Chances, Please?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
1

<p>Ok, so I'm a current senior applying by priority, in-state. This is a semi-detailed list of my stats.</p>

<p>UW GPA: 2.98 (one of my AP teachers second semester (junior year) gave me a C, when I should have gotten a B. A grade change is in progress, but I don't know how to go about reporting this. Otherwise, it'd be a 3.0)</p>

<p>WGPA: 3.68</p>

<p>GPA (9th, 10th, 11th): 3.07, 3.28, 3.0 (without grade change)/3.07 (with grade change)
The 3.0 cumulative comes from even more horrid grades in middle school (high school classes) that count toward my GPA. </p>

<p>SAT: 1440/1600, 2230/2400 (Retaking in November)</p>

<p>Classes: All honors freshman year, All honors and one AP Sophomore year, 6 APs + 1 honors junior year, 5 APs this year. (total 12 AP classes)</p>

<p>Junior Year classes:</p>

<p>AP Lang
AP World
AP Psych
AP Calc BC
AP Stat
AP Chinese
Honors Chem</p>

<p>ECs:
-English teacher to foreign adults
-Summer Internship (at a university)
-Various volunteer activities</p>

<p>Given this information, do you think I have a chance at getting in? I know my GPA has consistently been exceptionally low and that it's totally obvious I didn't apply myself. </p>

<p>Oh, and also, will my November SAT score even be considered for admissions (since I'm applying by Nov. 1)? And if it is, I'm worried that they might delay the reviewing of my application until they get the score, thereby diminishing my chances of being accepted. If this does delay the reviewing process, I probably just won't report it to them.</p>

<p>Thanks! :)</p>

2

<p>You need to somehow explain away how you could be so smart to blow out the SAT and yet not carry a 3.0.</p>

<p>Even though you are IS, you placed yourself in a precarious situation. Admissions know you have the brains, but you show no upward trend regarding grades. They could feel safer if it went 3.0, 3.07. 3.28, but you are all over the charts.</p>

<p>I see no reason to re-take the SAT, it is already at the high end, it is your gpa that will be the killer. You need to figure out how to qualm their fears through your essays. Colleges are well aware that even the best student through hs might drop their gpa, that is why probation exists. You have the problem of proving to them that you learned your lesson and buckled down, but that drop in jr yr is not going to give them warm comfy feelings.</p>

<p>The only way to not be accepted is to not apply!</p>

3

<p>I agree that you’re in, since you’re in-state. However, I think the GPA will keep you from getting any merit, and probably impact your ability to get into one of the LEPs. Your SAT is certainly within the honors range, but I doubt you’d get an honors invite because of the GPA.</p>

4

<p>I think he’s in because he took a ridiculously hard schedule (12 APs) which probably affected his GPA.</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the input, everyone. I feel a little less hopeless now. :)</p>

<p>Well, I called the admissions office, and they said the November SAT scores will not be considered for priority admissions, so I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. But UMCP only looks at the Math+Critical Reading, and 1440/1600 is not so great. =/ </p>

<p>I guess I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed then! :|</p>

6

<p>1440/1600 is pretty good for U Maryland.</p>

7

<p>u will get in easy</p>

8

<p>Odd, the college rep that came to my school said they are pretty sure they will get the November SAT scores.</p>

9

<p>Key words…pretty sure… that is not a definite. You could ask 5 people and get 5 different answers, the person that will know for sure is the one in charge of compiling the folders for admission review, not the receptionist, nor the person visiting the school. The people visiting schools are hired to be “recruiters” they are given training and briefing on admissions, but they are not typically the people that sit on the boards. Their job is to sell the school to students. That is why they have those pretty slide shows down pat.</p>

10

<p>no ive been on visits and spoken with maryland at college fairs- there is always this one guy ibve seen every time and he is an admissions counselor.</p>

11

<p>Hmm, that’s odd. I think I’ll give the admissions office another call tomorrow.</p>

<p>That’s another thing - for anyone who’s doing/done the online application, where the heck do you provide “additional information” or write a statement about ECs (if we’re supposed to, that is)? Geez. People are telling me to indicate interest in UMD, but this application is so impersonal, and I don’t think it’s really appropriate to talk about academic career (or about my interest in Maryland) in the essays, since the prompts are rather specific. -_-</p>

12

<p>This may also depend on your high school. The admissions office will be familiar with how competitive your high school is; that would also be a reason for grades and scores not being even. Your GC should be able to tell you whether students with similar stats have been accepted.</p>

<p>The bad news is that Maryland will make you wait longer than almost any other school in the country. It was the last acceptance to come to our house last year.</p>

13

<p>I’m not sure that’s true all around, MD Mom. Maryland was the first acceptance we got last year, even ahead of our local big state.</p>

14

<p>Same with us. It beat out NYU, UMiami, and Notre Dame. Of course DS didn’t care once he got the UMD because the rest were gravy. His 1st choices were between UMDCP and the AFA</p>