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.
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