@BeeDAre Yeah i’ve decided to cut UIUC precisely because of that. Even though there are a lot of indians there champaign-urbana doesn’t seem too appealing to me.
I’ve been to DC about 5 years back and even though it was a short visit I found it to be quite beautiful but then again don’t know anything about the life there.
And i guess at this point my choice is between UW,UMD and UMN. All are great schools so i guess i won’t lose onto much if i choose one over the others.
The UMCP campus is not very attractive as far as campuses go. I think that UWM is a much better college experience overall for a student. Madison is a famous college town with great school spirit and sports. College Park has its proximity to DC going for it.
I received a scholarship from UMN and invitation to apply to the honors programme at UW Madison. At this point i’m leaning more towards UMN because saving money is never a bad thing
Jumping in on UMD-CP. College Park is probably the least attractive location of all the colleges. It’s not in the city, obviously. It’s located in a close-in suburb that has traffic but not so many amenities, and on at least two sides it lacks a pedestrian friendly environment. The main entrance is on Route 1, a major artery, not cute at all. There is a Metro station but it is NOT next to the campus; it’s a long, unpleasant walk (the very first thing you have to do is cross the above mentioned Route 1).
If you want urban, I’d go with either UMN or UWMadison. And if Minnesota decided to devote more resources to their university system, then it’s an easy decision: UMN.
^^ There has been significant development of the US1 corridor outside the campus. New condos and shops present a more pedestrian friendly atmosphere. It’s better than before but still not comparable to the other big schools.
(UGA grad here) UGA is an excellent academic university set in the quintessential college town. If you are looking for a bustling urban center, you won’t find it in Athens. What you will find is a smaller city catering to students immediately adjacent to the campus.
I have lived in the far north for many years and I am originally from Maryland. Maryland definitely has it over MN and WI for weather. Maryland does give you easy access to not just DC but the entire Eastern Seaboard. Cheap flights, train fares and bus rides to NYC, Florida, Philadelphia, etc. Probably the best selection of international flights because you have the international community and three major airports: BWI, Reagan, and Dulles.
Madison is famous for quality of life excepting the weather. Minneapolis is a very cutting edge city but again, the weather!
I don’t think you should worry about rankings at this point. You will have a marketable degree from any of the institutions you mentioned and the differences are minimal.
Net cost after scholarships is a good deciding point if you’re mostly sitting on the fence.