If your kid’s first choice is UMD CS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just went through this with my senior. He put down CS as first choice and info Sci second. Did manage to get into CS but is from a mid-ranked MCPS school. I do believe UMD when they say they review the applications major blind.

UMBC and Towson were backups. While UMBC seems to have a better CS program, I think Towson location / campus is better.

Your kid was competing with other kids at the mid ranked HS. Chances are, if they went to a W school, your kid would not have gotten into UMD let alone for CS if they did not have super high stats.

I know a couple of RMIB magnet kids a couple of years ago who were rejected at UMD for CS and engineering. They had great stats, just not great for the RMIB magnet cohort.

Yup, you really need to be on the top within your school - there is a cutoff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

I just went to my common app practice account, and selected UMD. When I selected a LEP for my first choice, it opened a drop box for second choice majors, but none of them were LEP's.

So, it seems that the answer is that you can't apply to 2 LEP's.

Seems they've remedied the process. Good!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just went through this with my senior. He put down CS as first choice and info Sci second. Did manage to get into CS but is from a mid-ranked MCPS school. I do believe UMD when they say they review the applications major blind.

UMBC and Towson were backups. While UMBC seems to have a better CS program, I think Towson location / campus is better.

Your kid was competing with other kids at the mid ranked HS. Chances are, if they went to a W school, your kid would not have gotten into UMD let alone for CS if they did not have super high stats.

I know a couple of RMIB magnet kids a couple of years ago who were rejected at UMD for CS and engineering. They had great stats, just not great for the RMIB magnet cohort.

We know, that is why I mentioned it. I do think they take more SMCS kids from Blair and Poolesville but likely a tough admit otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it mean that UMD may put you in another major although you applied for CS? Any random major?

OP here:

My understanding is that you can list a second choice major, and if that major isn't an LEP, they'll put you there. My question is if you can list a major that is also an LEP. So, for example, could a kid list CS as first choice, and then list Accounting as second choice?

If your kid doesn't get into either of the majors they listed, or only listed CS and didn't get in, then they get put in Letters and Sciences as an undecided major, and can pick any of the majors that aren't LEP. Or they can apply again for an LEP, that isn't CS.

Someone with more experience can correct me if I'm wrong about the second part.

Yeah even if you put second major (regardless of LEP or not), they probably don't look at it. It will go straight to arts and science.

No, that's not correct. I'm the poster above who heard from admissions that it goes to the next major. If an LEP, and not admitted to that, they won't be considered for arts and science.

Have you seen examples of this? I have my DC picked non LEP as second major but ended up in arts and science.

Were they in Freshman connection? Honestly not sure how it works for second major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just went through this with my senior. He put down CS as first choice and info Sci second. Did manage to get into CS but is from a mid-ranked MCPS school. I do believe UMD when they say they review the applications major blind.

UMBC and Towson were backups. While UMBC seems to have a better CS program, I think Towson location / campus is better.

Your kid was competing with other kids at the mid ranked HS. Chances are, if they went to a W school, your kid would not have gotten into UMD let alone for CS if they did not have super high stats.

I know a couple of RMIB magnet kids a couple of years ago who were rejected at UMD for CS and engineering. They had great stats, just not great for the RMIB magnet cohort.

We know, that is why I mentioned it. I do think they take more SMCS kids from Blair and Poolesville but likely a tough admit otherwise.

But UMBC is really an excellent alternative plus a great education.