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Anonymous wrote:Rejected. In total shock. High stats (4.6 W, 11 APs, 34 ACT), great ECs, MCPS. We're hoping it's a yield thing, and this doesn't bode badly for DCs RD applications

What were your kid's AP scores? What HS and what is the unweighted GPA.

I feel like the entire college process can be a crap shoot. I’ve heard of one high stats kid who didn’t fill out the application correctly and got denied for that reason. But every year there are highly qualified kids who for some reason aren’t accepted.

I’m a scientist. I’d want to see national standardized test scores to better compare kids, especially the ones with strong gpas and advanced courses. Otherwise who knows what grade inflation and easy teaching went on. I’m want know they can hack it in exam conditions too, given MCPS did away with finals.

See what I mean? Test optional isn’t really test optional when you’re competing for limited seats.

I'm an engineer. I believe that plenty of significant and noteworthy observations are not numerically quantifiable.

Obviously. But when two applicants fight for one seat and they have the same gpa, courses and extras, the one who submits scores to prove content mastery will win. The lesson here is that you’ve got to at least prep and attempt the tests, and submit if they’re in line with the top quartile.

UMD says that isn’t what they do. Your post sounds incorrect and like guessing and conjecture rather than fact.

Sigh. In all the years I've been reading DCUM, people have been ultra resistant to the fact that scores actually matter. It got worse when the pandemic hit and a lot more schools went test optional. But the evidence bears out that students with high test scores fare better in applications. It's as if this reality is so obvious you can't deal with it.

Admissions officers have a way of presenting their spiel, and you've got to read between the lines. Unless someone comes out and says : "We don't have a place to report test scores and we don't look at what the College Board sends us and we try to unsee your score if you write about it in your essay" ... yes, they do consider test scores.

None so blind as those who will not see.

Anonymous wrote:I posted my accepted DS MCPS stats earlier but wanted to come back and say he took 2 years of language in MS and one in HS for level 3 FL. He was accepted direct to business. So for those applying in future do no buy into the 4 years in high school claims. UMD does not care. Go Terps!!

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Anonymous wrote:Rejected. In total shock. High stats (4.6 W, 11 APs, 34 ACT), great ECs, MCPS. We're hoping it's a yield thing, and this doesn't bode badly for DCs RD applications

What were your kid's AP scores? What HS and what is the unweighted GPA.

I feel like the entire college process can be a crap shoot. I’ve heard of one high stats kid who didn’t fill out the application correctly and got denied for that reason. But every year there are highly qualified kids who for some reason aren’t accepted.

I’m a scientist. I’d want to see national standardized test scores to better compare kids, especially the ones with strong gpas and advanced courses. Otherwise who knows what grade inflation and easy teaching went on. I’m want know they can hack it in exam conditions too, given MCPS did away with finals.

See what I mean? Test optional isn’t really test optional when you’re competing for limited seats.

I'm an engineer. I believe that plenty of significant and noteworthy observations are not numerically quantifiable.

Obviously. But when two applicants fight for one seat and they have the same gpa, courses and extras, the one who submits scores to prove content mastery will win. The lesson here is that you’ve got to at least prep and attempt the tests, and submit if they’re in line with the top quartile.

Your comment is a gross oversimplification. Even if two students have the same GPA and same test score, you can’t say they have the same essays, extracurriculars, experiences, home life, etc. Nothing about college admissions is fair on 2023, but to say that standardized testing should be the deciding factor would require admissions counselors to literally ignore everything else. Why bother writing a zillion essays or volunteering if test scores are all that matter? Should a wealthy student that spent thousands prepping for standardized tests get the seat over a musician or athlete that spent thousands pursuing their passions?

I say this as someone who has a PhD but went on the mommy-track and now and earns less than half of people that I know that were less successful in school than I was...Once you get admitted to college (or grad school), no one cares how intrinsically smart you are. The intangibles are what lead to success, like whether you produce quality work, how you treat people, whether you work hard, and sometimes luck.

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Anonymous wrote:ok so is honors a big deal? what are the benefits?

Usually some merit aid
Living/learning communities with generally better housing than regular dorm housing

Anonymous wrote:My DE from Whitman with high stats was rejected. She has friends with similar stats who were also rejected. Very surprised.

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Anonymous wrote:Rejected. In total shock. High stats (4.6 W, 11 APs, 34 ACT), great ECs, MCPS. We're hoping it's a yield thing, and this doesn't bode badly for DCs RD applications

My DC’s good friend in same boat with basically same stats. And 2 other less objectively qualified friends were admitted, although one as spring admit.

Anonymous wrote:What is the College Park Scholars program? It sounds like a LLC invite but not honors- is that correct?

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Anonymous wrote:Rejected. In total shock. High stats (4.6 W, 11 APs, 34 ACT), great ECs, MCPS. We're hoping it's a yield thing, and this doesn't bode badly for DCs RD applications

What were your kid's AP scores? What HS and what is the unweighted GPA.

I feel like the entire college process can be a crap shoot. I’ve heard of one high stats kid who didn’t fill out the application correctly and got denied for that reason. But every year there are highly qualified kids who for some reason aren’t accepted.

I’m a scientist. I’d want to see national standardized test scores to better compare kids, especially the ones with strong gpas and advanced courses. Otherwise who knows what grade inflation and easy teaching went on. I’m want know they can hack it in exam conditions too, given MCPS did away with finals.

See what I mean? Test optional isn’t really test optional when you’re competing for limited seats.

I'm an engineer. I believe that plenty of significant and noteworthy observations are not numerically quantifiable.

Obviously. But when two applicants fight for one seat and they have the same gpa, courses and extras, the one who submits scores to prove content mastery will win. The lesson here is that you’ve got to at least prep and attempt the tests, and submit if they’re in line with the top quartile.

Your comment is a gross oversimplification. Even if two students have the same GPA and same test score, you can’t say they have the same essays, extracurriculars, experiences, home life, etc. Nothing about college admissions is fair on 2023, but to say that standardized testing should be the deciding factor would require admissions counselors to literally ignore everything else. Why bother writing a zillion essays or volunteering if test scores are all that matter? Should a wealthy student that spent thousands prepping for standardized tests get the seat over a musician or athlete that spent thousands pursuing their passions?

I say this as someone who has a PhD but went on the mommy-track and now and earns less than half of people that I know that were less successful in school than I was...Once you get admitted to college (or grad school), no one cares how intrinsically smart you are. The intangibles are what lead to success, like whether you produce quality work, how you treat people, whether you work hard, and sometimes luck.

I'm sure that's not what you meant to write, but you seem to imply that high test scores are a marker of intelligence. Colleges don't use them for that. They use them to check that students didn't just get good grades through grade inflation, and didn't just sail through supposedly difficult coursework thanks to lenient teachers. (As an aside, this is the Achilles' heel of dual enrollment and the reason why AP courses + AP exams will always be more highly regarded than DE: there is no way to verify content mastery if students take DE or AP courses without reporting the score, because there is no final exam at the end.)

I did not say standardized test scores were the deciding factor in every case. But you're willfully blind if you think that out of thousands of applications, dozens at least won't be functionally identical. In those cases, test scores can make the difference. Just like in cases where both profiles are identical except for essays, the essays will be the deciding factor. College admissions people look for the distinguishing factors to have the cream rise to the top.

My point is that you can't leave any stone unturned as a candidate. You can't say: "I have everything I need except for X" and then complain you didn't get in. The X might be not customizing the personal statement, something students forget they can do in the Common App. Or X might be deciding not to prep and take the SAT. Or X might be a lack of extra-curriculars. Or X might be not taking enough advanced courses when their school offers a ton. Most students' applications will have an X, and then it becomes a game to apply to schools that will be OK with that, and apply to schools that won't be OK with it but for them, to either hide the X, or explain it, or distract with a whiz-bang achievement elsewhere - or all three. That's where strategy comes into play. If you have a weakness, you can perhaps parlay it into an interesting essay that pivots onto a strength.

Ultimately, I think college admissions are very challenging for 17 year olds because most of them don't have the maturity to be Machiavelli and strategize in this way. They just present their stuff. It's the parents' job to guide their kid to a more thoughtful application.

Anonymous wrote:ok so is honors a big deal? what are the benefits?

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Anonymous wrote:My kid is 3.7 UW, 4.3 weighted, test optional. No hooks. I figure it’s a long shot and kid is already in at Salisbury and UMBC with merit. But I’m still hopeful….nervous….

Updating this. He did not get in.

Ah well. It’s nice that he will get to go somewhere with merit

Anonymous wrote:PP here with high-stats MCPS kid who was rejected. No, not going to reach out to a counselor in case there was a "mistake." DC is in at Pitt, and thought UMD was a safety... Now awaiting a bunch of RD decisions from more selective schools. Good news is that they really liked Pitt. (Parents are just mad that the in-state school rejected our kid, with those stats.)

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Anonymous wrote:DC rejected. So sad. 3.7, lots of ECs, APs & honors, 98% ACT scores, dad's an alum.

OP, that is super surprising. 3.7 unweighted? ACT score was high enough. Did he write a decent essay and answer the short answer questions on the common app? Bs in AP and honor courses should not have tanked his application.

Essay and short questions were honestly really good. I don't get it. DC is in at several other schools but wanted MD as a first choice. We're all slightly stunned.

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Anonymous wrote:Rejected. In total shock. High stats (4.6 W, 11 APs, 34 ACT), great ECs, MCPS. We're hoping it's a yield thing, and this doesn't bode badly for DCs RD applications

What were your kid's AP scores? What HS and what is the unweighted GPA.

I feel like the entire college process can be a crap shoot. I’ve heard of one high stats kid who didn’t fill out the application correctly and got denied for that reason. But every year there are highly qualified kids who for some reason aren’t accepted.

I’m a scientist. I’d want to see national standardized test scores to better compare kids, especially the ones with strong gpas and advanced courses. Otherwise who knows what grade inflation and easy teaching went on. I’m want know they can hack it in exam conditions too, given MCPS did away with finals.

See what I mean? Test optional isn’t really test optional when you’re competing for limited seats.

I'm an engineer. I believe that plenty of significant and noteworthy observations are not numerically quantifiable.

Obviously. But when two applicants fight for one seat and they have the same gpa, courses and extras, the one who submits scores to prove content mastery will win. The lesson here is that you’ve got to at least prep and attempt the tests, and submit if they’re in line with the top quartile.

UMD says that isn’t what they do. Your post sounds incorrect and like guessing and conjecture rather than fact.