University of Maryland CP - how hard is it really to get in now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with a PhD in a STEM field or social sciences knows that UVA is not an academic powerhouse.

If this poster is still around could you weigh in on how people with a Ph.D in a STEM field view UMD (which is after all the topic of this thread!).
Interested for my kid who wants to pursue a Ph.D in the life sciences
TIA

You don't need them, you can read about it yourself - awards and so on:

http://cmns.umd.edu

[Anonymous]

Responding to original question. Yes, it is difficult to get in to UMD College Park these days. My DS, who went to public school, was admitted for fall 2017, but a lot of her friends who expected to get in, most of them from private schools, did not get in. To have a good chance for admission, I recommend getting a very high SAT or ACT score. Start test taking early and keep taking until a high score is achieved. Your child must take the most difficult classes offered at his/her high school and do well in them. Your child should be in the top 10% of his/her class and have solid extra curriculars. Aim at the Ivy's and you should be ok for UMD.

If your child is majoring in business, engineering or pre-med, I recommend looking at the University of Pittsburgh as a safety. Apply early, they accept applications in the summer. Pitt awards great merit aid that will make cost equal to UMD. They seem to admit a lot of students from Maryland. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Responding to original question. Yes, it is difficult to get in to UMD College Park these days. My DS, who went to public school, was admitted for fall 2017, but a lot of her friends who expected to get in, most of them from private schools, did not get in. To have a good chance for admission, I recommend getting a very high SAT or ACT score. Start test taking early and keep taking until a high score is achieved. Your child must take the most difficult classes offered at his/her high school and do well in them. Your child should be in the top 10% of his/her class and have solid extra curriculars. Aim at the Ivy's and you should be ok for UMD.

If your child is majoring in business, engineering or pre-med, I recommend looking at the University of Pittsburgh as a safety. Apply early, they accept applications in the summer. Pitt awards great merit aid that will make cost equal to UMD. They seem to admit a lot of students from Maryland. Good luck!

Did you even bother to read the thread? A lot of this has been covered, in great detail and specificity.

Pittsburgh should be a thread of its own, its not really comparable. Its the safety school by comparison.

[Anonymous]

My DD had a 3.9 weighted average, 32 ACT and good extracurriculars (no leadership) and got into the scholars program at UMCP last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD had a 3.9 weighted average, 32 ACT and good extracurriculars (no leadership) and got into the scholars program at UMCP last year.

Congrats! That's fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD had a 3.9 weighted average, 32 ACT and good extracurriculars (no leadership) and got into the scholars program at UMCP last year.

Any other hooks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responding to original question. Yes, it is difficult to get in to UMD College Park these days. My DS, who went to public school, was admitted for fall 2017, but a lot of her friends who expected to get in, most of them from private schools, did not get in. To have a good chance for admission, I recommend getting a very high SAT or ACT score. Start test taking early and keep taking until a high score is achieved. Your child must take the most difficult classes offered at his/her high school and do well in them. Your child should be in the top 10% of his/her class and have solid extra curriculars. Aim at the Ivy's and you should be ok for UMD.

If your child is majoring in business, engineering or pre-med, I recommend looking at the University of Pittsburgh as a safety. Apply early, they accept applications in the summer. Pitt awards great merit aid that will make cost equal to UMD. They seem to admit a lot of students from Maryland. Good luck!

Did you even bother to read the thread? A lot of this has been covered, in great detail and specificity.

Pittsburgh should be a thread of its own, its not really comparable. Its the safety school by comparison.

I'm the OP and I appreciate the poster getting this thread back on track. I'd been debating chiming in, but had just decided to give up. Thanks, PP and to the other posters who responded to my original post!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responding to original question. Yes, it is difficult to get in to UMD College Park these days. My DS, who went to public school, was admitted for fall 2017, but a lot of her friends who expected to get in, most of them from private schools, did not get in. To have a good chance for admission, I recommend getting a very high SAT or ACT score. Start test taking early and keep taking until a high score is achieved. Your child must take the most difficult classes offered at his/her high school and do well in them. Your child should be in the top 10% of his/her class and have solid extra curriculars. Aim at the Ivy's and you should be ok for UMD.

If your child is majoring in business, engineering or pre-med, I recommend looking at the University of Pittsburgh as a safety. Apply early, they accept applications in the summer. Pitt awards great merit aid that will make cost equal to UMD. They seem to admit a lot of students from Maryland. Good luck!

Did you even bother to read the thread? A lot of this has been covered, in great detail and specificity.

Pittsburgh should be a thread of its own, its not really comparable. Its the safety school by comparison.

I'm the OP and I appreciate the poster getting this thread back on track. I'd been debating chiming in, but had just decided to give up. Thanks, PP and to the other posters who responded to my original post!

To be fair they aren't really saying anything new, which hasn't already been said on the thread. Unless you want now to start talking about Pittsburgh...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with a PhD in a STEM field or social sciences knows that UVA is not an academic powerhouse.

If this poster is still around could you weigh in on how people with a Ph.D in a STEM field view UMD (which is after all the topic of this thread!).
Interested for my kid who wants to pursue a Ph.D in the life sciences
TIA

I have a PhD in chemistry, now work in the life sciences. I don't think where you go to undergrad matters that much for getting into top tier PhD programs. There are a set number of things that are important for getting into PhD programs. These are first and foremost showing a passion for research--meaning getting into a research lab and taking advantage of opportunities to do summer research internships. Taking rigorous coursework is good as well, especially upper division and grad classes (if available). Getting your name on a peer-reviewed publication is seen very favorably. Icing on the cake is winning national STEM awards like the Barry Goldwater scholarship. But the truth is, this can be done at all kinds of schools--flagship publics, liberal arts colleges, private universities, and even second tier state schools and regional liberal arts colleges.

I would say students typically get better guidance on applying to research fellowships, applying to graduate school, and applying for internships at more selective schools than they do at less selective ones. But whether it is a well regarded SLAC, a state flagship, or a private university is more a matter of fit for the individual student. UMD would be a fine choice, provided the student is motivated enough to take advantage of the opportunities it provides. UVA is not really that strong in STEM, but that's at the graduate level and is not super relevant when discussing undergrad experiences. If you live in Maryland and want to pay in state tuition and have a kid who won't get lost in the crowd at a larger school, then go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responding to original question. Yes, it is difficult to get in to UMD College Park these days. My DS, who went to public school, was admitted for fall 2017, but a lot of her friends who expected to get in, most of them from private schools, did not get in. To have a good chance for admission, I recommend getting a very high SAT or ACT score. Start test taking early and keep taking until a high score is achieved. Your child must take the most difficult classes offered at his/her high school and do well in them. Your child should be in the top 10% of his/her class and have solid extra curriculars. Aim at the Ivy's and you should be ok for UMD.

If your child is majoring in business, engineering or pre-med, I recommend looking at the University of Pittsburgh as a safety. Apply early, they accept applications in the summer. Pitt awards great merit aid that will make cost equal to UMD. They seem to admit a lot of students from Maryland. Good luck!

Did you even bother to read the thread? A lot of this has been covered, in great detail and specificity.

Pittsburgh should be a thread of its own, its not really comparable. Its the safety school by comparison.

I'm the OP and I appreciate the poster getting this thread back on track. I'd been debating chiming in, but had just decided to give up. Thanks, PP and to the other posters who responded to my original post!

To be fair they aren't really saying anything new, which hasn't already been said on the thread. Unless you want now to start talking about Pittsburgh...

Well, to be fair, the PP posted exactly what I was asking for - anecdotes about people not getting that we're expected to get in, not off topic random statistics comparing Phd stem program in u of Maryland and UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with a PhD in a STEM field or social sciences knows that UVA is not an academic powerhouse.

If this poster is still around could you weigh in on how people with a Ph.D in a STEM field view UMD (which is after all the topic of this thread!).
Interested for my kid who wants to pursue a Ph.D in the life sciences
TIA

I have a PhD in chemistry, now work in the life sciences. I don't think where you go to undergrad matters that much for getting into top tier PhD programs. There are a set number of things that are important for getting into PhD programs. These are first and foremost showing a passion for research--meaning getting into a research lab and taking advantage of opportunities to do summer research internships. Taking rigorous coursework is good as well, especially upper division and grad classes (if available). Getting your name on a peer-reviewed publication is seen very favorably. Icing on the cake is winning national STEM awards like the Barry Goldwater scholarship. But the truth is, this can be done at all kinds of schools--flagship publics, liberal arts colleges, private universities, and even second tier state schools and regional liberal arts colleges.

I would say students typically get better guidance on applying to research fellowships, applying to graduate school, and applying for internships at more selective schools than they do at less selective ones. But whether it is a well regarded SLAC, a state flagship, or a private university is more a matter of fit for the individual student. UMD would be a fine choice, provided the student is motivated enough to take advantage of the opportunities it provides. UVA is not really that strong in STEM, but that's at the graduate level and is not super relevant when discussing undergrad experiences. If you live in Maryland and want to pay in state tuition and have a kid who won't get lost in the crowd at a larger school, then go for it.

I am the pp who asked for about pursuing an undergraduate degree in the life sciences at UMD with a view to entering a top Ph.D program. I appreciate your detailed answer and will share what I learned with my ds. Thank you for taking the trouble to respond

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responding to original question. Yes, it is difficult to get in to UMD College Park these days. My DS, who went to public school, was admitted for fall 2017, but a lot of her friends who expected to get in, most of them from private schools, did not get in. To have a good chance for admission, I recommend getting a very high SAT or ACT score. Start test taking early and keep taking until a high score is achieved. Your child must take the most difficult classes offered at his/her high school and do well in them. Your child should be in the top 10% of his/her class and have solid extra curriculars. Aim at the Ivy's and you should be ok for UMD.

If your child is majoring in business, engineering or pre-med, I recommend looking at the University of Pittsburgh as a safety. Apply early, they accept applications in the summer. Pitt awards great merit aid that will make cost equal to UMD. They seem to admit a lot of students from Maryland. Good luck!

Did you even bother to read the thread? A lot of this has been covered, in great detail and specificity.

Pittsburgh should be a thread of its own, its not really comparable. Its the safety school by comparison.

I'm the OP and I appreciate the poster getting this thread back on track. I'd been debating chiming in, but had just decided to give up. Thanks, PP and to the other posters who responded to my original post!

What is it you really want OP? I mean I read your question and I've been reading this thread, but are you looking for reassurance that your kid has a chance, or what? I'm not being snarky, I genuinely am curious to know.

To be fair they aren't really saying anything new, which hasn't already been said on the thread. Unless you want now to start talking about Pittsburgh...

Well, to be fair, the PP posted exactly what I was asking for - anecdotes about people not getting that we're expected to get in, not off topic random statistics comparing Phd stem program in u of Maryland and UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responding to original question. Yes, it is difficult to get in to UMD College Park these days. My DS, who went to public school, was admitted for fall 2017, but a lot of her friends who expected to get in, most of them from private schools, did not get in. To have a good chance for admission, I recommend getting a very high SAT or ACT score. Start test taking early and keep taking until a high score is achieved. Your child must take the most difficult classes offered at his/her high school and do well in them. Your child should be in the top 10% of his/her class and have solid extra curriculars. Aim at the Ivy's and you should be ok for UMD.

If your child is majoring in business, engineering or pre-med, I recommend looking at the University of Pittsburgh as a safety. Apply early, they accept applications in the summer. Pitt awards great merit aid that will make cost equal to UMD. They seem to admit a lot of students from Maryland. Good luck!

Did you even bother to read the thread? A lot of this has been covered, in great detail and specificity.

Pittsburgh should be a thread of its own, its not really comparable. Its the safety school by comparison.

I'm the OP and I appreciate the poster getting this thread back on track. I'd been debating chiming in, but had just decided to give up. Thanks, PP and to the other posters who responded to my original post!

What is it you really want OP? I mean I read your question and I've been reading this thread, but are you looking for reassurance that your kid has a chance, or what? I'm not being snarky, I genuinely am curious to know.

To be fair they aren't really saying anything new, which hasn't already been said on the thread. Unless you want now to start talking about Pittsburgh...

Well, to be fair, the PP posted exactly what I was asking for - anecdotes about people not getting that we're expected to get in, not off topic random statistics comparing Phd stem program in u of Maryland and UVA.

Oops. posted in the middle of a block of quoted text, sorry. What I meant to do was write this:

What is it you really want OP? I mean I read your question and I've been reading this thread, but are you looking for reassurance that your kid has a chance, or what? I'm not being snarky, I genuinely am curious to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Responding to original question. Yes, it is difficult to get in to UMD College Park these days. My DS, who went to public school, was admitted for fall 2017, but a lot of her friends who expected to get in, most of them from private schools, did not get in. To have a good chance for admission, I recommend getting a very high SAT or ACT score. Start test taking early and keep taking until a high score is achieved. Your child must take the most difficult classes offered at his/her high school and do well in them. Your child should be in the top 10% of his/her class and have solid extra curriculars. Aim at the Ivy's and you should be ok for UMD.

If your child is majoring in business, engineering or pre-med, I recommend looking at the University of Pittsburgh as a safety. Apply early, they accept applications in the summer. Pitt awards great merit aid that will make cost equal to UMD. They seem to admit a lot of students from Maryland. Good luck!

Did you even bother to read the thread? A lot of this has been covered, in great detail and specificity.

Pittsburgh should be a thread of its own, its not really comparable. Its the safety school by comparison.

I'm the OP and I appreciate the poster getting this thread back on track. I'd been debating chiming in, but had just decided to give up. Thanks, PP and to the other posters who responded to my original post!

To be fair they aren't really saying anything new, which hasn't already been said on the thread. Unless you want now to start talking about Pittsburgh...

Well, to be fair, the PP posted exactly what I was asking for - anecdotes about people not getting that we're expected to get in, not off topic random statistics comparing Phd stem program in u of Maryland and UVA.

OP - people share/argue information that maybe off topic for your original question. While it gets less than polite sometimes but it's still useful information for some people. If you got what you were looking for, just don't check back. Let others talk/share info - good, bad, or ugly.

[Anonymous]

U.MD has something no other school can offer. It has installations of the US government on campus and around the corner.

On campus
NOAA national weather prediction center
Homeland Security international language center
American Physics institute
FDA food safety
USDA
The National Archives
The Phillips Collection
Raytheon

Literally next door
The Census Admin
NASA
FDA headquarters
Future FBI headquarters


Ten minute metro ride
The national mall
Congress
Supreme Court
White House.

Purple line planned
NIH
NIST
Dept of Energy


It's almost not fair. 3 Nobel laureates in faculty currently and dozens over the years. More Nobel graduates than UVA and Unc combined.




Around the corner