<p>I took my daughter to visit University of Maryland College Park today. The campus is beautiful, but it’s huge. It confirmed for her that she does not want to attend a big “rah-rah” state school. She actually preferred Towson, which is smaller and in a nicer location. She will probably still apply to both, but is more interested in the city schools on her list.<br>
I realized after we left that we never saw the Hillel building on our 90 minute tour. I think it’s on the perimeter of the campu.</p>
<p>Excellent article, RM…thanks for sharing. It’s nice to know I’m pretty much on the same page with a lot of the expert advice out there, but it sure is scary too, navigating this for the first time. I thought Junior year was intense! Senior year looks pretty stressful too. And now I have S2 in his freshman year. It’s really amazing how quickly the time flies by.</p>
<p>momjr - glad you visited UMDCP - even if it confirmed that it was too big - many wonderful things about the university - it’s just the size and off campus housing/bad surrounding neighborhoods that bother me.</p>
<p>We were so pleasantly surprised by Towson. Liked the size and appearance of the campus and the surrounding area very much. Would like to visit again - will probably do a senior open house day next fall.</p>
<p>Momjr and others: I agree that UMDCP is very big. However, keep in mind that UMDCP has some unique majors. I suggest that your D look very carefully at the long list of majors before completely eliminating UMDCP.</p>
<p>Second, if anyone here looks at the Wall Street Journal article (see the recent discussion on CC), UMDCP was ranked highly as one of the top schools that recruiters go to for job interviews. In this economy, this is a real plus, especially for in state students.</p>
<p>Many people here rave about the Hillel and Jewish resources at UMDCP.</p>
<p>Despits these pluses, we also prefer the smaller (though not small school) size and location of Towson. I just think UMDCP is not to be eliminated, unless you think big size/location will not be best for your child.</p>
<p>RM and Mdcissp: I agree with you both about UMCP and Towson. My daughter still plans to apply to UMCP, but I doubt that she’ll go there. We know many kids who attend and love it. In terms of majors, her current interest is mass communication, and while Maryland has an excellent journalism school, they don’t have a mass communication major. She agreed that the campus was pretty, but she was turned off by the surrounding area. Her older sister attends Penn, and she is smitten with the idea of attending college in a city. I think that Maryland is a great option for kids who want a big school, sports oriented experience.</p>
<p>Momjr: May I ask what other schools are you considering?</p>
<p>Mdcissp: Her current list is AU, BU, NYU, Northeastern, UMCP, Towson and Pitt. She did a summer program at BU and really loved it, so that’s her top choice at the moment. She’s a little worried about being a plane ride away from home. We’re planning to go back to American next week to check it out again. It was one of the first schools we visited.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that we have visited 10 schools in the past year, she’s considering applying to two (NE and Pitt) that we never visited. Right now she’s trying to decide whether to apply to BU early decision. It would really relieve the stress for the rest of senior year, but it’s a big decision.</p>
<p>Momjr: Northeastern is right across the street from BU! Too bad that when your D was there this summer that she didn’t visit. BU is all concrete sidewalks, no grass. In the middle of the city for sure. NE is also smack in the middle of the city, but with patches of grass.</p>
<p>We saw Pitt last year when we toured CMU. Pittsburgh is a nice city for college students. Pitt looked great. We also went inside the Hillel building that is for CMU/Pitt students and it was wonderful.</p>
<p>My S1 did a program at NYU last summer. He decided after that he did not want to attend a college in the city. That being said, he loved that experience. Boston is much smaller than NYC… we have a friend who got into BU ED and is loving it there.</p>
<p>Did your D look into Syracuse Newhouse School? I guess that’s not really “city” enough?</p>
<p>Good luck!
PS: We have 10 schools on our list and one ED…it’s nerve wracking!</p>
<p>chocchipcookie: My daughter planned to see NE while she was in Boston, but never got there. (I think it’s a sign of how much she loved BU). My husband and I did drive over to look at the campus after we dropped her off, and while it had more of a campus than BU, the surrounding area wasn’t as nice. While the co-op program is very practical, I’m not sure that my daughter wants to work for six months while she’s in college.</p>
<p>We had planned to visit Pitt, but had to cancel due to a conflict. It sounds like a good fit for her, although they don’t have a journalism or mass communication major. </p>
<p>We visited Syracuse, which looked like a great fit on paper. She hated it! She said that it had all the disadvantages of a city without being in a nice city. She’s not passionate enough about her choice of major to pick a school just for that. She’s seen a lot of her sister’s friends change majors. It’s also difficult to get to from our home. There are no non-stop flights from our closest airport. </p>
<p>Good luck to your child. It is nerve wracking!</p>
<p>chocchip - I don’t want to split hairs, but BU does have green space: the entire park along the Charles River. I certainly agree that they both are great options for having the “city school” experience. I just don’t want people thinking it’s urban the way Roosevelt/Depaul are in Chicago, or NYU (I call those “storefront” city schools - BU has more of a sense of “place,” in my opinion).</p>
<p>I haven’t toured Pitt but saw it when we went to CMU, and that part of Pittsburgh seems like a terrific place to be in a city school. </p>
<p>And I also agree that any of these cities are a whole different category than going to school in Manhattan - my D loves cities but felt Manhattan (or the Chicago Loop) would be too much. Her first choice is BU, too.</p>
<p>EmmyBet: I’m sure you’re right re: BU having green space. Honestly, I’ve driven by it many times but not actually taken a tour. It appears to have many buildings all in a row along the sidewalk, but there must be green spaces in back too.</p>
<p>Momjr: There is also Emerson College in the middle of Boston, too, however it’s much more specialized. So, if there is a chance your D will switch majors, it sounds like she’d be better off at a univ. that has many diverse majors.</p>
<p>Maybe both your D’s will get into BU and meet up with each other!</p>
<p>BU does seem to be a matter of taste. A lot of people are put off by the tall buildings and busy street running down the middle. My daughter loved it. She says that she grew up with grass and trees and is ready to live in a city. There are some green areas and the river views are pretty, but there is a highway between the campus and the river. </p>
<p>Choc: My daughter did consider Emerson, but as you said the majors are limited, and she’s really undecided at this point. I think it would be too small for her, also.</p>
<p>Emmybet: It would be cool if our daugthers both ended up at BU. It looks like you’re a lot further away from Boston than we are.</p>
<p>My S, who is a junior, really loves NYC, and if you asked him right now, he’d say that NYU is the school for him. (Mind you, he has never visited the school and academically, it’s probably out of reach.) He’s a high adrenaline kid who says he’ll be bored by a regular campus. Personally, I feel he would do better at a smaller school outside of the city. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on schools just outside NYC (he doesn’t want to go further than that) where being Jewish (although he will say he is non-believing) would not make him too uncomfortable.
Here are some schools I’ve thought about:
Drew
Hofstra
Manhattanville
Marist (they are trying to start a Hillel there)</p>
<p>Any ideas, anyone?</p>
<p>Actually I grew up in Boston and my family is there. My girls enjoy the idea of going to school there (D1 is at Tufts) because it’s familiar and also new. They were born there, but moved here when they were little.</p>
<p>BU has a lot in common with UW-Madison, actually: city school with a big thoroughfare, and a nice waterfront area to hang out. UW-Madison is a much bigger school; Boston is a much bigger city. But in many ways it’s a similar experience.</p>
<p>Momjr,
If Pitt does not have the desired major, check Temple and Drexel; although the area around them are not as nice Pitt, the city is much larger.
Northeastern is a very good school; its student body may be somewhat different from BU’s as NE stresses its excellent co-op program and BU probably has more kids from affluent NYC suburbs and more liberal arts kids.
NYU’s limited green space is Washington Square Park, small but filled with musicians, magicians and city life.</p>
<p>Psychmom,
Drew is about 45 minutes by train from Manhattan. Very pretty campus in a very affluent, pretty town. The recent alumni I know liked it, but I know a visitor who found the kids rich preppies. It is much stronger in liberal arts than other areas. Fairleigh Dickinson is nearby.
Hofstra is a longer train ride and much larger. Rutgers is a shorter train ride.
I found the Manhattanville admissions staff very unhelpful. It has a large number of foreign students.
I think Marist may be 90 minutes by train. Lovely campus; tough winters; excellent in IT; no longer a Catholic school.</p>
<p>psychmom: Did you look at Baruch College? I don’t know anything about it, but it seems to have a good reputation as a CUNY and the prices are low! I’m sure it’s got to be easier than NYU to get into, and it’s also in NYC.</p>
<p>Rockville Mom and others: Bethesda magazine this month has an article with tables listing the local high schools, how many applied and how many accepted. I think you would find this article very interesting and pertinent to your search.</p>
<p>One interesting thing: Most of the kids who applied to UMBC were accepted. Salisbury was much more competitive with a lower acceptance rate. Not sure if this is something to consider.</p>
<p>Just stumbled across this thread and figured I’d put my 2 cents in. For anyone in NJ, looking for a large rah rah state school I’d recommend Rutgers New Brunswick. Son is a freshman this year and although not particularly religious, he has already been to 3 Hillel events with the many Jewish friends that he has met there. If you check out the Rutgers Hillel website, you’ll get an idea of all the activities they have scheduled.</p>
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<p>Many thanks, yabeyabe2 and chocchipcookie, for your thoughts and suggestions. My S is so not the preppy type, so Drew doesn’t sound like a good idea. Baruch sounds like it will be too Jewish for him. That’s too bad that Manhattanville wasn’t supportive. Out of 50 million colleges, I can’t even up up with a list! </p>
<p>yaya, You mentioned Fairleigh Dickinson…is that a possibility? Also, anyone know if SUNY Purchase or New Paltz would be an idea? </p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>