The University of Baltimore

UMBC is opportunity lacking. You'll come into the school with hopes and dreams of how great college will be...and after a couple of months you'll either realize 1) you made a bad decision or 2) this was the best you could get into so you have to suck it up.

The education is lacking here in the math/science department. The professors exams are either not really reflecting of the student body's capilibility or students are just not studying and failing out of college.

I got tired of going to every single one of my upper level math courses just plotting a course through the boring textbooks. UMBC felt like a continuation of high school with fresh new faces that weren't eager to learn.

On social life, this school is probably great if your a girl since the male to female ratio is 65% to 35%. I managed to date quite a lot while I was here but I gotta admit, I think being in the marines will not only let you date more girls but better looking one's too.

In my honest opinion, before you decide to come here, weigh the facts...
If you're just trying to transfer into college park, forgo UMBC...and instead go to your local community college...WAY cheaper and WAY more supportative.

UMCP is cheaper, has stronger academics, and the social life rocks!I transferred to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is great and I almost forgot about UMBC till I found this website. I thought I should at least help people by letting them know what they're getting into.

GOOD: UMBC is great for commuter students who work part/full time and go to school.
BAD: Science professors were horrible esp. Brothers (CHEM), Sokolove (Bio), Lake (Bio), Kramer (Physics), Claasen (Bio). Lectures were unhelpful in their classes. The homework they gave was too easy for exam material, and then they surprised you on exam day with "original" hard problems that poorly reflected their own notes. The averages in intro chem and bio were both below 50%. Chem Lab's average was 44%. If more than half the class is failing the class, that shows there's a problem with the class/teach and not the students.

UMBC is expensive as well. Its the most expensive in-state school here in MD. GO TO UMCP instead!!

When you're not studying for your course work here, there's nothing to do on campus!! My local community college offers more to do than this school. UMBC feels like a community college except its a lot more diverse with plenty of foreigners from africa.

The male to female ratio is horrible as well 65/35. Not to mention, mostly males live on campus. Only 24% of the student body lives on campus, and even w/in that number a lot of students go home on the weekends because its so boring here.

More advice on academics --> a lot of students in my genetics classes and cell biology classes were 3 or 4 times retakers of the class! UMBC advocates a policy that if you don't get above a C the first time, take and take again. Less than 50% graduate within 6 years!

Social life cont. --> with nothing to do, most students resort to doing drugs and partying with the few students who remain on campus.

Everyone here wants to go to med school --> SADLY --> only 2% of UMBC students per year make it into a med school. That's horribly low for 12,000 students (undergrad and grad combined).

I'm transferring out to a school in New York. I can't wait. I feel like I just graduated from high school again --> UMBC has taught me nothing. I'll be leaving a bunch of friends behind but UMBC will never be a memory worth remembering, more or less a NIGHTMARE!

I'll be heading to University of Rochester next year (06-07). I had to beg them to get in there. The irony is is that they gave me a full scholarship the first time too. Its sooooo much harder to get in once you GPA drops and "high school" no longer matters! I'll be leaving UMBC with a 3.2. I was rejected at UofR the first year of college (after attending UMBC) b/c I had a 2.9. Don't make my mistake, SECOND CHANCES DON'T COME EASY! DON'T GO HERE!