Asking for a friend of mine who isn't very internet savy... Every school has their "we are awesome" website and talks about how awesome they are as a school.(much like army recruiting comercials, everybody gets to drive a tank and jump out of aircraft while smiling...)

What is the real deal? is it worth the 30K per year out of state tuition? How is the area, does the average person need Kevlar, a benchmade(if legal), and a large can of mace, or is it utopia land?

which campus, and no i am not an alum

Dad worked for UMD hospital for 30 years & I have no student loan debt as a result (thanks dad!  RIP).

I did not attend undergrad at U. MD's main campus in "college park."

The reputation back when I was in HS (mid 80s) was:

- UMD was a huge "diploma mill" with more than 30,000 undergrads back then (surely bigger now).  It was huge.  

Back then, the basic freshman "101" classes were held in auditoriums with 100 to 300 students.   Later classes were smaller.  

The impression was it was a big anonymous party school.  

Also, College Park is not the safest area in my opinion; others might disagree.

i will admit to living near umes.
they wont even allow students to take book bags into the book store

dont ask about other things, just read the local news

UMCP is  not in a great area but its also not in a terrible area. Though I do remember someone getting shot in the butt while they were laying in bed, shot came from outside his room.

I think things started to really change around 1998-99 when for the incoming fall freshman class at college park needed  a really good SAT and GPA. To this day  they have required a high level , from their website :

But I remember people who graduated in the 80's say it was a total joke .

A few people I know just went to community college, did "ok" , got in and graduated with a Maryland Degree.

Technically I'm an alumni.  After two full time semesters and two part time semesters, I wasted money on partying and realizing I had no interest in school at that time.  25 years later, I now work just down the road in scenic Langley Park.  A wonderful Mecca for MS13.  While the heart of College Park right by the campus is relatively safe, it is in PG County and a stones throw from the crime haven known as our country's capital.  While they continually are building up the area to improve it, it is apparent that the college is more interested in making money than education.  As the warm weather gets here, the streets will be alive with college kids partying through the block of bars and streets of frats and sororities.  From my own experience, to what I see now, it's a party school masquerading as a state college.  Save money, two years at community college, then adjust fire accordingly.

I went to the community college for my first two years, then jumped to  UoMd University College (UMUC), it's the satellite campus version of UoMD. Never lived on campus, only took one class at College Park so I have nothing to say about that part of it.

Lol, I went when tuition was $1500 per YEAR!
And even then, I got 60 credits first at a CC ' cause it was much cheaper.

Not a fan.

I went there but was 25 years ago. Don't remember much.

$1 pitchers of Bud at The Vous???

I am attending UMUC, do i count as an alumni?

I'm a TERP alum!

I graduated in 1979, I like to tell young people what it cost back then. It makes them cry.