Question about UMD College Park
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Anonymous
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For CS, he can go anywhere. It's more about what you do with CS especially in your spare time.
If he is set on a certain school (Maryland for example), don't rule out community college. I wanted to go to VT and only VT. I went to CC for a year, got great grades and transferred in. My only regret is that I wish I'd transferred in as if I was a freshmen. It would have been like a gap year. I missed out on meeting more people and really getting ingrained in the campus and student life. As I'm visiting now with my daughter, I'm realizing how much I would have enjoyed that. |
Anonymous
| Does a kid with a 3.4 unweighted GPA and a 1230 SAT have a chance at UMD with no hooks? I don't think it's worth taking the time to complete the application with those stats. |
Anonymous
My daughter got a spring admission for UMD after applying for CS and she had top grades and looked great on paper. About 25 students (non-CS) got fall admission from her school that had lower grades and test scores (it was easily knowable based on naviance data when it got updated). I would not apply for direct CS admit if it's unlikely because it will affect overall admission chances. They only need so many CS majors, but NEED other majors so they can pay for non CS- professors. |
Anonymous
Not being mean here, but to the PP (above), your kid has no chance at UMCP. Your kid does have a good chance at GMU, UMBC, and other schools. So, focus the search. As for OP --- you come on to DCUM saying your kid was a mess for the first year of HS, then did OK for sophomore year, and better for junior year, and now, as a senior is really doing well. So, you lead people to believe that at least half of his HS grades are not very good. AND THEN, you come back and say he has a weighted GPA of 4.1 ???????????? Damn. I'd hate to be your kid. You have a very negative/critical eye on your son. And you pretty much wasted everyone's time on this thread who generously gave you advice -- that you only "needed" b/c you have anxiety. I think your 4.1 son is probably more capable of handling the college search than you are. |
Anonymous
In your original post, OP, you said: "My son is a senior at a MCPS middle of the road HS. He is very smart but matured on the later side so his overall grades are middling. Junior year was good and senior year is going great. He is finally challenging himself and getting all As. He had a bad 10th grade virtual year." Since when is a 4.1 GPA "middling"??? How could he possibly have had a "bad 10th grade virtual year"? By "Bad" you mean he got a B+ or two? 
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Anonymous
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It never hurts to apply. Just be realistic about the odds. At my kids’ W school, there were some kids with good stats who didn’t get in. It will really depend on the SAT and how many classmates are applying. Does it look like your child took a challenging course load? That matters.
I have 2 kids there. We were told that major doesn’t affect acceptance to the university. They accept to the university and from there you either get your major or letters and sciences (undecided). One of my kids applied to a limited enrollment program (LEP) with a 4.3 wgpa and SAT in the lower end of their accepted range for that year. We figured it was a maybe school but DC wanted it, so why not try. They got a spring admit but that was better than a flat out rejection. They were placed in freshman connection and not directly into the major. They went anyway and it was a great choice. They got good grades in the gateway classes and transfered into the LEP and will graduate on schedule. The other applied with a 4.7 wgpa and 1480 SAT to an LEP major. They got directly in. Both will have the same degree at the end of 4 years. It doesn’t matter how you start, it matters how you finish. |
Anonymous
| My son got into the letters and science program for CS, finished freshmen year with 3.93 GPA and was automatically admitted to the CS program, he is now a sophomore at UMD CP. |
Anonymous
At my daughters HS 30+% had a 4.51 or above, and close to 70% had over a 4.0. The grade inflation at MCPS high schools is insane. So a 4.1 is probably the 50th percentile give or take. |
Anonymous
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UMD seems to be really pushing the Information Studies degree as an alternative degree for potential CS majors. The starting salaries they publish for IS majors is pretty good (80kish).
Maybe soothing your DC might be interested in pursuing. |
Anonymous
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https://irpa.umd.edu/CampusCounts/Admissions/apps_ug.pdf
Undergraduate application Summary UMD |
Anonymous
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https://www.usmd.edu/IRIS/?view=UMCP
UMD dashboard |
Anonymous
| I'd also think of applying to SMCM for their CS program as a safety depending on scores. I know some people who got great jobs out of that program. It's also smaller which could be helpful to your kid with getting more attention. |
Anonymous
This is OP. I am not trying to mislead anyone. This is our oldest child applying to college so we are new at this. Also moved to MD just a few years ago so not that familiar with MD universities. My son is smart but a bit of a slacker. This year he finally seems more focused and interested in thinking about his future. It is a welcome change. I have friends with kids who have a weighted GPA of 4.3 and 4.4 which is why 4.1 didn’t look that great. And my son is convinced he will never get into UMD so I guess I assumed he knew what he was talking about. I appreciate all the advice and I plan to insist he submits an application. No harm in applying. Should I make him apply EA or is regular decision fine as well? |
Anonymous
| Most MCPS classes are weighted by 1.0. So he could have many Bs and a 4.1. What’s the unweighted? |
Anonymous
NP: I think you are asking good questions. Good luck to your kid. I would have him apply, but also have back ups (UMBC, stmcm, &/or Towson). |