Here are some threads - oldies but goodies - that will help answer some questions while everyone awaits D-Day…I’m hoping other veterans will jump in to post advice on this thread as well
To answer the question about scholars v honors, @Noogler, here is this from several years ago when I had the same question myself. I know that there have been some updates to each of the programs, of course, but the concept is primarily the same. In brief, honors is for students that tend to have a history of challenging themselves mostly with classes, scholars is for students that tend to have a history of challenging themselves a lot outside of the traditional lecture setting…? Not saying scholars don’t take challenging classes and not saying honors don’t challenge themselves outside of the class. More a pattern of predominance, but who knows exact deciding factors…? Honestly, not mutually exclusive. Is one better than the other? As @SoofDad said, it’s all about fit. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-maryland-college-park/1283252-college-park-scholars-vs-honors-college-p1.html
Also, I want to suggest starting a thread for actual decisions/results only because that one “decisions” thread has gotten out of hand with discussions…if that can lay dormant from now until decisions are posted, and discussions are moved here, great! Otherwise, I think we need to start a separate one reserved and marked for results only, so that those checking this forum to see when results are out based on new posts don’t get more anxious with each discussion post…thoughts?
Question regarding housing: @astrophysicsmom recommends signing up for housing ASAP. Isn’t housing assigned to specific honors and scholars programs. If you are in an honors or scholars program is it as important to sign up for housing immediately.
@Mom24boys Yes, it doesn’t matter what program you are invited to - the idea is to secure a spot in housing. It is entirely possible to be in the scholars or honors program and be a commuter or live in off-campus housing.
Res life needs to know a ballpark figure of how many students, of those in the pool that are first priority for guaranteed housing, are interested in living on campus.
It’s not a question at this point of specifics of housing (which dorm that is assigned if you are in honors or scholars). It’s more that they need numbers to guesstimate how many rooms may be available for students that they are not guaranteeing housing for (i.e. transfers).
Thanks for all of the info. I was accepted to honors, does that mean I won’t be considered for a merit scholarship? When are merit scholarships decisions usually released?
@InvisibleInc Being accepted to Honors is great – congratulations! Among other things, it means they will consider you for Banneker-Key. Read more here: http://www.bannekerkey.umd.edu/
Last year, students received an email on or around February10th telling them to expect something special in the regular mail. They received the packets inviting them to interview for B-K right after that. I assume they mailed the packets the same day they sent the emails.
Yay!!! Congrats!!! That is awesome. Welcome to Terp Nation!
Everybody is considered for merit $. People often assume that honors automatically means merit money and that is not always the case…that is all I was trying to point out. Some honors students do get merit money but not every honors student. Understand that with the governor taking back so much funding from the university this year, I’m not sure if that will impact the number of merit scholarships they will be able to award or the amounts awarded…? Hope that’s not the case but better to be prepared for the worst.
Just wanted to bump this thread up because I didn’t want astrophysics mom’s advice getting lost in the crowd of individual posts…it’s really important to secure housing asap.
Also, I want to congratulate everyone that was admitted to the Maryland Class of 2019.
