<p>I plan on majoring in political science or public policy so that I can go to law school, or work for the government. I hear that if you go to michigan undergrad its easier to get into their law school, I havn’t heard of that about Maryland though… So which would be better for law school or job opportunities in government or lobbying?</p>
<p>So my tuition is covered at Michigan, but i would have to pay for room and board and stuff like that, so like 10,000 extra per year (unless I move off campus or into a frat)… But at Maryland I got everything covered from scholarships and aid grants.</p>
<p>Me as a person I’m really outgoing and I don’t want to be studying all the time, I love watching sports and do like the occasional crazy parties, and would like a place that would accommodate that with a fun college town.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Michigan, but I can give you the Maryland side of it.
Maryland is on the DC Metro. You are a metro ride away from Washington DC for internships etc.
Maryland is the only school rated as both a top party school by Princeton Review, and a top twenty public school by us news. Also the school spirit when it comes to sports is insane.
Some people do think College Park isn’t a good college town, but the campus has so much to offer that I don’t see this as much of a problem.</p>
<p>Um…I’m obviously biased (and since this is posted on the UMD site, I assume most would agree), how much better could it be to go to school near Washington D.C. if you want to go into politics or government? I think students at all the D.C. area schools have a huge advantage in that there are so many options so close, and many of the UMD profs work with governmental agencies, as well. (NASA in Greenbelt was one of the deciding factors for D1 to choose UMD…and she started working there her 2nd week as a college sophomore.) She has several friends that are staying in town this summer and working in government agencies in D.C., in several areas of study, including public affairs/political stuff.</p>
<p>Michigan is a fine school, but if you do well at UMD (i.e. good gpa, great relationships with professors who get to know you well – which occurred Freshman year for my D!), you’ll have a fine basis to apply to any law school, plus the odds of getting an awesome internship (or just part time job in a related-field while you go to school) is much, much easier. Add in that it’s cheaper, and I can’t imagine why there is any question! (but, I’m biased!!! 2nd D will be headed there in the fall, and we are OOS).</p>
<p>It is possible, as the DC agencies look countrywide, but there’s a lot to be said about the “connections” between the university, the faculty, and the outside agencies. Also, it’s possible to get your foot in the door via a part-time position while you’re taking classes, that can lead to summer or semester-long internships. I’m sure that D’s recommendations from a prof and her advisor, both with working ties to NASA, really helped her.</p>
<p>Astrophysicsmom,what is your daughter’s major, if I might ask?</p>
<p>My son once wanted to major in astrophysics. He now wants to major in BME.</p>
<p>I think he would love to do an internship at NASA, if that’s possible as a BME. </p>
<p>Does your daughter intern at the NASA building across from the Residence Inn near the mall? We stayed there last summer, and son loved the breakfast at the downstairs shop in the NASA building.</p>
<p>What a trip if he got to work there one day!</p>
<p>This is not true. A good portion of Maryland students are *******s when it comes to athletics. You would not believe the hate and bashing people like Greivis get from clueless morons. Those who don’t scan-and-leave attend games not to support the kids representing their school but to take stupid pictures to put on facebook. No joke, I saw a picture of a Maryland student flipping the bird at GV. He puts in the energy and passion for his team and his coach and this is what he gets, while lazy bums who don’t practice (Braxton, Goins) get a pass because they’re “nice guys.”</p>
<p>hahahaha, WHOA dude i’m gonna have to say that is the class-less minority, no one i know would ever consider flipping off grievis, obvi he’s great at basketball, but ur crazy if you think braxton doesn’t practice, i’m pretty sure the whole team has to practice if they want their scholarships, and why would they not be trying their best? Vasquez is a pretty high standard to compare the rest of the team to, they are all really strong players, they’re at a division 1 school. And yes, some people scan and leave, but comcast is still pretty full most games, and for big basketball games, some people are turned away, so I would say school spirit is pretty strong. And we even have the Crew for soccer, so we support all our Terps, not just basketball and football, which is another example of school spirit. So… yes, sometimes CP fans get a little rowdy, but its the exception, not the rule, and thats not a fair measure of whether or not we have school spirit.</p>
<p>Michigan has a better reputation overall. But honestly, law school admissions are almost point and shoot GPA+LSAT combo, or so I’ve heard. So going to MD is NOT going to hurt your chances in the slightest because of it’s reputation, as it is still a top 20 public school and is well-known for the rigor of its gov and poli sci program. I think saving 10,000/yr is a big deal, considering law school is notoriously expensive. $10,000 per yr is approaching half of your law school tuition…this shouldn’t be taken lightly! In that way MD may increase your options for life after undergrad, as you will be less constrained by finances. Finally, although you can receive internships in DC while in Michigan as well as relevant law/poli sci experience outside of DC, again the proximity isn’t to be taken lightly, as you can more easily get involved during the yr (MD has special internship programs/tracks in which you can take a special class+get an internship) and the connections your profs have.</p>
<p>I’ve heard both good and bad things about the gov school at MD. It’s notoriously bloated/overcrowded, things are hard to get done (advising quality is not good, etc.). One kid who I think is particularly smart said the gov school brainwashes you to be “liberal centrists” (which I take to mean most profs are basically centrist with a slight leftist lean). Therefore there is a lack of “radical” profs in the department. Take that as a good thing or bad thing. However, I think the kids in the gov school are generally smarter and more involved than the avg. Maryland student, putting you in with a pretty good peer class. And of the three government classes that I’ve taken, I’ve enjoyed every single one of them and felt adequately challenged in them (this requires some searching around on ratemyprof/upperclassmen opinions tho). </p>
<p>Finally, UMD is definitely a school where you can relax and have a good time at sports/parties/etc. But it’s also a school where you can get carried away…a lot of smart kids do! So be careful!</p>
<p>(Plus I mean dislike of a good player 'cause of his perceived reputation as a jerk doesn’t indicate a dislike of athletics/lack of school spirit. It just means UMD kids aren’t all about skill on the field/dedication to athletics, they care about character, too! Now flipping off a guy 'cause of stuff you “heard” about him is kinda ridiculous if you don’t know him personally, but I think that just contributes to the idea that athletes here have kind of a “celebrity” status - for better or for worse.)</p>