Priority Application
Unweighted GPA: 3.67
Weighted GPA: 4.10
SAT: 1350 (R&W 670; Math 680) – only took SAT one time
ACT: Did not take
In-State: Howard County
Intended Major: Journalism (LEP)
Alternate Major: Undecided
Have taken almost all Honors and GT classes through four years of high school. Took my first AP in my junior year which was AP Physics I and ended up with a C in the class. Other than that, all A’s with a few B’s over four years. I have taken a foreign language for three years as well as many fine arts courses.
Senior year schedule consists of AP English 12, AP Psychology, Journalism II, Astronomy, Music Technology II, Athletic Director Assistant, and AP Statistics.
Essay: I wrote what I think was a very good essay about finding out about my peanut/treenut allergy and how different it has made my life as well as my family’s. I also talked about how I have made it a positive thing by making me very responsible starting at a young age, communicating with adults and peers, and building trusting, close friendships.
Leadership Activities:
National Honor Society member since my junior year.
Editor of the school newspaper.
Part of our school leadership program, specifically the mentoring program.
Athletics:
Played high school soccer for four years (2 JV, 2 Varsity) and was team captain.
Captain of travel soccer team for three years.
Community Service:
I have been the head coach of a Under-9 rec soccer team for two years.
Volunteer at elementary school (tutor students and stock food pantry).
Employment:
Camp Counselor and Assistant to the Director of Recreation for my soccer club (one of, if not the biggest club in the state), working with other coaches and coaching younger players.
Short answer questions touched on still being best friends with a lot of the people I met in kindergarten while adding new friends over the years, learning from my grandfather at a young age and how important my family is, and an interest in math and statistics besides my intended major.
My recommendation letters were submitted without me being able to view them but I have a strong feeling that they were very good. One of them was written by my French teacher who I had for three years since I was a freshman. She has seen me progress from the beginning of high school to the end and we have built a close relationship over the years with common interests outside of academics. The second letter was written by my Modern World History teacher who I had in my junior year. We became very close and he trusted me with many responsibilities but also saw how personable I was with my friends in his class. Often, he and I would talk about soccer and how his son is beginning to be a goalkeeper like I am, with him asking me for advice on how to coach him.
As I am sure you can tell by the immense detail I have described (probably too much), the University of Maryland is my number one choice and I am becoming increasingly anxious about my decision. Howard County is regarded as one of the best counties in the nation academically and I have been told that UMD will only take so many students from a certain county, adding to my concern.
I am very curious as to what the community has to say about my odds of getting accepted. My cousin is a current sophomore at College Park and has told me I have a good chance of getting in. However, he was accepted from a less competitive county and might just be trying to calm my nerves.
Thank you for any feedback and please let me know if there is any additional information that I can provide. Best of luck to everyone else in receiving their decisions.