The University of Baltimore
“I transferred from a top 5 liberal artsNot so brightLanguage - French/Spanish/etc.
I transferred from a top 5 liberal arts college to UMBC, and I must say, UMBC is a third tier school with first tier quality education. It is an up and coming school, and in forty years or so, it will be quite a competitor for College Park. Aesthetically, it is clean and there are lovely lakes, and although the buildings are not very appealing, the learning that goes on inside of them is fruitful. The library is huge and imposing, and even has a special collections section with rare books.
Safety? This school is located a bit far from Baltimore City, so you won't have to worry about the safety issues that students at a school like Johns Hopkins or University of Maryland, Baltimore would. Catonsville, MD is a quiet suburban neighborhood and I felt safe the entire time I was at UMBC. Of course, one should not take things for granted and neglect to use common sense. There have been cases of robberies, but usually these were due to carelessness and not locking the door.
The students are well fed (the food is spectacular with commercial and non commercial foods, as well as steak and lobster nights). Many dorms are new and wonderfully maintained but the older dorms could use some updating. Everyone has cable TV including HBO in his/her room as well as high speed internet. Some dorms do not have wireless (the older ones usually) but internet service is consistent.
Please realize that this is not a party school. If you want parties, go to College Park. If you want to study hard all the time, and party occasionally, go to UMBC.
Professors here are dedicated and although you'll meet an occasional bad egg (I had the luxury of having professors who were all kind), they are extremely helpful and accessible. UMBC gets a bad rap because College Park is down the road, but really, it attracts a different clientèle. The people who come to UMBC tend to be more ethnically diverse (hailing from numerous countries around the world) and are interested in the sciences, such as engineering and biology. The majority of students here are extremely bright and open-minded. Many go on to the top Ivies and win prestigious merit scholarships. This is not a school to be sniffed at.
The downside of the school is of course its reputation when compared to College Park, but really, it is nothing that time can't heal (UMBC was founded in 1966). The buildings could be a bit more attractive. Generally, I would recommend this school to people who want to study engineering, natural sciences and computer science. The arts at this school shouldn't be ignored; they are a bit ostracized, but you'll find professors who are truly dedicated and students that have gone on to work for the top federal agencies in the U.S., as well as become established artists.I enjoyed my time at UMBC. The only thing I have to worry about is explaining to people that I didn't go to that pesky College Park. But in a way, I'm glad that I chose UMBC over College Park. We're the quieter, more assiduous campus.
view full review→Nov 11 2008
3rd Year Female -- Class 2008
Scholastic Success: A+, Campus Aesthetics: F
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“Certificate programs do not mean you receive aPsychology
Certificate programs do not mean you receive a certificate (Personnel and Industrial Psych), you just get a notation on your transcript. Concentrations, at least in psych, do give you a certificate but no notation on your transcript. Also, watch out for UMBC not checking your grades for your last semester (even over a month after grades were posted, which are generally delayed anyways) and declaring that you had not gotten all the credits you needed and that you must not have wanted to graduate.
Advisors aren't that helpful, nor do they give you the correct or right advice - take what they say with a grain of salt and check other sources.There are research opportunities on campus - take advantage of them.
view full review→May 29 2008
Alumnus Male -- Class 2000
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“SOCIAL LIFE- Alot of people here commute, but not as many aBrightSocial Work
SOCIAL LIFE- Alot of people here commute, but not as many as some people here are reporting. It used to be an all commuter school but now alot more people are living on campus. Kids at UMBC are notoriously smart and in general smart kids dont party as hard. The fact that you are reading this review means that you are interested, and you are probably above average in intelligence. At UMBC, the parties are on the weekends, while at other universities, they are on random weekdays and such. There are parties, and I LOVE to party, but the course load here is difficult and you cant succeed and party every night at UMBC. People are very friendly here. I never feel like there are any kind of cliques or groups or anything.
DIVERSITY- There are ALOT of foreign kids. And its really fun. They love to meet Americans and make friends and its really fun to party and learn with people from other countries. Yeah, there are alot of Asians that people tease UMBC about, but the Asians are nice and smart so if you need help, well, I always ask an Asian friend.
ACADEMICS- Yeah this isnt my forte for I am kind of a slacker, but know that the classes are def. harder than at alot of other schools. You have to be ready to get into the habit of studying alot but you get a really great education. Most of my teachers are friendly and helpful.
DORMS- The dorms are pretty nice. 4 people share one bathroom as opposed to a whole hall. If something breaks, it gets fixed pretty much right away. There are some really really nice dorms that are like suites for the upperclassmen and there are some apartments. The apartments arent in the best shape but they are still good in size and are like a little town. Its so much fun to just party hop and not have to walk far at all! There are really nice apartments that cost a bit more but are like living in a real apartment. They are for Juniors and Seniors. And if you want to live off campus, there are alot of very cheap places to rent.
AREA- It is pretty safe here because the "loop", the road that circles the campus, keeps the bad guys out. The surrounding neighborhoods are pretty crime free. Baltimore is close but its down the highway so safety isnt really an issue. Baltimore has alot of bars, clubs, and other cool stuff to do. There are shuttles so you can go there on the weekends.
CONS- UMBC kind of expects everyone to well, behave all of the time. College kids get rowdy and UMBC has little tolerance for deviance. Sometimes the cops let you get away with things more than other times, so its hard to say. They do their job and are overall pretty fair. RESlife, the housing authority, is pretty strict, for example they have been spotted sniffing random rooms for weed smells, yelling at people for not being 20 feet away from the building smoking, etc.
SPORTS- The basketball team is good and the games are fun, as is the lax team, but the rest kind of suck. Its not a big sports school. There are alot of intermural and club sports that are alot of fun to get into.
FOOD- Everyone rags on the food but its really not that bad. They are getting a new and apparently better food service next year, but as for now I dont mind it. College food isnt going to be wonderful anyway, at least they have alot of different places and things to choose from. Breakfast is really good and alot of food is cooked fresh and in front of you. Next year, they will have a Chick-Fila!
CAMPUS- Its nice and small and so beautiful. Its also very well maintained and its not uncommon to spot random kids sleeping in the grass on a nice day because, well, the grass is soft. It doesnt take you an hour to walk to class either.
WARNING: Freshmen CAN have a car on campus but they make you park in a Satellite lot that is not within walking distance so you have to take a bus that takes 35 minutes to get you there. Also, there is really no room to slack off here, as I have learned the hard way. If you want a smaller, tight knit school, UMBC is for you. People here are kind and the education is great. Honestly, if you have a degree from UMBC, you can probably get any job you want. E-mail me if you want more info!! x0x0
view full review→May 15 2008
1st Year Female -- Class 2011
Individual Value: A, University Resource Use/ spending: F
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