UMCP v. UMBC Polisci and prelaw

Applying to College
1

<p>I know this question has been asked several times around this forum, but I could not find one that dealt specifically with my situation..so here goes. I currently attend a local community college. I finished my high school requirements a year early (I was home schooled) took my senior year at the CC and now what should be my Freshmen year.</p>

<p>I have been accepted into UMBC and it's honors college. Receiving approximately 4500 in scholarships per year and 1,750 in the form of a Subsidized stafford loan. I just found out today that I have been accepted in to UMCP. As of yet I do not know if I have been offered a place in their honors college or any financial aid (I'll post information as I receive it). My plan is to major in political science/international relations with a double or dual degree in Spanish. I also would like to complete the requirements for PreLaw and go on to do Constitutional Law.</p>

<p>I understand the many positives and negatives for each school. Ie, umd is too big, UMBC is too boring/umd is very prestigious has good social life, UMBC is an up and coming school gives good scholarships etc.</p>

<p>My question is what school do you think would be better for my specific track? I know that UMCP has a close proximity to dc which is beneficial, however the size concerns me and I have not had good experiences with the staff there. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>You should read through the course catalogues for both programs, and see if there is much of a difference in the offerings. You also can ask the people at UMBC about access to public transportation. Parking isn’t a problem and you are guaranteed a spot on campus if you have your own car. I like the size of UMBC and so did Happykid when we visited, but right now she is thinking of transferring to Towson when she finishes her AA. The program in her major is a bit stronger at Towson.</p>

<p>Do the math carefully to see if there is a meaningful difference between the costs. Find out whether your scholarship is automatically renewed, or if you need to maintain a certain GPA or stay in a certain major. If you want to live on campus, ask about that too. Some of the MD public universities don’t guarantee housing for transfers. If you are going to live off campus, find out about those options.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>