Anonymous
02/03/2025 18:34
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:In for CSNS honors!
4.98 at Poolesville SMCS/ MCPS
Whats your SAT or ACT score?
Anonymous
02/03/2025 17:08
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a member of the UMD parents group and there is almost a revolt among those with high scoring SATs with perfect or near perfect GPAs who didn’t get Honors. My kid is one of them.
It’s irritating to read about all the TO kids who got Honors.
I'd feel the same way, not remotely fair.
Why do you want UMD so badly if your stats are that high? You could probably get into a much more competitive school. Is it a cost thing? Because top schools usually have really strong endowments and are MUCH more generous with financial aid.
My kid did get into the Honors College, just empathizing with parents of non-TO kids who didn’t. Wanting UMD is not rocket science. For a donut hole family, elite colleges cost 3x as much!
NP here - UMD is a great school - not everyone on DCUM can afford or wants their kids to go further away than is a reasonable driving distance. My high stats kid - 34 ACT, 4.65 GPA (who got in - not TO, not Honors, not CS) - would be paying 2-3x as much to attend a school out of state. Factor in the fact that alot of these donut hole families have 1 or 2 fed parents who all of a sudden don't know if they'll have a job tomorrow, and a low in-state tuition at a very good public college is incredibly attractive - which is why so many apply. Paying anywhere from $45k to $80k per year OOS vs. paying $30K in-state is a real financial decision that should not be shrugged off so lightly.
That is not High Stats. Most likely squeeked in. Tons of kids those same tats rejected at Churchill.
MCPS high stats is 35 or 1550+, 4.8w+.
At Churchil 4.65 is a stoner. My kids friend 4.85 with 1,580 was not sure she get in. She did with honors, but scary they so picky she even has to worry.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 15:05
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In: OOS (DCPS); 4.45 W / 3.9 UW; Government & Politics; Extracurriculars centered around scouting; hoping for merit aid!
Oops, forgot to mention also invited to Honors College
SAT? ACT?
TO
well that is irritating because my kid is in state and had a 1560 SAT, 4.7 WGPA / 3.8 W and got spring admit which is fine except it means she could not be considered for the LEP she wants
Did you research freshman connections at all? https://exst.umd.edu/current-incoming-and-former-umd-students/freshmen-connection
Yes, freshman connection is fine if you don’t want an LEP. Our frustration is that the LP he wants didn’t even get the chance to see his application since he only got freshman connection. If he didn’t want an LEP, we wouldn’t care at all that he only got freshman connection.
FC just means you aren't a direct admit to Engineering. You are making it seem like you have no opportunity to become an engineering student. As others have said - if your student completes the gateway courses within the GPA requirements they will get into Engineering. It honestly is not as bad as you are making it out to be. Your student was accepted to UMD. Many others were not as lucky.
The problem with freshman connection is it means that LEP does not even get to see your application. He is a fantastic applicant for his LEP. It’s frustrating that they didn’t get the chance to review his application. Now we have to decide if he should take the chance of trying to be an internal transfer to his major instate or which is risky, or pay out of state to get his guaranteed major. As Maryland taxpayers, we’d like him to be able to do his major instate and the other Maryland schools don’t offer it (civil engineering).
FC does not eliminate you from getting into engineering. I don't know how I can make it any more clear. https://admissions.umd.edu/academics/current-student-lep-admissions
Yes, getting FC means you CANNOT get into engineering when you are admitted. It means you must be an internal transfer. GO look at the UMD 2029 Parents Group FB site - Eden Rome Hurley from the admission office has directly confirmed that if you are a spring admit/FC - the engineering school does not even get to school your application. As a spring admit you are automatically put in Letters and Sciences.
But you have to take the gateway classes first and if you pass the threshold you are an automatic admit. Even as a freshman direct admit you have to pass a certain threshold. If your kid got FC the likelihood of them getting engineering even as a fall admit is very low. It's not the end all be all. They can still take the gateway classes.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 15:02
Subject: UMD yet?
Genz living the truth that this entire government agency could've been an email
Anonymous
02/03/2025 15:01
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:The entitlement of people thinking their kids "deserved" honors over other kids is astounding to be honest. Welcome to the real world. The SAT is but one piece of information and I don't think it's the end all be all people think it is.
More goes into honors than just grades, it's holistic like the rest of it so they are also looking at ECs, how they respond to their questions, etc.
Thank you so much for saying this. Kids may have worked hard and it shows in their scores and GPA but there is so much more to the selection of students at UMD and Honors. I'm grateful to see the breadth of students being given an opportunity to further their education at UMD.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 13:36
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a member of the UMD parents group and there is almost a revolt among those with high scoring SATs with perfect or near perfect GPAs who didn’t get Honors. My kid is one of them.
It’s irritating to read about all the TO kids who got Honors.
I'd feel the same way, not remotely fair.
Why do you want UMD so badly if your stats are that high? You could probably get into a much more competitive school. Is it a cost thing? Because top schools usually have really strong endowments and are MUCH more generous with financial aid.
My kid did get into the Honors College, just empathizing with parents of non-TO kids who didn’t. Wanting UMD is not rocket science. For a donut hole family, elite colleges cost 3x as much!
NP here - UMD is a great school - not everyone on DCUM can afford or wants their kids to go further away than is a reasonable driving distance. My high stats kid - 34 ACT, 4.65 GPA (who got in - not TO, not Honors, not CS) - would be paying 2-3x as much to attend a school out of state. Factor in the fact that alot of these donut hole families have 1 or 2 fed parents who all of a sudden don't know if they'll have a job tomorrow, and a low in-state tuition at a very good public college is incredibly attractive - which is why so many apply. Paying anywhere from $45k to $80k per year OOS vs. paying $30K in-state is a real financial decision that should not be shrugged off so lightly.
That is not High Stats. Most likely squeeked in. Tons of kids those same tats rejected at Churchill.
MCPS high stats is 35 or 1550+, 4.8w+.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 12:22
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:I’m a member of the UMD parents group and there is almost a revolt among those with high scoring SATs with perfect or near perfect GPAs who didn’t get Honors. My kid is one of them.
It’s irritating to read about all the TO kids who got Honors.
I honestly don't think Honors is about scores -- I think it's about the quality of the teacher recs and the essays (the "holistic" part of the application). My kid did not get Honors despite high scores, but I hold no illusions about DC. Essays and recs probably bore out that DC is not the intellectual type that would thrive in an honors program.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 11:48
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a member of the UMD parents group and there is almost a revolt among those with high scoring SATs with perfect or near perfect GPAs who didn’t get Honors. My kid is one of them.
It’s irritating to read about all the TO kids who got Honors.
I'd feel the same way, not remotely fair.
Why do you want UMD so badly if your stats are that high? You could probably get into a much more competitive school. Is it a cost thing? Because top schools usually have really strong endowments and are MUCH more generous with financial aid.
My kid did get into the Honors College, just empathizing with parents of non-TO kids who didn’t. Wanting UMD is not rocket science. For a donut hole family, elite colleges cost 3x as much!
I think UMD PUNISHED TO kids more. My TO kids friends with same or lower GPAs with high standardized scores got in. Same exact GPA and ECs her best friend my kid but she got 35 ACT and my kid did TO. So my kid did not get in. My daughters friend is super nice, but she did take SAT like 4 times and bombed. Then did ACT several times with Prep and tutoring got a 35.
So in her case scores helped. UMD should have been clearer how they weight Test scores for SAT and ACT. Some kids may have submitted a lower test score and got peanlized or some kids like my kid did TO and did not realize she should have submitted test. Either way my kid wanted in for bragging rights but was not going to go as she wants to go away to school.
But it seems crazy 4.7-4.85 WGPAs from W schools got straight up rejects cause did TO or submitted a test score they should not have.
Here's the problem: colleges see where your kid is from so they assume your kid has the same access to prep or whatever. Your kid is being compared to kids from their school, and a lot of kids from the W schools score high on ACT/SAT.
As someone up thread stated, better to not be in a W cluster. You are just a small fish in a big pond.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 11:39
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a member of the UMD parents group and there is almost a revolt among those with high scoring SATs with perfect or near perfect GPAs who didn’t get Honors. My kid is one of them.
It’s irritating to read about all the TO kids who got Honors.
I'd feel the same way, not remotely fair.
Why do you want UMD so badly if your stats are that high? You could probably get into a much more competitive school. Is it a cost thing? Because top schools usually have really strong endowments and are MUCH more generous with financial aid.
My kid did get into the Honors College, just empathizing with parents of non-TO kids who didn’t. Wanting UMD is not rocket science. For a donut hole family, elite colleges cost 3x as much!
NP here - UMD is a great school - not everyone on DCUM can afford or wants their kids to go further away than is a reasonable driving distance. My high stats kid - 34 ACT, 4.65 GPA (who got in - not TO, not Honors, not CS) - would be paying 2-3x as much to attend a school out of state. Factor in the fact that alot of these donut hole families have 1 or 2 fed parents who all of a sudden don't know if they'll have a job tomorrow, and a low in-state tuition at a very good public college is incredibly attractive - which is why so many apply. Paying anywhere from $45k to $80k per year OOS vs. paying $30K in-state is a real financial decision that should not be shrugged off so lightly.
That is not High Stats. Most likely squeeked in. Tons of kids those same tats rejected at Churchill.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 11:37
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a member of the UMD parents group and there is almost a revolt among those with high scoring SATs with perfect or near perfect GPAs who didn’t get Honors. My kid is one of them.
It’s irritating to read about all the TO kids who got Honors.
I'd feel the same way, not remotely fair.
Why do you want UMD so badly if your stats are that high? You could probably get into a much more competitive school. Is it a cost thing? Because top schools usually have really strong endowments and are MUCH more generous with financial aid.
My kid did get into the Honors College, just empathizing with parents of non-TO kids who didn’t. Wanting UMD is not rocket science. For a donut hole family, elite colleges cost 3x as much!
I think UMD PUNISHED TO kids more. My TO kids friends with same or lower GPAs with high standardized scores got in. Same exact GPA and ECs her best friend my kid but she got 35 ACT and my kid did TO. So my kid did not get in. My daughters friend is super nice, but she did take SAT like 4 times and bombed. Then did ACT several times with Prep and tutoring got a 35.
So in her case scores helped. UMD should have been clearer how they weight Test scores for SAT and ACT. Some kids may have submitted a lower test score and got peanlized or some kids like my kid did TO and did not realize she should have submitted test. Either way my kid wanted in for bragging rights but was not going to go as she wants to go away to school.
But it seems crazy 4.7-4.85 WGPAs from W schools got straight up rejects cause did TO or submitted a test score they should not have.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 11:24
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a member of the UMD parents group and there is almost a revolt among those with high scoring SATs with perfect or near perfect GPAs who didn’t get Honors. My kid is one of them.
It’s irritating to read about all the TO kids who got Honors.
I'd feel the same way, not remotely fair.
Why do you want UMD so badly if your stats are that high? You could probably get into a much more competitive school. Is it a cost thing? Because top schools usually have really strong endowments and are MUCH more generous with financial aid.
My kid did get into the Honors College, just empathizing with parents of non-TO kids who didn’t. Wanting UMD is not rocket science. For a donut hole family, elite colleges cost 3x as much!
NP here - UMD is a great school - not everyone on DCUM can afford or wants their kids to go further away than is a reasonable driving distance. My high stats kid - 34 ACT, 4.65 GPA (who got in - not TO, not Honors, not CS) - would be paying 2-3x as much to attend a school out of state. Factor in the fact that alot of these donut hole families have 1 or 2 fed parents who all of a sudden don't know if they'll have a job tomorrow, and a low in-state tuition at a very good public college is incredibly attractive - which is why so many apply. Paying anywhere from $45k to $80k per year OOS vs. paying $30K in-state is a real financial decision that should not be shrugged off so lightly.
Honors college is not the same as a free ride. There scholarship possibilities, but not guaranteed. I'm just saying that if $$ is the main concern, there are lots of FA options for donut hole families with high stats kids at well-endowed private schools.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 11:20
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In: OOS (DCPS); 4.45 W / 3.9 UW; Government & Politics; Extracurriculars centered around scouting; hoping for merit aid!
Oops, forgot to mention also invited to Honors College
SAT? ACT?
TO
well that is irritating because my kid is in state and had a 1560 SAT, 4.7 WGPA / 3.8 W and got spring admit which is fine except it means she could not be considered for the LEP she wants
Did you research freshman connections at all? https://exst.umd.edu/current-incoming-and-former-umd-students/freshmen-connection
Yes, freshman connection is fine if you don’t want an LEP. Our frustration is that the LP he wants didn’t even get the chance to see his application since he only got freshman connection. If he didn’t want an LEP, we wouldn’t care at all that he only got freshman connection.
The problem with freshman connection is it means that LEP does not even get to see your application. He is a fantastic applicant for his LEP. It’s frustrating that they didn’t get the chance to review his application. Now we have to decide if he should take the chance of trying to be an internal transfer to his major instate or which is risky, or pay out of state to get his guaranteed major. As Maryland taxpayers, we’d like him to be able to do his major instate and the other Maryland schools don’t offer it (civil engineering).
FC does not eliminate you from getting into engineering. I don't know how I can make it any more clear. https://admissions.umd.edu/academics/current-student-lep-admissions
Yes, getting FC means you CANNOT get into engineering when you are admitted. It means you must be an internal transfer. GO look at the UMD 2029 Parents Group FB site - Eden Rome Hurley from the admission office has directly confirmed that if you are a spring admit/FC - the engineering school does not even get to school your application. As a spring admit you are automatically put in Letters and Sciences.
But you have to take the gateway classes first and if you pass the threshold you are an automatic admit. Even as a freshman direct admit you have to pass a certain threshold. If your kid got FC the likelihood of them getting engineering even as a fall admit is very low. It's not the end all be all. They can still take the gateway classes.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 11:16
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In: OOS (DCPS); 4.45 W / 3.9 UW; Government & Politics; Extracurriculars centered around scouting; hoping for merit aid!
Oops, forgot to mention also invited to Honors College
SAT? ACT?
TO
well that is irritating because my kid is in state and had a 1560 SAT, 4.7 WGPA / 3.8 W and got spring admit which is fine except it means she could not be considered for the LEP she wants
Did you research freshman connections at all? https://exst.umd.edu/current-incoming-and-former-umd-students/freshmen-connection
Yes, freshman connection is fine if you don’t want an LEP. Our frustration is that the LP he wants didn’t even get the chance to see his application since he only got freshman connection. If he didn’t want an LEP, we wouldn’t care at all that he only got freshman connection.
The problem with freshman connection is it means that LEP does not even get to see your application. He is a fantastic applicant for his LEP. It’s frustrating that they didn’t get the chance to review his application. Now we have to decide if he should take the chance of trying to be an internal transfer to his major instate or which is risky, or pay out of state to get his guaranteed major. As Maryland taxpayers, we’d like him to be able to do his major instate and the other Maryland schools don’t offer it (civil engineering).
FC does not eliminate you from getting into engineering. I don't know how I can make it any more clear. https://admissions.umd.edu/academics/current-student-lep-admissions
Yes, getting FC means you CANNOT get into engineering when you are admitted. It means you must be an internal transfer. GO look at the UMD 2029 Parents Group FB site - Eden Rome Hurley from the admission office has directly confirmed that if you are a spring admit/FC - the engineering school does not even get to school your application. As a spring admit you are automatically put in Letters and Sciences.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 10:58
Subject: UMD yet?
Ton of business kids in honors too, plus I know English and History majors too…. Top scores these past couple years along with high stats, club leaders etc… are not always that helpful. UMD does not want AS MANY MOCO magnet students as they used to, and MOCO students in general. It is more helpful if you come from another MD county.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 10:46
Subject: UMD yet?
Anonymous wrote:It seems that honors/scholars skew towards engineering.
More than 27% of the honors college students are in engineering for the class of 2028.
Total % of first year undergrad engineering students is probably closer to 12%.
From https://eng.umd.edu/facts-figures
Honors College and College Park Scholars
254 (27.8%) first-year enrolled ENGR students are in the Honors College
166 (18.1%) first-year enrolled ENGR students are in College Park Scholars
General numbers
https://research.umd.edu/who-we-are/facts-and-figures
My guess is that most of the kids with high stats at UMD are STEM students, and that's why a large % of honors invitees are Stem majors, my own CS/math major kid included.