<p>jsmom, I think the adcoms might have screwed up. Call admissions and try to speak to your area adcom and express your surprise. It’s possible that the essay might have hurt your son or even a bad recommendation. Shy of those options, there may have been a failure of the system. UMCP is largely numbers driven but there are other factors that play a significant role. Your son, however, is a top student and certainly seems to have achieved distinction. It won’t hurt to call.</p>