Anonymous
02/06/2026 07:48
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
I have a kid who got into Stanford, Penn, Yale, Columbia, Hopkins, Georgetown, WashU, Michigan, and UVA Echols. Waitlisted Brown
4.0 unweighted, 36 ACT in 1 sitting Highest rigor in her graduating class.
What I learned is that once you start attending admitted student days you see the same families over and over at the different schools. There are some kids whose applications just resonate with admissions. I think a lot of it has to do with the letters of recommendation.
4.0 unweighted, 36 ACT in 1 sitting Highest rigor in her graduating class.
What I learned is that once you start attending admitted student days you see the same families over and over at the different schools. There are some kids whose applications just resonate with admissions. I think a lot of it has to do with the letters of recommendation.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 23:32
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:Had a kid that is a little similar to OP’s kid. I would say to not expect too much with the RDs. I think you may pick up one. Maybe two—maybe. The competition is significantly greater in RD, so DD has to really fit the school well, and to not need a lot of aid.
If UMD did not offer merit with those stats, that would seem really odd.
UMichigan deferral is odd also.
Something’s a bit off.
Good luck OP!
You did have a point that no merit @UMD is odd with that stats.
Best wishes.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 23:20
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Fingers crossed that your kid will get into one of the reaches. If she gets an interview for the UMD BK scholarship, odds increase. Best of luck for the RD season.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 19:13
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Had a kid that is a little similar to OP’s kid. I would say to not expect too much with the RDs. I think you may pick up one. Maybe two—maybe. The competition is significantly greater in RD, so DD has to really fit the school well, and to not need a lot of aid.
If UMD did not offer merit with those stats, that would seem really odd.
UMichigan deferral is odd also.
Something’s a bit off.
Good luck OP!
What is the difference betwee pick up one and pick up 15? None!
No. The difference is price. Since it is not her ED (MIT was), then it’s more like a fishing expedition, to see what fish she can catch and compare. Will that “one” be worth the price, over just going with UMD or UMass —both less expensive than anything else she’s considering (and both great schools for engineering).
That mentality seems somewhat greedy. Normally, people would be happy to get even one.
DP here. Yes, people would be happy to get just one, but when all of the top schools are "lottery" schools taking less than 10%, you don't know which "one" will be the lucky one. That is why my kid applied to 20 reach schools (and 5 target/safeties).
Anonymous
02/05/2026 19:06
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:DD got into the honors program (with merit) at UMass and honors program at UMD. Deferred MI, deferred MIT (this is why there's no ED). Do the honors program acceptances indicate top tier schools in March? I realize you're not fortune tellers but I was hoping if you've seen honors acceptances EA you might have seen what happens next. Major is STEM. Great and relevant ecs. 1590 SAT. 4.0 unweighted and no ranking in the school. This wait is hard. CMU, Northwestern, Hopkins and a variety of ivies plus the deferrals are what we're waiting on.
NOVA HS class of 23. We found schools all over the place.
UMD EA Honors and CS direct admit w/ merit
CWRU EA deferred accepted w/merit
WM RD Monroe Scholar
BU and Lehigh RD Accepted w/merit
Ohio St. EA accepted w/merit
UMN Rolling accepted w/merit
Pitt Rolling accepted no merit
UVA EA deferred WL
NEU EA deferred WL
Anonymous
02/05/2026 18:28
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Had a kid that is a little similar to OP’s kid. I would say to not expect too much with the RDs. I think you may pick up one. Maybe two—maybe. The competition is significantly greater in RD, so DD has to really fit the school well, and to not need a lot of aid.
If UMD did not offer merit with those stats, that would seem really odd.
UMichigan deferral is odd also.
Something’s a bit off.
Good luck OP!
What is the difference betwee pick up one and pick up 15? None!
No. The difference is price. Since it is not her ED (MIT was), then it’s more like a fishing expedition, to see what fish she can catch and compare. Will that “one” be worth the price, over just going with UMD or UMass —both less expensive than anything else she’s considering (and both great schools for engineering).
That mentality seems somewhat greedy. Normally, people would be happy to get even one.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 14:56
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Had a kid that is a little similar to OP’s kid. I would say to not expect too much with the RDs. I think you may pick up one. Maybe two—maybe. The competition is significantly greater in RD, so DD has to really fit the school well, and to not need a lot of aid.
If UMD did not offer merit with those stats, that would seem really odd.
UMichigan deferral is odd also.
Something’s a bit off.
Good luck OP!
What is the difference betwee pick up one and pick up 15? None!
No. The difference is price. Since it is not her ED (MIT was), then it’s more like a fishing expedition, to see what fish she can catch and compare. Will that “one” be worth the price, over just going with UMD or UMass —both less expensive than anything else she’s considering (and both great schools for engineering).
Anonymous
02/05/2026 14:53
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:RD becomes a total crap shoot because you have such huge numbers of applicants plus the deferred kids who by definition are qualified kids the colleges would take.
You may get picked in RD, you may not. It's really just a lottery. I had a senior last year and I know multiple super smart kids with perfect stats who went 0/15 among top20 schools in RD, a small handful who went 1/15 (including my own) and one kid who went 5/15.
Highlights the importance of applying wide in RD. If your DC applied to 10 or 7, most likely they won't get that lottery.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 14:48
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:Had a kid that is a little similar to OP’s kid. I would say to not expect too much with the RDs. I think you may pick up one. Maybe two—maybe. The competition is significantly greater in RD, so DD has to really fit the school well, and to not need a lot of aid.
If UMD did not offer merit with those stats, that would seem really odd.
UMichigan deferral is odd also.
Something’s a bit off.
Good luck OP!
Also, hard to get into top Engineering w/out competitions, etc. Why no Virginia Tech, Purdue, Penn State or Pitt? I think those would have worked, with merit. I know several students that received great merit from those colleges. All were Engineering applicants.
Seems like OPs DD put a lot of weight on applying to reaches and perhaps not targets. Perhaps she is ultimately okay with UMass or UMD.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 14:45
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:RD becomes a total crap shoot because you have such huge numbers of applicants plus the deferred kids who by definition are qualified kids the colleges would take.
You may get picked in RD, you may not. It's really just a lottery. I had a senior last year and I know multiple super smart kids with perfect stats who went 0/15 among top20 schools in RD, a small handful who went 1/15 (including my own) and one kid who went 5/15.
what did this kid have?
Anonymous
02/05/2026 14:45
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:Had a kid that is a little similar to OP’s kid. I would say to not expect too much with the RDs. I think you may pick up one. Maybe two—maybe. The competition is significantly greater in RD, so DD has to really fit the school well, and to not need a lot of aid.
If UMD did not offer merit with those stats, that would seem really odd.
UMichigan deferral is odd also.
Something’s a bit off.
Good luck OP!
What is the difference betwee pick up one and pick up 15? None!
Anonymous
02/05/2026 14:38
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
RD becomes a total crap shoot because you have such huge numbers of applicants plus the deferred kids who by definition are qualified kids the colleges would take.
You may get picked in RD, you may not. It's really just a lottery. I had a senior last year and I know multiple super smart kids with perfect stats who went 0/15 among top20 schools in RD, a small handful who went 1/15 (including my own) and one kid who went 5/15.
You may get picked in RD, you may not. It's really just a lottery. I had a senior last year and I know multiple super smart kids with perfect stats who went 0/15 among top20 schools in RD, a small handful who went 1/15 (including my own) and one kid who went 5/15.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 14:34
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Had a kid that is a little similar to OP’s kid. I would say to not expect too much with the RDs. I think you may pick up one. Maybe two—maybe. The competition is significantly greater in RD, so DD has to really fit the school well, and to not need a lot of aid.
If UMD did not offer merit with those stats, that would seem really odd.
UMichigan deferral is odd also.
Something’s a bit off.
Good luck OP!
If UMD did not offer merit with those stats, that would seem really odd.
UMichigan deferral is odd also.
Something’s a bit off.
Good luck OP!
Anonymous
02/04/2026 17:57
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Anonymous wrote:Umass seems like a safety and UMD is a target. All others are reaches. Did she apply to any other targets?
The others are reaches for everyone, and everyone knows that.
Why would you need that many targets?
I think OP is very smart. RD is a numbers game.
Anonymous
02/04/2026 17:40
Subject: Experienced Moms: Help With A Prediction For College Results For RD?
Umass seems like a safety and UMD is a target. All others are reaches. Did she apply to any other targets?