I’m an international, but US citizen applicant at both…considering both schools as safeties. Although I do want to have a social life, I want an environment where everybody is serious about their work, and there are opportunities for undergraduate research. Would prefer a warmer place 
UMD only slightly less expensive than UPitt.
I’m interested in bioengineering/biomedical engineering and premed…
Parents think UMD is a better idea because of its proximity to JHU (which is basically my dream school)-is this a factor? and also because it is a little more accessible. Altho we live internationally, we used to live in California- so which would be a better choice?
upitt has a world renown medical school/research center and is divided by a street from carnegie mellon also a world renown center for biomed/engineering and research. not to mention that pittsburgh is an amazing city.
I would choose PITT.
I can’t offer much information on your area of academics at the two schools, but I can say that going to one school because it is close to your dream school makes no sense. Why would this matter? Do you plan to occasionally travel there to gaze on it from the outside? Its not going to give you any advantage for graduate school if that’s what you’re thinking. Its like saying you want to go to Boston University because Harvard was your dream school and it is close by. I don’t get this at all.
Compare course descriptions at both unis.
I would choose Pitt for the reasons noted above. The school is really well funded for research, great internship opportunities, too. Much better location.
@MindCastle15 Your parents like UMD better because it is close to Hopkins? Can you explain this position. It sounds very odd.
I doubt it is any more accessible than Pittsburgh. Do you have any idea how congested that area is?
Ok, that did come out as really odd. What they really mean is that it may be easier for me if I want to take part in any research opportunities etc at JHU, (if that’s even possible)- just that distance won’t be too much of a problem. I would love to go to JHU for grad/med school as well, so basically that’s what they were talking about. And no, I am definitely not choosing UMD so that I can “gaze at it from the outside” 
I would love to go there, but I’m not that crazy. Anyhow, Pitt was my choice too. Thanks for helping me with the decision 