Univ of Maryland

50天解读50所美国顶尖大学 — 第48天：马里兰大学 (University of Maryland, College Park)

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第48天，我们要来到美国首都华盛顿特区的“后花园”。

这所学校是**“计算机科学 (CS) 界的扫地僧”。虽然它的综合排名通常在40-50名之间震荡，但在CS、人工智能和网络安全领域，它是全美前10**的顶级存在。它是谷歌创始人谢尔盖·布林的母校。

这就是马里兰大学帕克分校 (University of Maryland, College Park, UMD)。

 麦克尔丁广场 (McKeldin Mall)。这是全美最大的大学广场之一，长方形的草坪两侧是壮观的乔治亚风格红砖建筑。尽头是麦克尔丁图书馆，这里是马大的象征。]

学校气质与“人设”

UMD的气质是**“红色的极客战士”**。

  • Fear the Turtle (畏惧这只乌龟)： 这里的吉祥物是一只名叫Testudo的钻纹龟。这句口号霸气侧漏。在UMD，只要你摸一摸Testudo雕像的鼻子，据说考试就能拿A（雕像前经常摆满了学生上供的零食和饮料）。
  • 黑客之都： 由于紧邻DC和国家安全局 (NSA)，UMD是全美网络安全和AI的研究中心。这里的学生穿衣风格很随意（红色的Under Armour是标配，因为老板是校友），但敲起代码来不仅快，而且狠。谷歌创始人谢尔盖·布林就是这里毕业的。
  • 首都后花园： 学校有地铁站直通华盛顿特区。学生们上午在学校上课，下午就能去史密森尼博物馆看展，或者去国会山实习。

UMD偏爱什么样的学生？

  • CS大神： 我必须反复强调，UMD的计算机系是世界级的。它喜欢数学好、逻辑强、对新技术敏感的学生。
  • 犯罪学与商科： 除了工科，UMD的犯罪学 (Criminology) 全美第一；Smith商学院也是被低估的黑马。
  • Living-Learning Programs (LLP)： UMD非常看重 Honors College。如果你被邀请进入其中的 Advanced Cybersecurity 或 Gemstone 项目，那不仅是荣誉，更是顶级资源的入场券。

1. 录取：CS是“限购”的

  • LEP (有限招生项目)： UMD的计算机、商科和工程属于 Limited Enrollment Programs (LEP)。
    • 残酷现实： 这意味着即使你被大学录取了，也不一定能进这些专业。对于想学CS的中国学生，必须在申请时直接作为第一专业录取。如果进去后再想转CS，要求极其苛刻（虽然比华盛顿大学UW好转一点，但也非常难）。
  • EA策略： 必须申请 Early Action (11月1日截止)。UMD 90%以上的名额都是在EA阶段发完的。RD阶段基本是捡漏，机会渺茫。
  • 标化： 建议提交SAT/ACT，尤其是申请LEP专业。

2. “中国圈子”与生活 (图解)

 Iribe中心 (The Iribe Center)。这座由Oculus创始人（校友）捐赠的玻璃大楼是CS学院的新家。它极具未来感，是全美最豪华的计算机教学楼之一。]

  • 生活方式：
    • 吃： 学校周边的College Park正在飞速发展，中餐馆越来越多（川菜、奶茶）。而且开车15分钟就能到Silver Spring或Rockville，那里是马里兰州著名的华人聚集区，早茶和火锅水平极高。
    • 住： 这里的公寓也是最新的，且比DC市区便宜很多。
  • 中国圈子： UMD的中国留学生数量庞大，且研究生和博士生很多（因为科研强）。本科生的圈子也非常活跃。

3. 签证与职业前景 (Cyber Valley)

  • Cyber Valley (网络谷)： 马里兰州被称为美国的网络安全走廊。NSA、CIA、FBI的很多技术部门都在这里。
    • 就业： 虽然有些敏感岗位不招国际生，但周边的科技承包商（如洛克希德马丁、Booz Allen）以及亚马逊HQ2（在弗吉尼亚，离得很近）对UMD的CS毕业生需求巨大。
  • Smith商学院： 在DC地区的认可度极高，尤其是信息系统 (IS) 和商业分析 (BA) 专业，全部是STEM。
  • 科研跳板： 这里的本科生科研机会（REU）非常多，很容易拿到大牛教授的推荐信申请顶级PhD。

4. 安全与环境

  • 安全系数： 3.5/5 (需注意区域)。
  • 现实： 这一点要诚实。College Park所在的乔治王子县 (PG County) 治安口碑一般。
    • 红线： 校园内部极其安全。但出了校门，特别是晚上，建议不要独自步行去偏僻的地方。好在学校有非常密集的NITE Ride校车服务。

5. 奖学金政策

  • 政策： 公立学校 = 无奖学金。
  • 性价比： 州外学费属于公立大学的中等水平（约3.8-4万美元）。考虑到CS专业的就业薪资（起薪中位数极高），UMD的**ROI（投资回报率）**是非常划算的。

给中国申请者的建议 (Verdict)：
如果你想学最顶尖的计算机或AI，但不想去竞争白热化的加州或卡耐基梅隆；如果你看重首都的地理位置和性价比，UMD是完美的“平替”。只要你拿到了CS的直录，这里的教育质量绝对是世界前十的水平。

50 Days of Top US Universities — Day 48: University of Maryland, College Park (UMD)

Location: College Park, Maryland (Suburban) — 20 mins by Metro to the White House
Chinese Nickname: UMD, 马大 (Mǎ Dà), Terps
School Type: Public Research University (Hidden King of CS & AI, Research Hub of the Capital)

McKeldin Mall. One of the largest academic malls in the US. The long rectangular lawn is flanked by majestic Georgian red-brick buildings. At the end stands McKeldin Library, the icon of the university.]

The “Vibe” & The Persona

UMD’s vibe is “The Red Geek Warrior.”

  • Fear the Turtle: The mascot is a Diamondback Terrapin named Testudo. It’s a badass motto. Students rub Testudo’s nose for good luck before exams (often leaving offerings of snacks and soda).
  • Hacker Capital: Being neighbors with the NSA and DC, UMD is a national center for Cybersecurity and AI. Students here dress casually (Under Armour is big, as the founder is an alum), but their coding skills are lethal. Sergey Brin (Google founder) is an alum.
  • Capital’s Backyard: A Metro station connects campus to DC. Students can study in the morning and intern at the Smithsonian or Capitol Hill in the afternoon.

What kind of student do they prefer?

  • CS Gods: I must repeat: UMD’s Computer Science is World-Class. They love students with strong math, logic, and a passion for tech.
  • Criminology & Business: Criminology is #1 in the US; the Smith School of Business is an underrated gem.
  • Honors College: If you are invited to “Advanced Cybersecurity” or “Gemstone” in the Honors College, it’s a golden ticket to top resources.

1. Admissions: The “Limited” CS

  • LEP (Limited Enrollment Programs): CS, Business, and Engineering are LEPs.
    • Brutal Reality: Being admitted to the university does NOT mean you are in these majors. For Chinese students wanting CS, you MUST get direct admission as a freshman. Transferring into CS later is extremely difficult (though slightly easier than UW Seattle, still very risky).
  • EA Strategy: You MUST apply Early Action (Nov 1). UMD fills 90%+ of its class during EA. Regular Decision is basically for leftovers.
  • Stats: Submit scores, especially for LEP majors.

2. The “Chinese Bubble” & Social Life (Visualized)

The Iribe Center. Donated by the founder of Oculus (an alum), this glass building is the new home for CS. It looks futuristic and is one of the most luxurious CS facilities in the US.]

  • Lifestyle:
    • Food: College Park is booming with new Chinese spots (Szechuan, Boba). Plus, a 15-min drive gets you to Rockville/Silver Spring, the Chinatown of Maryland, known for top-tier Dim Sum and Hot Pot.
    • Housing: New luxury apartments are popping up, much cheaper than downtown DC.
  • Community: Huge Chinese population, especially at the grad/PhD level due to research strength. The undergrad community is also very active.

3. The Visa & Career Pathway (Cyber Valley)

  • Cyber Valley: Maryland is the Silicon Valley of Cybersecurity. NSA, CIA, and FBI tech divisions are here.
    • Jobs: While some federal jobs require citizenship, the ecosystem of contractors (Lockheed, Booz Allen) and Amazon HQ2 (nearby in VA) hires UMD CS grads in droves.
  • Smith School: Highly respected in the DC region. Information Systems (IS) and Business Analytics (BA) are popular STEM majors.
  • Research Launchpad: There are plentiful undergraduate research opportunities (REU), making it easy to get recommendation letters for top PhD programs.

4. Safety and Location

  • Safety Rating: 3.5/5 (Be Vigilant).
  • Reality: We must be honest. College Park is in PG County, which has mixed safety records.
    • Red Line: The campus itself is extremely safe. But outside the gates, especially at night, do not walk alone in secluded areas. The university provides dense NITE Ride shuttle services to mitigate this.

5. Financial Aid

  • Policy: Public School = No Aid.
  • Value: Out-of-state tuition is mid-range for public schools (~38k−38k−40k). Considering the high starting salaries for CS grads, the ROI is excellent.

Verdict for the Chinese Applicant:
If you want to learn top-tier CS or AI but want to avoid the bloodbath of California or CMU; if you value the DC location and High ROI, UMD is the perfect alternative. As long as you secure Direct Admission to CS, the education quality here is undisputedly Top 10 globally.

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