UMD College Park Results thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Because you're being careless with your claims...
FWIW, my kid has never gone to an after school tutoring program, neither has my other DC who is not in a magnet and doesn't want to be.

NP: Colleges, including UMD, do not compare IB students across high schools or at the county level just like they don't compare kids at different STEM magnet schools in the same city or county, e.g. Poolesville vs Blair. As a state institution, UMD considers kids in the aggregate at the county level to ensure that the university is geographically diverse across counties. There is no IB cohort within MCPS. How do I know this, because as a professor I sat on faculty academic committees that advise admissions policies, participate in grad admissions, and I am friends/colleagues with admissions staff.

As the PP noted, you made a blanket statement about RMIB data and tried to apply it to all of the county IB programs. Depending on the school, a 1440 in an MCPS IB program other than RMIB may be average or about the mean. You are right that we don't have this data but I have seen data from other school systems similar to MoCo with IB programs and 1500+ was not the median. IB diploma does not equal 1500+ SAT scores.

OK, so no one really knows what the median SAT scores are for MoCo IB students other than RMIB. But as you stated, UMD will look at students across the county, not just RMIB vs RMIB. So, an IB student at BCC would be compared to an IB student at RM, if they are looking at the county level? That's even worse for the IB diploma kid who has a 1440 SAT.

Even so, weight 3.84 is low for an IB diploma grad. The thread started with both the SAT and weighted GPA being low.

No, I said aggregate, which means all kids...

Aggregate means that the kids are compared to each other within the county, as you say. So they are all part of the group, but wouldn't they take notice of a student with an IB diploma and compare them to other IB diploma students? Which makes sense if the PP's kid was rejected but other non IB students with lower stats was accepted.

And I'm pretty sure the 3.8 was weighted. Don't know if that was a typo though.

I have never seen or heard of that happening (grouping IB students together from different programs). I am also good friends with two admissions directors, one at an Ivy and another at a top 20 school and they haven't mentioned anything along those lines. However, universities are increasingly using enrollment algorithms to determine yield and to achieve demographic goals (e.g., gender balance, full pay/financial aid, URM, etc.) so the process has become more opaque, meaning that could explain why the IB kid was rejected but a lower stats non-IB student was accepted. BTW, I'm not arguing any of this is good.

This may be of interest: https://www.brookings.edu/research/enrollment-algorithms-are-contributing-to-the-crises-of-higher-education/

Thanks for this article. It's very informative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of instate students with all kinds of GPA and SAT scores get into UMD. Very tippy top students get into Honors college for coveted majors like cs, engineering.

Honors College is for all majors. Tippy top students apply to a variety of majors!

Lol, Tippy Top Poster- I’ve missed you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np here - not sure if it’s being disputed but the (magnet) IB program at RM really does have median SAT scores of 1500. It’s on the IB school profile.

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/r-w/rmhs/ib/2021-2022-ib-insert-9.30.21.docx.pdf

But there are other MCPS IB programs, BCC, for one. I don’t suppose you have their median SAT? RMIB isn’t the only game in town.

+1 and it’s also the magnet IB for the entire county. I would expect the score to be high! UMD would compare RMIB students not the entire MCPS IB pool.

Why wouldn't it compare RMIB with other IB students? They all take the same coursework and IB exams to get the diploma.

RMIB is county wide test in magnet school students are selected.
The other IB schools are for the neighborhood students who want to challenge themselves.

so how do you explain an IB diploma graduate with a 1440 SAT and 3.8ish weighted GPA not getting into UMD?

FWIW, I would be proud if my non IB student had a 1440.

Not easy to explain but I will try.
Usually colleges compare you against your class mates.
The SAT might be little above average for his particular school but his GPA might be well below average.

+1
And if the test scores & grades are essentially equal, then the difference in admissions decisions could be due to another reason. Colleges also accept students with test scores and grades below their published ranges, and they deny admission to students with test scores and grades above their published ranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:crazy thread. only one thing is for sure. if you kid is rejected, your kid is not attending umcp. i promise you that.

Shut up FFS. Lots of rejected kids will end up there as transfer students.

True! you can even transfer after only one semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Because you're being careless with your claims. You are saying 1500 is considered low in MCPS IB. It's NOT in MCPS IB. You're talking about the IB magnet program at ONE school, Richard Montgomery, which is a very very small, very competitive IB program which takes students from the whole county. Other high schools have regular IB programs, which are NOT the same as RM. They are not competitive to get into (though the classes are demanding), and any kids can participate in them. You'd expect RMIB to have a high median SAT score, because kids had to test even to get INTO the program. It's only high-achieving kids who test well (and many who have parents who send them to test-prep programs.)

shrug.. I don't know what the other IB diploma students SAT scores are since, as you said, they don't publish them. So, I can only go by what RMIB publishes. But, colleges do compare a student to their cohort, whether that be county, specific HS, or IB diploma graudates. If the student has an IB diploma, that would indicate that the student is pretty high achieving.

Also, many non magnet students also go to test prep program, and many manget students do not go to test prep programs. Neither my RMIB kid nor their friends did. They did take several of the free online SAT practice tests via the college board and khan academy. Who's to say that the prior poster's IB kid didn't go to a test prep tutoring program?

FWIW, my kid has never gone to an after school tutoring program, neither has my other DC who is not in a magnet and doesn't want to be.

NP: Colleges, including UMD, do not compare IB students across high schools or at the county level just like they don't compare kids at different STEM magnet schools in the same city or county, e.g. Poolesville vs Blair. As a state institution, UMD considers kids in the aggregate at the county level to ensure that the university is geographically diverse across counties. There is no IB cohort within MCPS. How do I know this, because as a professor I sat on faculty academic committees that advise admissions policies, participate in grad admissions, and I am friends/colleagues with admissions staff.

As the PP noted, you made a blanket statement about RMIB data and tried to apply it to all of the county IB programs. Depending on the school, a 1440 in an MCPS IB program other than RMIB may be average or about the mean. You are right that we don't have this data but I have seen data from other school systems similar to MoCo with IB programs and 1500+ was not the median. IB diploma does not equal 1500+ SAT scores.

OK, so no one really knows what the median SAT scores are for MoCo IB students other than RMIB. But as you stated, UMD will look at students across the county, not just RMIB vs RMIB. So, an IB student at BCC would be compared to an IB student at RM, if they are looking at the county level? That's even worse for the IB diploma kid who has a 1440 SAT.

Even so, weight 3.84 is low for an IB diploma grad. The thread started with both the SAT and weighted GPA being low.

Oh good lord no. The BCC IB kids won't be weighed against the RMIB kids. They are in a magnet that the admissions folks are familiar with, like the Blair magnets. The BCC IB kids will be weighed against the other BCC kids, other non-magnet kids across the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we get back on topic?

My DC got into the honors college and wants to major in physics. I am thrilled and think UMD would absolutely be the best choice for him (their physics dept ranks 14 in the country on at least one ranking I saw.) But he doesn't want to go to school so close to home. I'm biting my tongue for now, till we see where else he gets in, and how much aid he's offered. But it will be hard not to pressure him to go to UMD even if can afford the other schools (with help from his grandparents) because it really makes sense to choose the less expensive option. Interested in hearing people's experience with the honors college. (Seems he has to submit his preferences as to which one he wants to be in. We know little about them.)

Yes, I am trying to get DD excited too. The Honors Colleges look terrific. But, she really wants to go somewhere different. I get that. Right now, this is her only acceptance (rejected SCEA), but hopefully there will be others in RD. The challenge will be if UMD offers a Banneker/Key or a bunch of merit. I've told her the money is hers. If she saves it by going to UMD, she can have it for grad school. But, she is welcome to invest it in another experience if she gets accepted. We should get some aid at top schools, so we'll see if she has a happy problem.

Just so you know, if your DC majors in physics, grad school will be paid for.

Could you elaborate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS was admitted.

MCPS. 3.9/4.6. Test Optional. Engineering Program + 4 AP + OK Extracurriculars. The GPA is empty IMO due to silly MCPS grade inflation. He basically slept through the 11th grade covid year and didn't do a lot of the work; has challenges completing assignments on time.

Scored approx. 1120 in junior year with very little prep. Probably could have got him close to 1300 with practice and classes. Has ADHD and doesn't do well on tests. Decided not to bother taking the test senior year, and not to submit scores.

Also admitted to Carillon Community within UMD. Will have to read up about that. Would love to hear from anyone familiar with the program.

Wow. I guess my DD shouldn’t have listed her SAT score of 1480- maybe she would have been accepted into engineering instead of Letters and Science. Her gpa was slightly lower but had ec and leadership. Oh well spring it is.

[Anonymous]

Read every single post with interest because I have a junior and a middle schooler. Does anyone know:

1. How does UMD handle GPAs that are unweighted (or, the school doesn’t weight). Do they recalculate using their own system?

2. With all the talk of algorithms, do the counselors even read the essays and recommendation letters?

3. How do they decide who gets into Honors College, especially the test-optional applicants? I know someone who got in test-optional, and while she’s bright, I don’t think she had a lot of rigor or leadership in her application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read every single post with interest because I have a junior and a middle schooler. Does anyone know:

1. How does UMD handle GPAs that are unweighted (or, the school doesn’t weight). Do they recalculate using their own system?

2. With all the talk of algorithms, do the counselors even read the essays and recommendation letters?

3. How do they decide who gets into Honors College, especially the test-optional applicants? I know someone who got in test-optional, and while she’s bright, I don’t think she had a lot of rigor or leadership in her application.

The only student I've heard about who got into the Honors College as a test-optional applicant has a 4.0 with a very rigorous course load. In general, a high SAT (over 1500) only helps for the Honors College. I think that there are unofficial quotas per high school as well. Some high schools send a lot of Honors students to UMD, but they could send even more if their students weren't competing against each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read every single post with interest because I have a junior and a middle schooler. Does anyone know:

1. How does UMD handle GPAs that are unweighted (or, the school doesn’t weight). Do they recalculate using their own system?

2. With all the talk of algorithms, do the counselors even read the essays and recommendation letters?

3. How do they decide who gets into Honors College, especially the test-optional applicants? I know someone who got in test-optional, and while she’s bright, I don’t think she had a lot of rigor or leadership in her application.

The only student I've heard about who got into the Honors College as a test-optional applicant has a 4.0 with a very rigorous course load. In general, a high SAT (over 1500) only helps for the Honors College. I think that there are unofficial quotas per high school as well. Some high schools send a lot of Honors students to UMD, but they could send even more if their students weren't competing against each other.

I’m the PP. I forgot to mention the admitted honors student I know did not apply to engineering, CS, or business. It’s one of the liberal arts majors. Maybe that helped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Because you're being careless with your claims. You are saying 1500 is considered low in MCPS IB. It's NOT in MCPS IB. You're talking about the IB magnet program at ONE school, Richard Montgomery, which is a very very small, very competitive IB program which takes students from the whole county. Other high schools have regular IB programs, which are NOT the same as RM. They are not competitive to get into (though the classes are demanding), and any kids can participate in them. You'd expect RMIB to have a high median SAT score, because kids had to test even to get INTO the program. It's only high-achieving kids who test well (and many who have parents who send them to test-prep programs.)

shrug.. I don't know what the other IB diploma students SAT scores are since, as you said, they don't publish them. So, I can only go by what RMIB publishes. But, colleges do compare a student to their cohort, whether that be county, specific HS, or IB diploma graudates. If the student has an IB diploma, that would indicate that the student is pretty high achieving.

Also, many non magnet students also go to test prep program, and many manget students do not go to test prep programs. Neither my RMIB kid nor their friends did. They did take several of the free online SAT practice tests via the college board and khan academy. Who's to say that the prior poster's IB kid didn't go to a test prep tutoring program?

FWIW, my kid has never gone to an after school tutoring program, neither has my other DC who is not in a magnet and doesn't want to be.

NP: Colleges, including UMD, do not compare IB students across high schools or at the county level just like they don't compare kids at different STEM magnet schools in the same city or county, e.g. Poolesville vs Blair. As a state institution, UMD considers kids in the aggregate at the county level to ensure that the university is geographically diverse across counties. There is no IB cohort within MCPS. How do I know this, because as a professor I sat on faculty academic committees that advise admissions policies, participate in grad admissions, and I am friends/colleagues with admissions staff.

As the PP noted, you made a blanket statement about RMIB data and tried to apply it to all of the county IB programs. Depending on the school, a 1440 in an MCPS IB program other than RMIB may be average or about the mean. You are right that we don't have this data but I have seen data from other school systems similar to MoCo with IB programs and 1500+ was not the median. IB diploma does not equal 1500+ SAT scores.

OK, so no one really knows what the median SAT scores are for MoCo IB students other than RMIB. But as you stated, UMD will look at students across the county, not just RMIB vs RMIB. So, an IB student at BCC would be compared to an IB student at RM, if they are looking at the county level? That's even worse for the IB diploma kid who has a 1440 SAT.

Even so, weight 3.84 is low for an IB diploma grad. The thread started with both the SAT and weighted GPA being low.

Oh good lord no. The BCC IB kids won't be weighed against the RMIB kids. They are in a magnet that the admissions folks are familiar with, like the Blair magnets. The BCC IB kids will be weighed against the other BCC kids, other non-magnet kids across the county.

Now I'm really confused. I thought the ^PP stated that UMD (and all colleges) look at the students in the entire county as one group, but now you are saying that they would look at RMIB kids as a group, and the rest of the non magnet students in a group? So, the magnet kids are compared to each other, and the non magnet kids are compared to each other? Those would be two different groups from the same school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS was admitted.

MCPS. 3.9/4.6. Test Optional. Engineering Program + 4 AP + OK Extracurriculars. The GPA is empty IMO due to silly MCPS grade inflation. He basically slept through the 11th grade covid year and didn't do a lot of the work; has challenges completing assignments on time.

Scored approx. 1120 in junior year with very little prep. Probably could have got him close to 1300 with practice and classes. Has ADHD and doesn't do well on tests. Decided not to bother taking the test senior year, and not to submit scores.

Also admitted to Carillon Community within UMD. Will have to read up about that. Would love to hear from anyone familiar with the program.

Wow. I guess my DD shouldn’t have listed her SAT score of 1480- maybe she would have been accepted into engineering instead of Letters and Science. Her gpa was slightly lower but had ec and leadership. Oh well spring it is.

Sorry to be unclear. DS was in the MCPS Engineering program in high school. He did not apply for Engineering at Maryland. He indicated "Letters and Sciences" on his application. I don't think he would have been accepted directly into UMD Engineering even if he had applied for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we get back on topic?

My DC got into the honors college and wants to major in physics. I am thrilled and think UMD would absolutely be the best choice for him (their physics dept ranks 14 in the country on at least one ranking I saw.) But he doesn't want to go to school so close to home. I'm biting my tongue for now, till we see where else he gets in, and how much aid he's offered. But it will be hard not to pressure him to go to UMD even if can afford the other schools (with help from his grandparents) because it really makes sense to choose the less expensive option. Interested in hearing people's experience with the honors college. (Seems he has to submit his preferences as to which one he wants to be in. We know little about them.)

Yes, I am trying to get DD excited too. The Honors Colleges look terrific. But, she really wants to go somewhere different. I get that. Right now, this is her only acceptance (rejected SCEA), but hopefully there will be others in RD. The challenge will be if UMD offers a Banneker/Key or a bunch of merit. I've told her the money is hers. If she saves it by going to UMD, she can have it for grad school. But, she is welcome to invest it in another experience if she gets accepted. We should get some aid at top schools, so we'll see if she has a happy problem.

Just so you know, if your DC majors in physics, grad school will be paid for.

Not if he goes to law school! He's going to have to pay, even at Harvard. He'll pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we get back on topic?

My DC got into the honors college and wants to major in physics. I am thrilled and think UMD would absolutely be the best choice for him (their physics dept ranks 14 in the country on at least one ranking I saw.) But he doesn't want to go to school so close to home. I'm biting my tongue for now, till we see where else he gets in, and how much aid he's offered. But it will be hard not to pressure him to go to UMD even if can afford the other schools (with help from his grandparents) because it really makes sense to choose the less expensive option. Interested in hearing people's experience with the honors college. (Seems he has to submit his preferences as to which one he wants to be in. We know little about them.)

Yes, I am trying to get DD excited too. The Honors Colleges look terrific. But, she really wants to go somewhere different. I get that. Right now, this is her only acceptance (rejected SCEA), but hopefully there will be others in RD. The challenge will be if UMD offers a Banneker/Key or a bunch of merit. I've told her the money is hers. If she saves it by going to UMD, she can have it for grad school. But, she is welcome to invest it in another experience if she gets accepted. We should get some aid at top schools, so we'll see if she has a happy problem.

Just so you know, if your DC majors in physics, grad school will be paid for.

Could you elaborate?

Yes. All the top graduate programs are fully funded. They pay your kid to go to their school. MIT, CalTech, Berkeley, etc. Free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will not be recruiting from UMDCP anymore. My son with 9APs, all others are honors and legacy did not get in.

UMD does not take legacy into account. Not sure why people keep stating this as a criteria for admittance. What were your son's grades? ECs? Did he write a good essay? Did he get a good teacher recommendation?

Did your son have legacy status mentioned in his denial letter?
It was in my student's denial letter. That actually made me more pissed off - they acknowledge that the student is a legacy and then deny admission to a highly qualified student. Luckily my student didn't want to go there but being a UMD family we wanted our child to apply. And luckily other great colleges are happy to have our student.