<p>Does anyone have any input on their Portland campus ? I don't know all that much about it. My daughter was just accepted into their linguistics / ASL interpreting program. We have not visited ..yet. She applied on the advice from a director of another program at another school. I have seen their stats for accepted students. I'm hoping someone from Maine has some info to share. She got a nice scholarship offer and into their honors program. I am not going to pretend that this is her first choice , but wondering if it might be worth a closer look. </p>
<p>Well, firstly, Portland is a wonderful place to live. It’s a foodie destination with a greats art scene, lots of music, access to ocean, lakes, mountains, and unlike a lot of places the original architecture wasn’t obliterated in the 1960s so it has lots of character, down to the cobbled streets in the Old Port and a working waterfront. Although Maine is the whitest state in the Union, Portland is quite diverse, with a significant population of immigrants and asylum-seekers from Africa and the Middle East and Asia. This makes for great ethnic grocery stores. :)</p>
<p>USM itself? Well, the department I know the most about is the music school, which is strong, and located on the Gorham campus. Right now, USM is experiencing significant financial challenges, and the state system has been forcing cuts to some academic programs. I don’t know whether linguistics/ASL is affected, but they have recently dropped their French major, for example, which is a big deal in a state with a substantial Franco-American population.</p>
<p><a href=“USM plans to cut 50 more faculty, slash two programs”>http://www.pressherald.com/2014/10/06/usm-plans-to-cut-50-more-faculty-slash-two-program/</a>
<a href=“USM president proposes deep, ‘painful and disruptive’ cuts”>http://www.pressherald.com/2014/03/14/usm_president_proposes_deep_cuts_in_faculty__staff__programs/</a></p>
<p>Uh oh…could that be a red flag ? I under how that news will affect future applications / admissions ? I feel fairly confident that she will get into RIT and their program is outstanding. She has about a 50/50 chance for her dream school , but based on what I read about their scholarship criteria, she won’t qualify and we won’t be able to afford it IF she does get in. Haven’t been in this position for 7 years !!</p>
<p>My son has gone to USM for the past three years, and we have been impressed with the school. He is an applied math major who was originally accepted to Amherst, Wash U, and quite a few other schools. He started as a biomedical engineering major at UT-Austin, but had to come home when he fell ill. He has found the Disabilities Office and professors to be so helpful! And his classes are plenty challenging. Parking is a piece of cake, too! Whenever I talk to someone who attends or attended USM, they speak highly of it. I took my daughter, a HS junior, to a USM open house the other day, and she said, “And why do people pay $50,000 a year for school when they could go here?” (believe me, I understand why people choose expensive schools - I just thought it was interesting that my daughter said that).</p>
<p>If you have any other questions, I will be happy to answer them!</p>
<p>Okay. I know nothing about the school, but I love Portland. It’s a gem of a town. I go every year for a weekend to eat the food. They have a chowder there that is perfect. Not too thick. I could eat the food in Portland year round. </p>
<p>I spoke to her admissions rep today about coming to visit the department. He told me that the Linguistics / ASL classes are in Portland, but the housing is at their Gorham campus ( 20 min drive ) Shuttles are available and she could also have a car there. I have heard that Portland is great little city, like Portsmouth , NH but larger ( I am familiar with Portsmouth )
I think we will take a trip up there after Thanksgiving and check it out ! Also , I asked him about the budget cuts and how that could potentially affect her major. </p>
<p>She wouldn’t absolutely NEED a car, even in Gorham, but it could be fun to have one, especially if she wants to travel about and take advantage of the surrounding area. She can take the train or an hourly bus round trip to Boston for $30, the train to ski areas, if I am not mistaken, but there isn’t much public transportation.</p>
<p>I think a visit is a great idea, and be sure to visit both campuses. I received my undergraduate degree from USM 25 plus years ago, and like many others, was a non-traditional student. My son was accepted into the BM Musical Theatre program, but ended up in Ohio because he was accepted into a very competitive and well thought of program, and he wanted to explore another part of the country. I would have been perfectly happy for him to have attended USM should that have been his final decision. The folks at USM could not have been nicer, and I think student community is close knit.
Having said all that, I do think it is important to explore the impact of the budget issues on your daughter’s intended major. It breaks my heart that a good school, that serves so many, is struggling.</p>