McDaniel College Info

[lderochi]

Considering adding this to the list of possible schools. Hard to find a lot of information outside of CTCL. The school is mentioned in passing on this board from time to time, but some more detailed information/experiences/impressions would be greatly appreciated. Particularly in the areas of town/gown relations and the econ department. Thanks much.

[jaybee]

I'm an alum, and my son toured there, but did not apply.

The school is on a hill at one end of Westminster, which has turned into an extended Baltimore suburb. It's not really a college town, but is very nice/safe, etc.

The school has remained small since I was there, still mostly all hoursing on campus. Very typical small LAC. My son decided to go to York instead, because of broader majors/course offerings, but I was a fan of McDaniel to the end!

Changed its name from Western Maryland College a few years ago to sound more "private" which it has always been, and was never located in Western Maryland (it was named after the Western Maryland Railroad).

A lot of public schools around Baltimore used to feed into it heavily, but there seems to be much less of that lately. I think that the spread between private college and public college tuition has grown so much as to make it a very expensive alternative.

Any more info I can give you?? (I was an econ major when dinosaurs roamed, and the dept was conservative in a liberal school, but who knows what it's like now)

[OrangeBlossom]

Hi!

My son will be attending McDaniel in the fall 2006 (just couldn't bear to be too far away from home). We've visited twice and had many interactions. If you have specific Qs, you can post them here or PM me.

Campus is really beautiful and growing quickly...they're on a mission. The professors we've encountered were all great people...a mix of younger and older...all very student-focused. For the size of the school, it offers lots of opportunities and majors. Academics are strong...particularly writing requirements and core. School also offers fun, quirky courses...sure to please. Admissions is very helpful. Financial aid has also been helpful; nice aid package. My son will swim for the Green Terror...their head coach is absolutely the best person in the world. The campus is very friendly. While I understand the bar is set fairly high, there is a great deal of support available to students. The library is great; the freshman male dorm is being remodeled, and much other construction is going on. The athletic facilities are being upgraded substantially and due for opening fall 2006. A new natatorium is in the plan for the next few years.

I understand that town/gown is just fine. Westminster is a nice small town. Don't know much about the econ department, but I'll try to find out some info for you from son's contacts there.

Hope this helps.

[lderochi]

OB I'll PM you. What happened to Lenoir-Rhyne? Distance from home?

I appreciate the feedback. I've only recently started looking at McDaniel, but I like what I see so far. At least enough to make the visit, probably combined with Bridgewater in Virginia.

Unusual nickname -- sounds like one of those trendy new names, but my understanding is that it's from the '30s.

[jaybee]

The team name is ancient. Something attributed to a visiting team that said "they came at us like a bunch of green terrors" or something like that--right out of the 20s or 30s