Anonymous wrote:yes, it can be with an over 50% acceptance rate for instate

UMCP Engineering does not have a 50% acceptance rate.

UMD is great at the hardest majors.

Anonymous wrote:There is UMD and then there is UMD Engineering, ranked #16 overall in the country (both for public and private).

Anything Engineering usually puts it in a different category. When we made a list, Target schools started looking like Reaches only due to the major.

Engineering majors usually put schools in a different category. When we made our list, target schools started looking like reaches solely due to the major.
Most of the top public engineering programs admit by major, and there can be significant differences in the admitted student profile for each school or major within a university. People often quote the overall acceptance rate and admitted student profile for the entire college, when in reality engineering and other high-demand majors might require significantly higher GPAs, more rigorous coursework, and higher test scores. Even for test-optional schools, there's generally a preference for test scores among engineering applicants.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One student’s safety can be another student’s reach. If you have a hard time understanding this concept (which many in DCUM do), you need to find someone else to advise on your kid’s college application.

I am confused. How does me asking whether this particular school can be a safety for some students, when I obviously know it's a reach or target for other students mean I am confused about this concept? It seems like you are confused by the questions.

There are schools like MIT that are reaches for everyone.

There are schools like UT Austin, that are reaches for many people, and safeties for others because their admissions policies guarantee acceptance to certain groups of students.

I am asking if there are groups of students for whom UMD is a safety.

Fine, OP. The answer is no. UMD Engineering is not a safety.

Anonymous wrote:If he doesn’t get in, do freshman year at UMBC to get pre-requisites out of the way and then transfer—do this instead of gap year.

This is sound advice!

There is UMD and then there is UMD Engineering, ranked #16 overall in the country (both for public and private).

Anything Engineering usually puts it in a different category. When we made a list, Target schools started looking like Reaches only due to the major.

Anonymous wrote:One student’s safety can be another student’s reach. If you have a hard time understanding this concept (which many in DCUM do), you need to find someone else to advise on your kid’s college application.

I am confused. How does me asking whether this particular school can be a safety for some students, when I obviously know it's a reach or target for other students mean I am confused about this concept? It seems like you are confused by the questions.

There are schools like MIT that are reaches for everyone.

There are schools like UT Austin, that are reaches for many people, and safeties for others because their admissions policies guarantee acceptance to certain groups of students.

I am asking if there are groups of students for whom UMD is a safety.

Sure but only to fools

Anonymous wrote:One student’s safety can be another student’s reach. If you have a hard time understanding this concept (which many in DCUM do), you need to find someone else to advise on your kid’s college application.

Isn't a safety school generally defined as one where you exceed the 75th percentile for test scores and GPA? Are those numbers published for Maryland engineering?

I think what happens with Maryland and Virginia Tech is that students who meet or exceed the GPA thresholds still get rejected if they're from certain high-demand areas in their state. A school like Minnesota has published their engineering profile, showing 75th percentiles of an unweighted 4.0 GPA and 1510/34 for SAT/ACT. Since Maryland is generally seen as a tougher admit than Minnesota, I'm assuming their stats would be just as strong. It's going to be pretty tough to exceed those stats, and if you're from a high-demand area where most students are exceeding those benchmarks, admission might not be as assured as one would think.