UMBC versus UMCP - what's the difference?

umcp11
Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:51:47 +0000

“Remember, Johns Hopkins is a small school and out ranks both.”

And outprices both. There’s no way in heck a lot of families in MD would pay for JHU, though UMBC and UMCP are quite affordable (UMBC more so).

As a student who went to a competitive public HS in MD (many kids off to UMBC, UMCP, or more prestigious privates, including Ivies)…

UMBC was NOT considered a “Tier III school.” It was NOT considered the “worse” school academically in the way Towson, Salisbury, Frostburg, etc. were, though it is slightly less desirable than UMCP (uglier campus, less sports, less traditional college feel overall) and therefore easier to get into.

People in MD generally see UMBC and UMCP as simply two different options - different playing fields in the same league, if you will. UMBC is smaller, “nerdier” (i.e. not an insane house/frat party scene, lots of foreign kids, lots of kids on scholarships, chess champions, smaller sports scene, etc.), and yes, somewhat more “commuter”…and commuter in a sense that there were a lot of money-conscious people saving up for med school (it gives more scholarships, its tuition is slightly lower, etc), not in a sense that it was a “bad” school only for locals or something. In recent years they’ve been trying to shed the commuter image, and are building more dorms…but it still in no way compares to CP, which has a ridiculous amount of “on campus” life. I think the characterization of UMBC has being a hub for life-sciences/premed/etc. is accurate, too.

While I would generally prefer the “nerdy” “small school” vibe, UMBC was unfortunately just too commuter /feeling/ to me, even though I know a lot of kids stay on campus and I am sure you find your friends and niche among your neighbors. UMCP just has so much life and activity to it, and you feel like the world is in front of you standing on the hilltop in front of Memorial Chapel…not so in UMBC’s office park campus haha…but I had many friends who chose UMBC over CP but were NOT poor students in the slightest, especially those who graduated HS early, were offered big scholarships, etc.

And there ya go…