<p>why penn state why not umd or rutgers</p>
<p>even if you are thinking abut going there tell me why? i will not judge :)</p>
<p>Simple - because rutgers and umd didn’t have the program DS wanted.</p>
<p>school spirit. You can’t get much better than psu when it comes to school spirit. Academics at psu are probably just as good if not better there than at umd and rutgers</p>
<p>I hated our Rutgers tour. Have to keep on the list as a safety but would not be happy if ds has to go there. Five campuses intersected by a highway, five diff student unions, dorms…a lot of kids go home weekends. Buses needed to go from one class at one campus to another…questionable neighborhood.</p>
<p>Rutgers was in-state for me. I thought the campus was “ghetto”. The tour bus literally drove past some run down houses with drunk people wandering in the streets during a WEEKDAY. I mean the area looked seedy. Plus, there’s a river that separates the campus. The campus is too chopped up and too far apart to walk. I just didn’t like it. I thought the academic programs were average. PSU has more research and stronger faculty in comparison, as well as a much nicer campus, better career placement, and a larger alumni network. There’s more of a “wow” effect with PSU than Rutgers.</p>
<p>Can’t speak for UMD, though.</p>
<p>My daughter is considering UMd and PSU. We are from Mass and both UMd and PSU have the programs she wants - I’m pretty sure Rutgers doesn’t. PSU was far down on her list until we visited and then it shot right to the top.</p>
<ol>
<li> Campus is very attractive to her with its mix of modern and traditional architecture.</li>
<li> She was able to meet with the department heads for two different programs and both professors were engaging, intelligent and really interested in what they are doing. Both programs are highly ranked (whereas the dept head for an unnamed school was bored, boring and frankly, kind of a creep)</li>
<li> She wants a big school in a rural/small town area - not a city. She loved the surrounding area at PSU.</li>
<li>The alumni who were staffing the Spend a Summer Day program were so proud of their affliation with PSU it was infectious. She was charmed by them - like having a 100 grandparents.</li>
<li>The price is still reasonable for OOS compared to private schools.</li>
<li>She loves sports.</li>
<li>Knows other kids who go there and who love it.</li>
<li>She knows Mom and Dad fully support her applying there - we loved it too.</li>
<li>Study abroad programs for her degree are very exciting and relevant.</li>
<li>Academically its a good match for her</li>
</ol>
<p>UMd we haven’t visited but she is likely to apply and we’ll visit later. I have been to the school and wasn’t impressed but that was years ago and she’ll have to make up her own mind.</p>
<p>UMD is a good school, but surrounding area - Prince George’s County is not the greatest. I feel very comfortable with my child at PSU.</p>