My grades suck, but can my talents get me into University of Maryland College Park?

Question

Im a male senior in high school right now. I havent gotten the best grades, and my sat's are just under decent, but I have alotta talent and abilities. Can I get into umcp with this?

GPA 1st quarter:2.43(I can bring it up to at least 3.5 2nd quarter guaranteed)

extracurriculars:
philosophy club(winter 2007-spring 2008)
varsity rugby(spring 2008)

SAT:
M:610
R:460
W:530

Talents:
I can speak Bengali, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese

plus I can play violin, viola, cello, bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, drums, and xylophone

I also had a very abusive and difficult childhood. plus my mom just married last year. I'll include that in the essay because it made my grades kinda slip.

plus I live in maryland and Im a minority(India) but im a US citizen though

I really wanna study criminal justice and become a state trooper then a Marine Corps officer later. Ill also consider ROTC in college.

but can I get in?

Answer 1

My advice would be to start at one of the community colleges that "feeds into" UM College Park, which is the most competitive of the UM campuses. If you do well at the CC and have a certain number of credits, you don't need to rely on your HG grades.

I started at a CC, transferred to the 4-year state school, and later went to an Ivy League graduate school. CCs are not just for vocational training--they are for people like you and me who need a bit more time to catch up. Here is more information from the UM website:

The University of Maryland seeks transfer applicants who have shown success in their post-secondary academic work, and who offer diverse backgrounds, geographic origins, and personal experiences.

Students who graduated from high school and subsequently completed at least 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours during a regular term (this excludes summer school) at a regionally accredited college or university are considered transfer applicants.

The Admissions Committee considers each application for transfer admission individually, reviewing the student's academic record, grades received in all college-level courses, completion of Fundamental Studies English and mathematics, and the rigor of the student's academic program. When an applicant has attended more than one institution, a cumulative average for all previous college work attempted will be computed. To be considered, course work must have been completed at a regionally accredited college or university.

Students who have completed fewer than 30 semester or 45 quarter hours will also have their high school academic records and SAT I and/or ACT scores reviewed. Maryland residency, special talents and/or abilities, personal background, and Maryland alumni/ae affiliation may be taken into consideration.

Articulated transfer programs are available at each Maryland community college. An articulated transfer program is a list of courses that best prepare applicants for a particular course of study at the University of Maryland. Applicants who take appropriate courses specified in the articulated program and earn acceptable grades are guaranteed transfer with no loss of credit.

In accordance with Maryland Higher Education Commission and Board of Regents transfer policies, applicants from Maryland public institutions are, in some instances, given special consideration. Students transferring from other University System of Maryland institutions who wish to receive additional consideration should submit their high school transcript and SAT I and/or ACT scores.

Answer 2

Very slim expcially if your out of state. (Sorry)