<p>Here are the requirements for transferring in:</p>
<p>[Office</a> of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Support, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland](<a href=“http://www.eng.umd.edu/advising/advising_admissions.html]Office”>http://www.eng.umd.edu/advising/advising_admissions.html)</p>
<p>and yep, it pretty much is an automatic “in” if you meet those requirements. Remember that the main engineering advising office is a bit hard to work with sometimes (at least, in my experience for transferring in to Clark), so just make sure to stick to your guns. Also, at the beginning of the semester in which you’re completing your last few required classes for transferring in, make sure to get in touch with advising early on and find out when the transfer workshops are. I didn’t do this, and almost got stuck waiting another semester before getting into engineering.</p>
<p>As far as the original issue is concerned, I believe they only mean once you’re a student here, and trying to transfer in. However, even if that’s not correct, it’s often very possible to make a valid case for yourself to have the requirements lifted for you. Good luck.</p>