<p>There are a lot of top schools in an around the DC area that have great internship opportunities at top government agencies. Do the students at UMD (since the campus is literally right next door to DC) have a chance against these other applicants? And how well do the students take advantage of all DC has to offer? If yur a current student there, please chime In because im really aiming for the DC vibe and im stuck between American, Georgetown (If im accepted) and UMD lol</p>
<p>Well of course Georgetown has the best reputation, but the other schools like American and then the more obscure ones are a level below UMD. Of course they have a chance. Even if it was a way worse school than all the DC schools (which it’s not) by shear numbers UMD would overpower everything.
You can take advantage of DC as much or as little as you’d like.
American is a city school. Georgetown is a campus within a big city, but a little more separated (due to lack of Metro line) and UMD is a school in a small city next to a huge city, but the campus is miles ahead of everything but Georgetown (and really who can compete with the aesthetics there?). Plus Maryland students actually have easier acess to much of DC than Georgetown because of the Metro.</p>
<p>^^
Georgetown def has easier access to DC. UMD isnt really right next door… i would say American is right next door because it is on the outskirts of DC right near MD. UMD does a good job of getting internships because of the size of the school and you wont have a problem. And i wouldnt say AU or GW are a step below UMD.</p>
<p>No Georgetown has easier access to the Georgetown area, but it is far from the metro.
American isn’t next door, it’s in DC. UMD is next door by virtue of not being inside the city and being fewer than ten miles away. </p>
<p>I actually forgot about GW because the OP did not actually mention it in the post. They are about even, and American is definitely a step below UMD. I don’t put complete stock in USNews rankings but a quick check will show you that UMD and GW are three slots apart while American is more than twenty spots below both of them.</p>
<p>UMD is about 30 away from DC by car. Gtown is in the middle of DC and has busses running all over so saying that it doesnt have easy access is ridiculous…</p>
<p>You can spend 30 minutes in a car in that area and go two miles. By car is not how you should measure distance. It’s ten minutes by Metro.</p>
<p>And reiterate Georgetown has better access to the immediate area, but the metro is by far the fastest way to get around and it does not have easy Metro access.</p>
<p>Back to the original question, many of the faculty members have direct ties to several government offices. And, as Gina points out, the sheer numbers are working in the favor of UMD. Far more important than from what school a student came is their GPA and letters of recommendation from faculty or other on-campus representatives (advisors, people they know via programs such as Honors, Scholars, etc.).</p>
<p>FWIW, freshman year DD1 planned to meet an old friend from a previous high school for dinner in Chinatown. They both left their dorms at approximately the same time…DD1 from Denton at UMD, her friend from one of the dorms at Georgetown. DD had to wait for her friend to arrive. Yes, they have bus service, but not at the frequency of the shuttles to the metro station and the metro service itself. Yes, Georgetown is geographically closer, but it is not as convenient in terms of going to the mall area of DC, or even other places in DC. She had the same experience meeting someone else from Georgetown at Union Station. It’s a common gripe among Georgetown students.</p>
<p>Also, there are several partnership between the federal government and UMD. The one I know about the most is UMD’s Cyber Security Center, which is a partnership between UMD, Lockheed Martin & SAIC, and the federal government. There are tons of opportunities involved with that.</p>
<p>It’s six blocks. This is not city blocks though, so it’s between one and two miles from the front gate, which is pretty far from the dorms. But there is a shuttle running between the station and campus every 10-15 minutes.
To get back there are shuttles and there is a cab stand there. My friend and I took a cab last weekend. If the guy had not gotten stopped by Police Aux entering (which never happens to cabs usually) and then thought I meant Comcast instead of Regents parking garage the ride would be about 6.00. I almost always take the bus, but it was after midnight and we had just missed the bus, so it was practically deserted, plus cold. So we went for the cab.</p>
<p>Note on safety–That is the kind of situation people choose incorrectly in that turns into UMD’s “safety” issues. (Common sense issues is probably more appropriate)</p>
<p>OK, so if UMCP students have to take an shuttle to the Metro at which point they’re at the end of the Green Line and G’town students have to take a shuttle to the Metro, at which point they’re at Dupont Circle, how does anyone figure UMCP has better access to DC?</p>
<p>I don’t have any stake in this, but I am curious about the thinking involved.</p>
<p>^^ that kid doesnt know what hes talking about. Its gonna take you 30 minutes just to get the DC once your in the metro from UMD. No-one metros in Gtown they just take the bus or walk. One of UMD’s problems is its crappy location</p>
<p>Umm Redskins1993, no one uses the Metro in Georgetown, because there isn’t one nearby, not because they can ride a bus.</p>
<p>Furthermore, I don’t think UMD is in a “crappy location.” This is an exaggeration. It’s a nice large town campus with a free shuttle bus to the green line Metro.</p>
<p>DS lives in a knox box just off campus and it took him less than 15 minutes last weekend to get to DC via the Metro to buy a bow tie. I would say, that’s fast.</p>
<p>But i have to say, Yea, I’ve been to DC/UMD/GEORGETOWN several times and I find it is faster to catch the metro from UMD then to take the GUTS and then catch the metro from Dupont Circle (eventhough unless I was in a hurry, I really wouldn’t mind because Duopnt Circle is amazing to a Jersey Girl like myself lol)</p>
<p>I was just mostly concerned about the campus’ reputation in DC as compared to other schools. I didn’t realize that American was ranked so lowly =/ You think American is easier to get into than UMD?</p>
<p>FWIW, our DS interned for a semester on the Hill for a Senator. He was the only student. The rest are what we call ex-terns…already graduated and trying to use it as a stepping stone.</p>
<p>He did 20 hrs a week and had no problem commuting via the Metro. He still goes in weekly to DC, either to hang out on the weekend or visit his Dad at the Pentagon. Once you get the true handle on the Metro, and understand that here a 30 minute ride is nothing (like a 10 min ride for people in suburbia) you will not care.</p>
<p>The one thing that UMDCP has for their Scholars program is a requirement of an internship completed by the end of their sophomore yr. The govt and politics field is quite large in this program. Everyone of his friends interned in DC. The ones that interned for a Congressman or Senator also worked that into a summer job back at home. Every MOC has offices back in their state. </p>
<p>Many also were allowed to come back in the fall to intern again</p>
<p>I also agree in this area American is ranked low compared to UMDCP.</p>
<p>I grew up in DC, am now 45, still live here. American has rep of being a school for wealthier kids who can’t get into better schools and foreign nationals who want to send kids to the “American” University. Georgetown has rep of being the place for liberal Catholic families who have money and want to be near DC – great foreign service. Maryland has a rep of being an excellent public university. I would say Georgetown is better for some things, but Maryland is superior for others. It depends on what you want to major in.</p>
<p>I would have to agree with most of the statement above. I am not quite sure about American though. Their stats seem pretty decent on Naviance. Maybe they are improving. FWIW, I am 43, grew up in the DC area, and went to college in New England.</p>