<p>Rabban, such rankings mask a lot of important information. Try getting an engineering degree at St. Mary’s. My main point here is that UMBC performs well above its general reputation in the sciences and engineering. I’ll wager that UMCP and UMBC are roughly equal in terms of the quality of their undergraduate engineering programs. And for non-extroverts, the campus life/social scene is much better here.</p>
<p>Money is a major consideration. If you’re an above-average student, you stand an excellent chance of getting a full scholarship here. UMCP is not that way at all. My best friend (1510 SAT, 3.8, etc.) applied to CP and was offered $5,000 or so. UMBC gave us full rides as “University Scholars.” We were accepted into the Honors program and coddled practically to death as freshman. You won’t get that at CP.</p>
<p>LakeWashington is right. Biology/biochemistry/molecular biology are lavishly funded and perform students very well for higher study. I don’t know about CP’s biology program, but I do know that top students who picked UMBC over the Ivies are routinely cut down to size in the upper-level courses–I’ve seen it happen first-hand. Watching a 4.0 student’s response to a 50% score on a plant biology exam is a sight to behold.</p>