that case, you run a campaign and you talk people up and spread through your networks. Otherwise, there’s really no reason for you to “stand out” in the student body. If you’re concerned about jobs and grad school the way you stand out is to get good grades and good relevant experiences.</p>
<p>Price is a factor for me. My parents are paying a flat fee, no matter what school I go to. So any difference in cost would go on my shoulders. I really like UMD, and I really want to go there, but I’m still considering Binghamton b/c it’s less expensive.</p>
<p>again, don’t make the decision to go to UMD or Binghamton without checking to see if it’s even possible to double major (in two very different, time-consuming colleges) without spending 7 years doing it. Call the advisors in each college and put this to them.</p>