Student Profile
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- Class: Sophomore
- Major: Economics
- Gender: F
- High School: Eleanor Roosevelt HS-- greenbelt, MD
- Transfer Student: Y
Big Picture
UMBC is a fairly quiet, suburban campus. It's good for people who want a medium size research institution, people who live near baltimore and want to stay close to home, and commuters. Much of the population commutes. Even though it's quiet, people still drink and party, but there are no huge on-campus parties. Walk off campus and you will find the blue collar town of Catonsville, but Baltimore is about 15 minutes up 695. It's also one of the most racially diverse schools you will find, but that is probably due to its location.
Academic Life
Most of my professors have been very helpful and taught at the pace of the class. However, a lot of professors are part time or not fully tenured, so do not expect to become familiar with your entire department quickly. People who come here tend to be either highly intelligent or average, so there is a lot of variation in class stimulation. One thing that is very advantageous is that the school tailors the curriculum of its programs to the demands of the local economy. For example, a new certificate was recently added which combines accounting and information systems. It was added specifically because there are a lot of jobs for people with those qualifications. For the most part, the focus of the classes is to help you get hired after you graduate.
Student Body
UMBC is extremely laid back. There is so much diversity that it's impossible not to fit in. Most students come from Maryland, but since each county is fairly unique, there are many different socioeconomic backgrounds. If you don't know how varied Maryland is, ask someone from PG county what they think of Montgomery county, or ask someone from Anne Arundel county what they think of the eastern shore. Most people here tend to be science majors, but you can easily find arts, humanties, math, and business type majors.
The Best Things
It prepares you for real success after college (if you work hard)
The Worst Things
Not in a "college town"
