<p>Hello,
I'm going to be starting college in the spring and am having a tough time deciding which to choose. College park has the better cs/ engr program from what I've read and probably has more to do around the campus. However, I'm not sure a big college is right for me and umbc seems to be growing as a professional college. Also, I love to mountain bike and umbc is less than 5 minutes from the trails.</p>
<p>Any opinions and experiences with classes and social life appreciated.</p>
<p>You pretty much said it all in your post.
UMBC is a more close knit environment, but when me and my friends went to visit people there, a few people left so that their friends could give them tours of campus, and were back in about ten minutes.
It really depends on whats important to you.</p>
<p>As a current prospective student to both schools, I can tell you that both are good. However, UMD can be over-bearing, and the from what I’ve heard, many students risk becoming another “number”. That is why UMBC is becoming so competitive, b/c more students w/ stats at the UMD level are applying to UMBC. </p>
<p>Oh, and the UMD dorms suck… but they have more EC choices.</p>
<h1>1 Both are excellent schools. A good GPA and a degree in CS/engineering from either school is going to look pretty good on a resume. So don’t worry about that. If anything, UMDCP engineering and ESPECIALLY CS will be way more cutthroat - idk why anyone would want that, to be honest, especially since I highly doubt grad schools or employers really care - they’re both university of maryland schools.</h1>
<h1>2, it really depends on what you want. UMD-CP has WAY more of a “college” feel - expansive lawns, colonial buildings, a crazy frat and house party scene. And it’s not just that - the social scene in general is much better, being so close to Washington, DC, and having a HUGE number of clubs, sports, organizations, and living-learning programs to choose from on campus (much more than UMBC). For those living on campus, UMD IS NOT a commuter school. A large number of students commute but there is a huge community living on campus so you will get that “residential” experience.</h1>
<p>UMBC, on the other hand, is described by many of my friends as “quieter”. A smaller percentage of students live on campus (but for those that do live on campus, of course you have a community just like at UMDCP), and the party scene there is based around small apartment parties. There are clubs and organizations but DEFINITELY not the MASSIVE amount you can find at UMDCP - which might even be a plus, since UMDCP can be very overwhelming in that respect (I know I was overwhelmed and never really found my “niche”). Secondly, I’ve heard at UMBC you get closer attention from your profs - you don’t feel like as much of a “number”. </p>
<p>The kids I know that chose UMBC over UMD-CP were just as smart as those going to CP - but they were more cost-conscious (many were paying their way through school or had parents who were banking on them receiving a lot of fin-aid or scholarships) and a little “nerdier”. They also liked the small college environment more.</p>
<p>UMBC and UMD-CP are both GREAT schools. I love UMD CP and I would never want to attend UMBC. But for some people, UMBC is the better choice. Good thing is they are both solid colleges in the sciences and you’ll have a good academic experience either way.</p>