chendryx

I just got the OOS $12k/yr Presidential Scholarship and am really hoping to get enough money together to go to UMD. My financial situation is complicated, so I am barely going to get ANY financial aid, but I am not going to be able to pay for UMD without a miracle, so I desperately need another good scholarship. I'm hoping that maybe I can get a departmental scholarship to supplement.

I'm going to be majoring in Physics. I have done research in the Department of Astronomy at my state's flagship university (in which I received program awards for Best Research Paper and Poster) and in the Department of Physics at a regional university. I did a poster presentation for my research at my state's JSEHS. I am the president of my high school's Physics Club. I dual enrolled at the local community college and took Calculus I as a freshman and Calculus II, III, and Differential Equations (which is equivalent to Calc IV) as a sophomore and received A's in all of them. I earned a 5 on the AP Physics C exam in my junior year (I skipped Physics B). I was on the Calculus team for Mu Alpha Theta in my sophomore year and served as historian my junior year. I am valedictorian of my high school with the highest GPA in the history of my school. I am planning on pursuing my PhD in theoretical astrophysics. I don't know if there is still much of an emphasis on this, but I am also a girl, which makes me something of a rarity in physics.

Do I have much of a shot at a departmental scholarship? Also, how large are the departmental scholarships?

Thank you so much for your insight! Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted and all scholarship recipients! Go Terps!

kaylynf

I think you have a good chance. If it was up to me you would be interviewing for BK.

I was there today at a conference and the impression I got was money was tight and dept scholarships are in the 5k/yr range. Just my impression, no quotes. I am also hoping to see a dept scholarship.

plumazul

OP, Maryland is a great place to study the physical sciences. In case you didn't already know what is coming, here are a couple links:

Groundbreaking for Physical Sciences Complex

Joint Quantum Institute

I have several friends who were able to get additional scholarships after their freshman year. I wish you luck in finding the resources to attend UMCP.
Are you a NMF?

chendryx

Yes, I am! That's an additional $2k/yr, I believe.. I really need to have full tuition covered in order to attend, so I was hoping for more like $10k/yr on top of what I've already received. Is there any way that I might be able to get this kind of money?

yodelo

Anyone know anything about engineering departmental scholarships

astrophysicsmom

CMNS is not a big source of scholarship money, especially for incoming freshmen. Additional funds are available after freshman year. Go to the UMD site and search for department scholarships. I'm afraid that outside the B/K, there are few, if any, ways to get the tuition covered, especially for OOS students. Your $12 K presidential award is probably the best you'll be able to do, with also the NMSF money.

If you can swing it, my D can vouch for the quality of the program and the opportunities at UMD. (And keep in mind that your grad school will most likely be funded in astrophysics....that may help in your financial decisions knowing that you don't have something like the cost of med schools in your future). Feel free to PM me. D1 is a first-year Ph.D. student at Harvard now, and is loving it. (and is doing as well, or better than her peers, thus confirming our belief that she got a great education at UMD and through her opportunities there).... Good luck.

Yodelo, in the past engineering department scholarships have been much higher than any other department for incoming freshmen...