<p>Pack mom, thanks for sharing a success story.
Our CC is OK, but he would likely go to another university try to transfer to UMDCP if he doesn’t get in as a freshman. It has gotten really tough to get in there. This year the average GPA of accepted students was 4.11.</p>
<p>Check to see whether UMDCP transfer admissions favors those from community colleges versus other four year schools if that is the intended option if he does not get into UMDCP.</p>
<p>May I ask two questions of those of you are MD residents: have the relative positions of U Delaware & U Md switched since say 1985 and is it more difficult for MD residents to be admitted to U MD than it is for OOS residents to be admitted to U MD?</p>
<p>We always had two or three boys from my HS in NY going down to MD or Delaware to play Lax, but I also remember a couple of girls attending Delaware for an honors’ college. I feel like I now hear MD mentioned more often than Delaware, but that may be just be my very limited exposure to either. Thank you!</p>
<p>S applied only to 3 schools. 2 safeties and a reach and he ended up going to the in-state flagship. However, Junior “spring break” we did the “Great Mid-Atlantic College Tour” and looked at 4 schools, all affordable and matches or safeties. I don’t think he really cared about visiting any schools, but we made the trip pleasant by visiting one historical site each day ( S is a history nut). He found the schools were academically similar, he didn’t feel like he missed anything special, and he found he preferred rural schools (yay St. Mary’s College of Maryland!). In the end, he was sure of his choice to go to the State U because he didn’t find anything better.</p>
<p>Advice, when dragging a reluctant kid: make it a vacation. Do only one school per day and never ever go on an open house day!</p>
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Perhaps this is because admissions to VT are regional instate, and it is very competitive from NoVa, this just doesn’t compute. Kids from our HS have an easier time getting into UMDCP then VT.</p>
<p>Glad you chimed in on that as a fellow Virginian, blueiguana. Virginia Tech is not as competitive instate as UVa and William and Mary, but is competitive nonetheless, especially in engineering and architecture for kids from NoVa and other major cities in Virginia. Average GPA at admission is over 3.9 these days. UVa is easily over 4.0. Virginia Tech is about 30 per cent out of state and some OOS kids do seem to have an easier time getting into Virginia Tech than many instate kids. Much to the dismay of lots of instate families. Virginia legislators are very used to hearing complaints from their constituents about instate kids getting denied to UVa, Wm & Mary and Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>Just the opposite here in NC where OOS student admits are capped at 18%. I think instate kids should have the best shot at getting in their own state’s u’s.</p>
<p>If fall admissions for UMCP look iffy, have him discuss the possibility of applying for summer or spring instead. Rumor has it that it is significantly easier to get in for those terms.</p>
<p>I’m one of the posters who is a big advocate of visits and I would NOT force my kids to visit schools. When our kids asked we took them to see schools. If I were you I would talk to my kid and suggest a couple visits … so see what other options might be … however if he said no that would be the end of the conversation. </p>
<p>PS - at my kid’s school the other kids tend to kick start and energize the kids not so interested in their search … so some interest may pop up later (or not).</p>
<p>Re: #28</p>
<p>Most universities are pretty easy to attend in the summer, but summer admission does not necessarily mean being able to attend in the fall or spring, or enter as a degree seeking student.</p>
<p>At UMCP, one can apply for spring admission on a rolling space-available basis. However, it also appears that UMCP also admits some fall applicants to start in the spring, so the extra spring capacity that would otherwise be available for those who apply for spring admission is likely to be minimal.</p>
<p>I guess I would suggest, not force, him to look at a couple other schools-a small and a medium sized school just to make sure it IS what he wants. Of course he likes it, he knows the campus, etc. If he doesn’t have anything to compare it to, however, there may be a lot of what if’s next year at this time. Do they have rolling admissions? If so, apply early next year, Sept 1st or whenever they open and see how it goes. Depending on his stats, it might not be the least affordable option out there so don’t get caught up in the automatic assumption that state schools are less expensive, for most better students, that isn’t always the case. Our state schools are our most expensive option after merit awards have come through. Just something to look into.</p>
<p>SteveMa, I know you’re a big proponent of looking for merit aid at privates as an alternative to one’s state schools. However, not everyone wants to do that. If you have good state schools that your kid likes and you can afford (which seems to be the OP’s situation in Maryland and was ours in Virginia), it may not be worth the time and effort to chase after merit aid, especially if it means potentially ending up at a lower tier school (than Maryland) to get the merit aid. It can’t hurt to keep a couple of other schools in mind though in case Maryland doesn’t pan out .</p>
<p>sevmom–the OP is asking about visiting other colleges and specifically said that she did not think a private school would be as reasonable. I was simply pointing out that it isn’t true at all. It’s not “chasing” anything and it’s not hard to find schools that give merit…or other aid even for high income families–Dickinson is a prime example of that. Depending on family income–Harvard will be less expensive then any state school…</p>
<p>Yes, if you can get into Harvard! 
In looking at Dickinson’s website, it looked like their highest merit award is $20,000 a year. The cost of attendance is $58,250 per year.</p>
<p>sevmom–run the NPC–they are VERY generous with financial aid. They are the only school we found that would give us “financial” aid outside of loans and our EFC is higher than the COA there.</p>
<p>That is great, SteveMa. It is wonderful that you have found good options for your kids. For kids and families that feel they have good instate options (Virginia,NC,Michigan,etc, in this case the OP’s son really likes Maryland), oftentimes the state school works out very well. Lots of kids really do like the idea of going to their state school. Lots of great schools out there though, both public and private. Good luck to the OP’s son !</p>
<p>While I wouldnt “force” anything, you are fortunate to be in an area where it is relatively easy to check out schools that are an easy drive. A big, small, urban, rural option is great, in case he realizes he wants something different. Its fine to apply to only a few schools (my older s applied to 2, younger to 4) but we visited a whole bunch of schools. Good luck!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t force visit either. However, I also wouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket. Get UMD app in early (by Nov 1) for sure. I would also have him apply to similar state schools in other states that are easier admits (Delaware, Indiana) and/or privates where merit money is generous (Miami, Tulane). If he gets into Maryland, you will know by February and can put the deposit down. With the other schools that I threw out there (randomly),you would hear from 3 of 4 by February also if he applies EA. But no need to visit if he gets into Maryland and you are all happy with that decision.</p>
<p>If the adolescent lives in FL., and has high stats, he can go to state U’s for free, as well as U of Miami, Rollins, and possibly other schools. To this day, I hear parents boasting that their child got merit aid to HYP et al–as if!!!</p>
<p>As far as not wanting to visit local colleges, just to get a feel for large/rural/frat, I liken that to someone who may not be ready to leave home. I’d feel the same way if the parent was pushing and prodding the child to get applications in on time. A year at the local U or CC won’t hurt.</p>
<p>OP here. I am very familiar with the privates/merit money vs. State schools “game.” My older son received a 25K scholarship which made his attendance at a very good private cheaper than all options except UMD in-state. BC we felt it the school was a great fit for him we went that route, even though he was accepted to a limited enrollment program and the scholars program at UMD, and was offered a scholarship there. He had VERY high test scores, several college credits, and almost exclusively GT/AP classes. My younger son hasn’t taken the SAT, SAT 2s, or ACT yet, so I don’t have those data points. His grades are very good but not great, and he hasn’t taken quite as many AP classes. In my opinion, he won’t do quite as well with merit money as my older child, at the tier of privates as good as or better than UMD. My younger son knows we spent quite a bit more than budget for my older son, and he still really want to go to UMD. He does recognize, per our latest discussion, at he should look at a couple of other schools, so I don’t think it will be a huge problem to get him out. But I do nt plan to stress nearly as much as I did for the older child, who wanted “the most prestigious” school I was wiling to pay for. Different kids, different things important : )</p>