McDaniel College, Westminster, Maryland
• Looking for ways to admit a student, not reject
• Challenge of courses taken
• Test optional policy, top 10% of class or average core GPA 3.5 to be test optional
• Above 1000 on test scores will help you with scholarship money
• Counselor and 1 teacher recommendation. If you can’t get a quality teacher recommendation get a quality recommendation outside of school
• Located in the suburbs/more rural are outside of Baltimore
• The McDaniel Plan : flexible, rather than taking specific courses it’s more component based, liberal arts and science courses, major/minor courses, guide post courses taking student from freshman to heading to graduate school and/or professional world
• 30 1st year seminar courses – focus on time management skills
• Professor reaches out to each student
• Sophomore year – interdisciplinary studies, communication skills, understanding and respecting different opinions
• Decide major by junior year
• Junior year – Writing and discipline courses related to your field
• Senior year – Capstone project, thesis based work, could be an internship and write a reflection, End of 4 years you have a project to take with you
• Liberal arts: 4 components: global citizenship, which includes international cultural courses; scientific inquiry and quantitative reasoning; includes math, science, logic, philosophy and religion, problem solve; social cultural and historical understanding, searching lit reviews, finding primary sources; creative expression, original thought, your ideas about a topic
• Major/minor courses over lap with liberal arts courses
• Psych, business and exercise science most popular majors
• Education is strong, with 3 guaranteed internships
• Does not consider demonstrated interest when reviewing acceptance
• Interview encouraged with students that struggle
• Apply in general to the school and not to a particular major
• Doesn’t require an internship, 50% of students do internships
• Crossover schools, overlap with schools in Colleges That Change Lives book, Centennial conference schools Gettysburg, Muhlenberg
• Type of student that will thrive here: Be brave. The McDaniel plan you will have the freedom to do a lot of things. Hard working, self-driven, make connections with professors
• 65% students come from within 500 miles, Northeast.
• 40% are 1st generation, 35% multi cultural
• COA $50,200
• Need blind in admissions process
• International students can get merit aid, not financial aid
• 80% of need met
• Average net price is $28k
• Very supportive of the LD academic community
• Have three different levels of support programs that are fee-based: Base program there is no fee, can come to campus early to have the LD population assimilate
– 67% admit rate
– FAFSA for financial aid
– 20% Greek life
– Weekend blitz trips 2-3 times per month to Philly, NY, Hershey, Broadway show
– Shuttle offered every day to go to the metro station to go into Baltimore or DC
– Campus in Budapest Hungary, Brussels, Zimbabwe and Glasgow, financial aid will transfer
– 75% graduate in 4 years, 80% retention rate
– Very nice athletic fields: football, soccer, and baseball. Have tennis courts and a 9-hole golf course
