Which college -- UNC vs. UMD vs. PSU?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>S has a decision to make between these three:
PSU -- instate Schreyer honors (least expensive)
UMD -- OOS Honors with Honors Humanities (next least expensive, with some merit aid expected)
UNC -- OOS -- no honors and no $ (most expensive).</p>

<p>He's interested in business and math/statistics.</p>

<p>We visited UMD and PSU prior to acceptance and he liked UMD better, but it could have been the 90 degree difference in the weather between the two visits (UMD in the summer, PSU in the winter). </p>

<p>No visit yet to UNC, I don't know if it's worth it. </p>

<p>Obviously it's a personal choice but it might be fun to see if anyone out there had a similiar decision and what they did to make the decision.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Data mostly drawn from USNWR</p>

<p>OBJECTIVE DATA</p>

<p>Undergraduate Enrollment:
UNC: 16764 Maryland: 25373 Penn State: 34637</p>

<p>In-state Student Population as % of All Undergrads:
UNC: 82% Maryland: 78% Penn State: 85%</p>

<p>Cost (Tuition & Fees):
UNC (OOS): $19,681 Maryland (OOS): $21,345 Penn State (IS): $12,164</p>

<p>Graduation & Retention Rank
UNC: 32nd Maryland: 60th Penn State: 35th
-% of Students expected to graduate in 6 years:
UNC: 79% Maryland: 4% Penn State: 69%
-% of students who do graduate in 6 years:
UNC: 84% Maryland: 76% Penn State: 84%</p>

<p>Faculty Resources Rank:
UNC: 40th Maryland: 144th Penn State: 144th
-% of classes with 50+ students
UNC: 11% Maryland: 15% Penn State: 18%
-% of classes with <20 students
UNC: 50% Maryland: 34% Penn State: 31%
-Faculty/student ratio
UNC: 14/1 Maryland: 18/1 Penn State: 17/1</p>

<p>Student Selectivity Rank:
UNC: 35th Maryland: 47th Penn State: 87th
-Average SAT/ACT:
UNC: 1210-1390 Maryland: 1180-1370 Penn State: 1100-1300
-% of students ranking in top 10% of high school class
UNC: 74% Maryland: 64% Penn State: 40%
-% acceptance rate
UNC: 37% Maryland: 49% Penn State: 62%</p>

<p>Financial Resources Rank:
UNC: 34th Maryland: 89th Penn State: 62nd</p>

<p>Alumni Giving % and Rank:
UNC: 23% (45th) Maryland: 14% (109th) Penn State: 21% (54th)</p>

<p>SUBJECTIVE DATA</p>

<p>Peer Assessment:
UNC: 4.2 Maryland: 3.7 Penn State: 3.8</p>

<p>All three of these schools are good state universities with UNC having perhaps the best national profile (although all three are mostly geared to their in-state constituencies). UNC's undergraduate size is considerably smaller than the other two. Based on the data above, IMO, the ranking would go UNC, then Penn State, then U Maryland. However, when you take into account that your son can attend the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State, this is significant as this addresses the issue of smaller class sizes (which can comparatively be a problem at PSU) and student selectivity (as average Schreyer SATs are around 1400). This honors program is well recognized as one of the best of its type in the country. In the job market, Schreyer grads regularly compete with top students from anywhere and more than hold their own. Furthermore, as you are in-state in Pennsylvania, this is clearly the least expensive option. Considering your situation and the data above, IMO the best choice would be Penn State, followed by UNC (despite no honors and no $), and then Maryland.</p>

3

<p>Hawkette,
thanks for the very thorough analysis. Everything you said makes a lot of sense. I'd love to hear more opinions.</p>

4

<p>I generally support UNC in these comparison issues, but in-state tuition and honors trumps Chapel Hill. However, you should visit.</p>

5

<p>thanks.
with likely merit scholarship $ and NMF, the I'm guessing the tuition costs look more like this.</p>

<p>UNC (OOS): $19,681 Maryland (OOS): $12,345 Penn State (IS): $8,164</p>

<p>I'm a little afraid to visit UNC, because you can guess what will happen (he'll like it). I hear it is beautiful.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any experience with UNC offering some OOS merit money in this situation. I doubt it, if he wasn't selected for honors.</p>

6

<p>secondpick: I agree with tsdad and would definitely make the trip to visit Chapel Hill. That is such a difficult admit from out-of-state-- and an excellent school (and business school)--that I'd certainly go to the trouble to visit, which would clarify things for your son, too-- either way.</p>

<p>I just saw your other post here. You could call the scholarship and financial aid office to ask about any merit money and/or financial aid.</p>

<p>Oh, and yes, it is beautiful. :)</p>

7

<p>secondpick, I have family in Chapel Hill and know it pretty well. State College and Chapel Hill are great college environments, but they are quite different in feel. Yes it is very pretty in CH, but there are some trade-offs. For example, the traffic around Chapel Hill and nearby Durham and Cary is awful. Things like this you will probably only pick up on if you visit so I would join other posters who have recommended a visit.</p>

8

<p>UNC would be my first choice. It is one of only 2 schools (and the only North American school) that rejected me out of the 18 universities I applied to back in the day, so it definitely has earned my respect! LOL!</p>

9

<p>UNC is definetly the best academically, but i don't know if the 33,000 dollar tuition is worth it...</p>

<p>I would take another visit to PSU in spring and see if the opinion differs.</p>

<p>Even if i didn't like it as much as UMD, i would go to PSU for freshman year just so i wouldn't have to pay anything for the generic classes and then i would transfer.</p>

10

<p>Definitely Maryland. It's very good academically and the honors program is outstanding. The school is beautiful too.</p>

11

<p>You really can't go wrong with either of these schools. PSU honors/Maryland honors are awesome, but UNC would be my choice as well. Regardless though, your son is in an awfully good position to be choosing from three fine programs. Good luck!</p>

12

<p>go visit penn state again.. this weeks supposed to be pretty nice (I live 1.5 hours from psu)</p>

13

<p>The heart (mine) says UNC. UNC is just an amazing college experience and a great opportunity.</p>

14

<p>Don't visit PSU this week, we are on Spring Break, no one will be there.</p>

15

<p>CH is, of course, regarded as one of the great public universities in the US, and on that basis it would be hard to make a mistake. I think you should go visit because it will be tough to trust your decision without making the trip.
I think at the end of the day you will make the right deciison, but you have to see all the optinos to make that call.</p>

<p>What a nice problem to have - deciding between those three.</p>

16

<p>Interesting comparison secondpick. Were you able to make the visits?</p>

17

<p>I would pick PSU and then go to grad school</p>

18

<p>not yet lmbl, we'll be making trips in the next couple weeks. S was also accepted to Duke earlier this week, which adds another angle to this.</p>

19

<p>lmbl,
S and I did visit PSU Schreyers last week. We had a very nice visit with S's academic advisor. He was ready to sign up. But the tour / visit with Schreyer was not what we had hoped. Hard to put your finger on why but the family all left feeling disappointed. Perhaps it was a comparison of where we had spent the three days prior....</p>

<p>We had just returned from a Duke and UNC visit. Both were great places in many ways. We also stopped at U Richmond too. S was accepted at these three).</p>

<p>S may run out of time before he gets to visit UMD.
Tough decisions to be made.</p>

20

<p>My daughter is both OOS and OOcountry! She made a killing on her college acceptances and is waitlisted at U Penn. Now we need to decide if she accepts the offer of admission from UNC or UMich. Any thoughts?
PS. She got 10,000 grant for U Mich, but has not yet received UNC's finaid award.</p>