I am considering The University of Maryland at College Park, however looking at the average SAT scores (1380) I am quite discouraged because my score is 1080 while i know the University does consider the weighted GPA on the 5.0, the average GPA there is a 4.28 while my Gpa is a 4.5 , I am wondering if I’d have any chance of acceptance with such a low sat score but a high GPA? I also volunteer (about 30 hrs right now) , have an active job, am a FTC and BEST robotics competitor (with my school) with advances to state competitions, and a member of NHS.
Your SAT is currently well below the 25th percentile for UMD which would make the college a major reach for you. I would study hard and retake the SAT in the fall – there are free online resources such as Khan Academy which could help.
Your high GPA is not going to make up for the low SAT score. You need both. I agree that this would be a reach school.
You have time to retake the SAT or try the ACT.
@momofsenior1 For the school I go to we don’t take the act for awhile into senior year and I would like to take it before senior year starts but I don’t know where to start nor am I familiar with the test
@TaiTayTye How much SAT preparation did you do?
@DadTwoGirls at my school it was required sophomore year that we take a class specifically for Sat preparation. I went from having a 940 on the PSAT to a 1080 on the SAT
Are you in state for Mayland? Then talk with your counselor about the likelihood of admission at UM-CP. your counselor knows what scores and grades have been good enough for admission there in the past few years.
@happymomof1 I am from Texas
Why the interest in UM-CP? Surely you have decent options in your state.
If you are convinced that UM-CP is the place for you, talk with your own guidance counselor. Maybe other students from your school (or other schools where that counselor has colleagues working) have applied recently.
@happymomof1 I am applying to the few universities here in Texas that have my major and I’m also looking at universities in MD with my major because I know people there and also because I’ve been in Texas my whole life however Maryland is an option for if for some reason none of the Universities I want here accept me or if I were somehow able to get into a college such as UMBC that rank higher than a certain college here. Though UMBC would kind of still be a reach for me I feel as though I’d have a better chance than at UMCP
Can you afford the out of state costs of attending a college in MD?
UMBC is generally easier to get into than UMCP.
^^^ Good point. Before you get too excited about applying anywhere, sit down with your parents and run the Net Price Calculators on their websites.
I honestly had a similar problem (1290 and 4.5). I have to do Freshman Connection, but I got in!