<p>(Alumnus)
Maryland is beautiful. It’s a large land grant state research university, plenty of open spaces, yet located inside the DC beltway. Look at it on satellite photos and maps, note the scale, compare to other schools. College Park (bars, restaurants) is walking distance, right off campus, and has a suburb feel. They also have a free (for students) local bus service running from campus to all around the area, and a Metro station (probably outside walking distance for most people) if you want to the Green Line downtown and see the museums and monuments on the National Mall.</p>