火爆社区

The University of Maryland, College Park, is a vibrant public research university located just a short drive from Washington, D.C. Here, undergraduates can explore over 100 majors or create their own through the Individual Studies Program. Many choose UMD for its "top-notch honors program," impressive engineering school, "nationally recognized business program," political science department, and "top-ranked criminology program." They also appreciate the numerous "high-level courses taught by the nation's top researchers." For students looking to broaden their horizons, UMD offers nearly 300 study abroad programs. In these inclusive programs, Education Abroad Advisors offer resources and support for all students, including LGBTQ+ students, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and students of color. The campus is continually improving, and as one student says, "The administration shows a desire to always upgrade facilities." This includes improvements to the "tremendous business school" as well as the engineering building that opened in 2022. Overall, students find that the University of Maryland, College Park, offers "a great experience with a variety of opportunities that are what you make of them." As one student sums it up, "This school gives you a great education for a really cheap price."

Students describe the UMD as "an especially diverse school," noting that this diversity encourages their peers to be "more tolerant and accepting of people from different backgrounds and cultures." One student shares, "Coming from a very diverse area, I thought it was going to be hard to find a school that had that same representation of minority and atypical students until I found Maryland. I don't think I have ever learned so much about different religions, cultures, orientations, or lifestyles. All of them are accepted and even celebrated." Students also highlight that "there is no 'typical' student here. Everyone will find that they can fit in somewhere." The community is inclusive, as one student explains, "The different groups are very accepting of other groups. Students in Greek life are just as accepting of students in non-Greek life. Athletes blend in with non-athletes," adding, "UMD provides a great environment for students to meet people they would normally not know and helps to provide great connections with these people."

鈥淟ife at UMD is awesome,鈥� and students love living on 鈥渙ne of the country鈥檚 most beautiful campuses.鈥� Many choose to live in the optional living-learning communities, which are organized around different academic interests. This setup allows students to live and attend classes together, which helps 鈥渕ake the gigantic campus [feel] much smaller鈥� and fosters a great sense of community. When students want to venture off campus, 鈥渢he proximity to D.C. makes clubbing, nights out on the town, and general visits to D.C. frequent.鈥� Not having a car is not an obstacle because the 鈥渂us transportation around campus provided by the university is great.鈥� On campus, there are plenty of exciting activities, from 鈥渟chool-sponsored parties [and] games鈥� to over 800 student clubs to join. The student union is 鈥渓oaded with fun places like the arcade area [and] bowling alley,鈥� as well as 鈥渢ons of places to eat.鈥� For those interested in staying active, there鈥檚 a 鈥渃ampus recreation center that has virtually everything you could wish for, including pools, an extensive gym, a rock wall, squash courts, [and] an indoor track.鈥� The Division 1 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams are especially popular, and 鈥渢here are always open games of soccer, football, or ultimate Frisbee being played on the mall and elsewhere.鈥� As one student says, 鈥淵ou can never get bored because there is always something to do鈥� at UMD! With all of these activities available, it鈥檚 no wonder that students say, 鈥淭he social life at UMD is unsurpassed.鈥�

The President's Promise initiative is the cornerstone of UMD's career philosophy, which focuses on helping students to articulate classroom learning in real-world settings. In cooperation with the comprehensive University Career Center, President's Promise connects students with career exposure and experiential learning opportunities (internships, job shadowing, service learning, study abroad, and research) in ways that complement the academic curriculum. One program, the Bright Futures Fund, supports unpaid interns with awards that range from $250 to $1,250. Opportunities to work with nearby federal agencies and labs, such as NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, abound. More than 1,200 employers participate in UMD's career fairs annually or visit for on-campus interviews and networking events. Alumni who visited PayScale.com report a median starting salary of $57,600, and 50 percent derive a high level of meaning from their work.