@N2TheFuture! What is your S major? I think the relative prestige of UMCP vs Cornell is not so different that it will impact grad school or job opportunities. While the Cornell name may give a bit of a boost, universities and employers focus much more on research experience/internships while in college, as well as GPA. As an employer, I sometimes find ivy league candidates less prepared for social science research positions, for example, then applicants from state flagship schools.
@lifegarding Hello there! S is undeclared engineering. He does have an interest in Aerospace, but he is looking at other disciplines. He has a strong interest in Physics as well and may pursue some Engineering Physics or dual major. Recently an interest in Computer Science has crept in as well. I know he will make the best of whichever opportunity he elects and quite possibly could end up at one of the Ivy or other highly prestigious schools for grad if he goes flagship and performs well. Your experience is interesting, and I have heard similar things before…I can’t help wonder if that is because Ivy students are held to a higher standard…so when one does not live up the hype it is more noticeable. Expectations and all. UMD is pretty close to home and he would probably gravitate towards his old friends…I just think a new perspective and fresh environment might be good for him…he is very outgoing. He would be 3rd generation at VT (we are doing a great job remaining neutral :-)). When you say social science research, can you provide more specifics? We have one official visit done and three to go…we are hoping something really hooks him so this is not reduced to a simple paper comparison.
@N2TheFuture! As big as Maryland is, you really don’t need to worry about new perspective/fresh environment. He will see his old friends, of course, if he chooses. However, the campus is so big that he can also avoid people from high school if he prefers. He will make so many new friends that you needn’t worry about expanding his horizons.
As for ivy students, I have also heard that. Getting a good job is not about the name of the school you attend, but about the skills you bring to the table and the personality that you demonstrate in an interview.
Interestingly, another poster had the opposite dilemma of choosing between VTech and UMD since they are IS for VTech. I told them that the schools are comparable enough to not justify the cost difference and attend VTech. For you, your son has the benefit of Maryland being IS tuition, so I would recommend Maryland (not to mention that I am biased in favor of Maryland, haha). Trust me, I appreciate the unique bonding of having your child attend your alma mater (I had one of two), but it truly is not worth the price. Put the money you save into a nicer computer and an extra monitor. Engineers get into high tech, so he will get more out of having the money to invest in a set up that will make him happy. My son added a new monitor each year…on one screen he had the online textbook open to the page he needed, one was where he did his work, and the third was who knows what, lol.
@“N2TheFuture!” I hear you on the alumni connection - I went to UMCP for 3 degrees so I am a bit biased on my DD going there :). The company I work for is a large nonprofit research organization that does a mix of national and state government contractor work as well as grant work for private organizations and institutions. The majority of our work is in education, health, and workforce areas, and we hire graduates at all levels with backgrounds in sociology, psychology, public policy, demography, computer science, and education. While I do look at the school applicants attended (for those who just completed a BA/BS, MA, or Ph.D./Ed.D) I don’t weight it nearly as heavy as the out-of-class experiences that students hold and the courses they took (along with the grades, of course). Students who held internships or did research projects with professors that they can then share with me during an interview are the ones most likely to receive an offer. Students who seek out opportunities to learn how to program, those who have worked in research labs, co-authored papers with professors, or presented (even at their university events) are in high demand, regardless of the school they decided to attend.
Our S16 is attending a directional public university in Computer Information Systems, and I keep stressing to him the importance of summer internships as a way to increase his chances of being hired. Fortunately, his department requires students to hold at least one internship before they can graduate from the Business School (where CIS is housed). He has completed one summer internship already, so I’m hopeful those will be the pieces that will make his resume strong.
@maryversity @lifegarding Well today my S finally made his decision and is a Terp! He had some pretty good credentials and turned down Cornell, RPI and VT. VT came through with a second unsolicited substantial schollie late to make it a REALLY hard decision. UMD is a great choice for engineering. In the end, he wants to have plenty of $$$ for a grad school of his choice without the worry of debt. Cornell at 3.5x UMD could not be justified. He will be in the Scholars STS and will be in engineering and will room with a good friend in also in engineering in the Scholars Public Leadership LLC. He is excited and I think this was the correct choice for him all things considered. Thanks for all your support!!!
Congratulations, great choice! My DD will be in the scholars public leadership LLC as well, so she will probably cross paths with your S or his roommate since they all live in the same community. It sound like he made a smart financial choice with a great engineering program!
Did you turn in your 1190 sat first an then the 1270 later?