<p>Anyone have first hand knowledge of this college?</p>
<p>I do not have a student there, but have been there and S' good friend is going there. Many kids from our area go there, as it is in-state. The flagship is Orono and there are other campuses. I may either know or be able to find out whatever you're interested in.</p>
<p>The campus has a traditional quad of Georgian brick buildings, called the "Mall." The school has some substantial benefactors, including Stephen King, but most particularly H. Alfond of Dexter Shoe, so infusions of $$ continue and there are some architecturally interesting modern buildings as well. Its Engineering School has an excellent regional reputation (as may other department, I just happen to know of that one).</p>
<p>There is an Honors College, to which elizabeth22 was admitted (but she is going to Wellesely; if she doesn't chime in, you could PM her). My grandson was admitted (but is going to UNH) with a 3.0 GPA and fairly low SATs (he had been out of high school one year before the college app process). S' admtted friend had SAT's over 1200, but was a little weaker in GPA.</p>
<p>It is Div I hockey and has been in the Frozen Four many times, winning the NCAA from time to time. Fanatical hockey fans abound and create great school spirit.</p>
<p>The flagship campus is about 2 hours northeast of Portland which is a very cosmopolitan city for its size; not really remote feeling, as enough kids have cars that they can get into Portland if they want, and the smaller city of Bangor is nearby. Very attractive school for outdoor enthusiasts as skiing, hiking and all variety of mountain/lake/ocean sports are within easy travel distances.</p>
<p>We know many, many alums who all have good feelings about their experience, loyally support the school and are successful in a wide variety of fields.</p>
<p>Jmmom gave a good report on UMaine Orono, so I'll just add some notes based on our visit this summer from out of state.</p>
<p>S is an outdoor enthusiast with an interest in environmental science. Orono is a pretty little college town that has a small center with a mexican restaurant, coffeehouse, and a few other shops. Nearby Bangor is a nice city with all the major retail outlets, restaurants, metro bus, Trailways bus, airport, and a large medical center. The metro bus goes from campus to Bangor regularly and is free for students.</p>
<p>The campus has nice grounds and facilities. It is surrounded by two rivers. The new alumni/visitor center is impressive. Engineering is indeed the hallmark program and is touted by the school. It wasn't our focus but the engineering facilities seem topnotch. Of course, the natural sciences and forestry programs are also strong given the location of the school. </p>
<p>There was a friendly, laid-back feel to the school. As Jmmom mentioned, sports are a big factor in creating school spirit. Everyone comes out to the hockey games and our guide said people have great fun standing in the cold to get tickets! They also have a comprehensive, staffed outdoor program that sponsors many kinds of trips to enjoy the great Maine outdoors. Although most of the students are from Maine, our guide assured us that students do not clear out on the weekends because there is so much to do.</p>
<p>Jmmom, it is good to hear that students have enjoyed their experience. The few students we met sincerely seemed proud of the college.</p>
<p>My thought being, if son went there, could there be a possibility of difficultly coming home because of bad weather? (like major snow storms?)Also, did you consider this concerning g son going to UNH? Thanks.</p>
<p>Backhandgrip we did not investigate U of Maine because I met a couple of ppl who had children attending. They loved the school (cannot tell you which campus, it has been awhile)! The tough part was getting home. One fellow had a car and his worried classmates made him call when he arrived home! I found that very caring and says something about the kids that attend. Most students are from Maine. I would not allow my relatively new driver to drive that distance, not to mention weather conditions. Actually this is what bothers me about James Madison University, although the weather is quite different. JMU is far from the airport, train, or public bus system. </p>
<p>Orono just sent S some material (unsolicited), but for some reason I kept it. It looks like a nice school. The transportation is a problem for me.</p>
<p>bhg - How far would your S be travelling? I have lived in Boston, Washington, DC, San Francisco , Manhattan and here in Maine. I can honestly say that I have experienced no more weather-related air travel delays here than in any of those places. Most air travel delays occur due to logjams at hub airports as much as to weather at your own personal origin/destination. So, if you wouldn't be concerned about air travel from, say, Boston, it would be no worse here.</p>
<p>Re car travel: in places like Maine, all roads are plowed "first." It is virtually a miracle. So driving problems due to snowy road conditions occur only in the exact hours that the storm is coming down. Akin to driving in heavy rain. You wouldn't particularly want to drive in heavy rain as it really slows you down and visibility is worse and accidents could certainly be more likely. When it is snowing, it is exactly the same - people who choose to drive have to go slower. Most wait it out. Once they have done so, the roads have been continuously plowed/sanded/salted, so driving is not hazardous. (the snowplowers don't get to "wait it out" ;) ).</p>
<p>Be aware that Orono and Portland are in the lower part of Maine. Maine is a huge state, and the arctic climate that people may envision belongs WA-A-A-Y up there in "the county." The climate in Orono/Portland is akin to that of Boston area.</p>
<p>Hope that helps. If you have more specific questions or concerns, happy to address them.</p>
<p>jmmom, I thought Maine was a little colder. You learn something new everyday! I went to camp as a kid one year in Bangor and it was so beautiful.</p>
<p>How far is the nearest airport or amtrak station from Orono? I imagine it isn't that convient if students drive, but maybe I am wrong about that.</p>
<p>Hey Backhandgrip,</p>
<p>I applied and was admitted to UMaine Honors College with a full scholarship- they're quite generous with their merit money.</p>
<p>The campus and surrounding area are very nice and the kids there seem to have a great time at the school. There's a lot of school spirit- and like Jmmom said, it's mainly because of athletics (hockey, in particular). I wouldn't go so far as to call it a jock school, but it certainly caters to outdoorsy types who like to ski or skate or hike. Perfect location for all that. </p>
<p>The engineering program is top notch, and a lot of recruiting takes place on campus for engineers. There are also many scholarships particularly for those interesting in studying engineering.</p>
<p>Basically, it's a nice laid-back school with friendly kids who are happy where they are and have a lot of fun. Hope this helps-</p>
<p>Elizabeth</p>
<p>
[quote]
How far is the nearest airport or amtrak station from Orono?
[/quote]
The Bangor International Airport (BGR) is about 12 miles - under 20 minutes - from campus. Driving to Orono from Portland and points south (Boston....) is all Interstate and very convenient for that reason. Orono is not a remote location at all.</p>
<p>I guess it really depends on where one is coming from and how much driving a student/family is interested in doing. Many families send kids to schools which are 4-6-8-12 driving hours away. That would put Orono within the horizons of someone as far south as Philadelphia or even Washington, DC. For air travel, think of it as 1 extra hour beyond Boston.</p>
<p>Thank you jmmom.</p>
<p>Thank you too. I appreciate the information. Son would fly home.<br>
Actually, son wants to play college tennis but is having difficulty interesting a coach. You know, it has EVERYTHING to do with major.Other son, one year older, was being called left and right, same stats, different schools.Son really liked Maine, and in the summer for me it's heaven, is thinking to just go to a college with NO tennis.</p>
<p>What can you do up there in the winter on the weekends aside from studying?</p>
<p>elizabeth; And have you had trouble coming home at Christmas because of Maine snow?</p>
<p>Haven't tried it yet- but my sister came home 2-3 times a month while she was at UMO. If there's a huge storm coming, you try to leave either early or late, but she never had any big problems. We live about 2-3 hours south of the campus. My sister and brother both came home for Christmas from New York City every year after they graduated, and they didn't have trouble either. That's not to say it could NEVER be a problem, but I've never found snow to be a big issue. Depending on how far away you live, the bus is always another option.</p>
<p>I've heard a fair amount about concerts, movies, etc. on campus. There is also your usual assortment of college parties on the weekend, but I know kids who go there who don't drink (my sister didn't) and do just fine. The kids there never seem to be bored.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>We made a point of checking out transportation during our visit as we do not want S to be dependent on a car at college, and were quite satisfied that there were plenty of options. </p>
<p>The Concord Trailways bus goes from Bangor into Portland and onto South Station and Logan Airport in Boston about 3 times per day. It also picks up at the university during the school year. Amtrak runs from Portland. </p>
<p>The local bus system goes from the university into Bangor, including the airport, on Mon. thru Sat., from about 6 am to 6 pm., free for students. So, I guess you would need to take a taxi in the evening. </p>
<p>We have travelled to Maine many times during the winter and never had a problem because the roads are always well plowed.</p>
<p>All this nonsense about getting in to colleges. My kids always get 'in'- it's all the money. Univ. of Maine over</p>
<p>All this nonsense about getting into colleges. My kids always get 'in'- it's all the money. Univ. of Maine over high priced colleges with snooty staff any day.
(sorry, I'm frustrated.)</p>
<p>Winter weekends? Skiing, snowboarding, skating, sledding. Go to hockey games, go to basketball games. do what college students do everywhere - movies, plays, parties, concerts, go down to Portland for shopping/culture etc.</p>
<p>Winter hiking, snowshoeing and - if you really want to think Mainers are weird - ice-fishing. I'm not a Mainer, so I think they're weird :p.</p>
<p>Hey now- we're not weird, we're just tougher than the rest of you and don't let ice get in our way :P.</p>
<p>Then again, you're not Mainers, you're Maineiacs. Maybe that's weird :p!</p>
<p>Backhandgrip and Mainers..Mainiacs and Persons of the Maine Diaspora..I mentioned this in another post but I thought id share again...I ran into this by accident one Saturday afternoon this spring. CSPAN tapes some commencement speeches every year and runs them on the TV and CSPAN radio in the Spring and many of them are still archived on the CSPAN web site. so you can stream them. Steven King (horror writer and native son) gave the commencement address at U Maine Orono this year . I was knocked out when I heard it on the radio. It is so funny, and touching and inspiring ...just showing his love for Maine and challenging the class to engage and participate to the fullest, and give back to the community. Here's the link .. I cant think of a thing which better captures Maine's tough love and its need to stem the brain drain.....and Maine's genuine quirkiness.
<a href="http://www.c-span.org/commencement/%5B/url%5D">http://www.c-span.org/commencement/</a>
scroll down the page to May 7</p>