CountingDown

Invitations started getting to students for B/K on Friday.

flowersunshine

Yea I was picked as a semifinalist. I'm pretty excited!

luv4dancing

same here!

Did they ever let you know the exact time of your interview though? because it seems to only tell me the date?

also does anyone know whether the partial scholarship means $8000 per year, or $8000 for 4 years (i.e. $2000 per year)?

thanks so much!!!

Britwilly4

Yes, both me and my sis found out on Saturday Feb. 22.

flowersunshine

I'm pretty sure its 8K each year for 4 years, so 32K total. But it would be nice if someone else confirmed this.

On another note, does anyone know how B/K selections compare to acceptances at top schools? Since supposedly B/K takes into account all parts of your application, would being selected as a semifinalist be a good indicator of being accepted at top schools? Or are the two things completely different.

CountingDown

The letter says they select the top 1% of apps for B/K consideration, so I'd say it means you're probably competitive (look at the stats on the other B/K thread -- lots of 1500+ scores) at other schools. Obviously, no guarantees. UMD is pretty much by-the-numbers for merit, and a lot of other schools (esp. more selective ones) place more value on subjective things. If you've been nominated for B/K, clearly you've done something right. The rest is just crossing your fingers and waiting out the next month (easier said than done!).

astrophysicsmom

flowersunshine---its 8K each year for 4 years, plus a book stipend. The book allowance did not cover all D's books first semester; however, she had money left over 2nd semester (but the book $ is just deposited into your account---you keep what is left).

I believe that you find out the time of your interview the day of your interviews......as I've stated on the other thread, don't freak out about the interview. They just ask you things about the most interesting things on your app---it's not a high-pressure situation at all; the best you can do is relax!

Good luck, all!

smoltz08

were all of you b/k nominees in-state? cause im in NY so I was wondering if they were sent out to oos yet?

jjsdad

astrophysicsmom, do you remember how much was the book stipend for a semeter (or a year)?

flowersunshine

Well it can't be completely numbers based. I have a friend with a pretty low GPA (3.6-3.7) who was selected. Then I have friends with high GPAs (>3.9) and 2300+ SAT's who weren't selected. This makes me think they took other things into consideration than just numbers. Of course, it could just be that my friends haven't gotten their letters yet, and they'll be arriving shortly.

feikuai

Yeah I'm sitting pretty with a 4.0 and 2310 and haven't heard anything about b/k yet..it's making me really nervous

astrophysicsmom

jjsdad -- for this school year, it's $1025 (half of which paid each semester). As I indicated, it will depend on the courses your S/D takes, and how many used vs. new books they purchase as to whether it will cover all the books or not.

ohayo

Does anyone know if they confirm an interview time via phone, mail, or email? I know they're at 20 minute intervals from 1-5pm, but I just don't know when my time is...

Britwilly4

They confirm an interview time via phone. My interview is this friday and they called me today.

Maximus001

We'll be there today for the festivities.