<p>We live about 2 miles from GMU. It has always struck me as a very distant, cold place. While the school's facilities and instruction are said to be quite good, I never saw kids just hanging out. DS never even considered the school. Campus is beautiful, yes, but it's quite a haul to get across campus.</p>
<p>DS chose McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. It's a nice small Colleges That Change Lives LAC with a beautiful campus, great professors, and a warm, homey feel. It offers DIII athletics, many clubs, interesting January term offerings, quirky first year seminars, many study abroad opportunities, etc. A truly hidden gem.</p>
<p>Returning to the thread jack for a moment--</p>
<p>Maryland kids apply to UDel because it's easier to get into than UMCP and more attractive to many of them than the other, less selective Maryland state schools. (They apply to Virginia Tech for the same reasons, too.)</p>
<p>I would not assume that out-of-state schools would offer no merit aid. UDel offered my son, a Maryland resident, a merit scholarship which made the cost of attending that school just about the same as the cost of attending UMCP. These people are not stupid; they know exactly how much to offer. (He went to UMCP, though.)</p>