<p>I would personally choose UMD. I mean … it’s in the DC area. And there is a huge Maryland base there. </p>
<p>Columbus isn’t the 5th largest metro area, it’s something like the 25th, and not the biggest metro area in the state. And while there is a big government presence in Columbus, it’s still essentially small time. I mean, comparing Columbus politics to DC politics is like comparing your local theater troop to the shows on Broadway. </p>
<p>I thought Maryland’s library was fantastic, BTW. And the campus is also terrific. College Park, not so nice.</p>
<p>I think you can a good education at OSU, though. And if you’re from DC then you’ve probably already seen it all, so Columbus could be a good change. Columbus is very cheap–a whole lot cheaper than DC. You will save money by living in Columbus (unless you plan to live at home with your parents to attend UMD).</p>
<p>Being in honors will give you more access to professors than you would have not being in honors. </p>
<p>If I were you, I would talk to alumni from both institutions who are doing what you want to do and see how they got there. Carefully evaluate UMD and OSU for their internships and their placement record for jobs and internships. And really dig into this info–don’t just buy into what the schools are spewing. You might even want to ask how many people <em>don’t</em> get jobs and internships. </p>
<p>Sometimes, though, I don’t think that distance or location matters for summer internships. I managed to get an internship in DC despite going to school far away from DC. And I managed to work in DC after graduating despite not going to school in DC. But my job was secured mainly through experience, not through alumni connections or anything (alumni network was useless for me personally). </p>