Does anyone have any advice about appealing my UMD Honors College decision? I was invited to the Scholars program and admitted as an engineering major, but UMD is my top choice and I was really hoping to spend my time there in the Honors College. How many students are actually successful with their appeals? I know that I can reapply after my first year but I haven’t heard the best things about the Scholars program and I’m not sure if it’s the best use of my time.
I don’t know about appeals, but the Scholars Program is very good too, and I know students who have been in it and had a good experience.
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Not too long ago (as in weeks), a similar question was asked. If I recall correctly, the Scholars Program focused more on mentored research than did the Honors Program.
An appeal is permitted.
Did you apply to U Md prior to November 1, 2025 ?
Yes, I applied before November 1st. Would you be able to link the discussion of the similar question?
I have heard it’s not as rigorous and prestigious as the Honors program, and I’m wondering how that would look for future employers as well as how it would impact opportunities and connections.
Employers don’t care.
I have been in countless “decision meetings” where we evaluate the candidates we’ve interviewed, and countless “screening meetings” where we get consensus on which resumes are going to make it to the next stage, and after decades of doing this, cannot recall a single instance where someone has said “Oh Wow, she’s in the Honors College, we’ve got to meet her”.
It’s what you DO in college, not what it’s called. Any student can make their education more rigorous (or less), any student can go outside their comfort zone to join a research team or edit a professor’s book or fact-check an article, help organize a faculty symposium with scholars from other universities, etc. Or just get a plain vanilla job which shows initiative and grit and time management skills.
Appeal if you want to, but this is not going to make or break your college experience. Take the most rigorous version of the classes you are required to take; push yourself to take “hard” classes that are not required (instead of the easy A’s) and tell each of your professors that you’re interested if they need help with something they are working on.
Voila, you’ve just made yourself your own Honors College.
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I would agree with this and really, really wouldn’t care after a first job..
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It may have been on another website–not sure.
Some employment events are for Honors College/Honors Program students only. Same for university mentoring programs. Check with U MD Honors College for more specific information.
UMD Honors College students have access to “exclusive employment and professional opportunities” as well as to “specialized internships”. Also, dedicated mentoring,special career planning, and special events & presentations regarding employment & networking.
Some companies recruit at Honors Colleges and elite privates for certain positions even though the companies recruit on-campus for other positions.
Many universities designate Honors College on the official college transcripts of Honors College students.
One thing my son told me - zero places to put it on an app. It was on his resume. It came up a few times in interviews.
Tons of kids get Scholars or FIRE instead of Honors or get nothing.
Many kids, btw, don’t even apply for Honors Colleges - not all are the same. Do you even like the curriculum or benefits? All are different.
It’s up to you, of course, but this isn’t a reason not to choose a school.
Do you have any new info that should make them reconsider ?
You got Scholars at UMD -.you’re obviously strong. But so are the UMD students who got nothing. And I think they’ll be every bit as employable.
Unless you have something new to add, I wouldn’t appeal. But I’m not you.
Good luck.
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During the freshman application cycle, there is no honors college application; review for an offer of admission to U Md’s Honors College is automatic for all freshman applicants.
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I would investigate how real any of that is at UMD and how much is marketing and for what majors, etc etc. It may be very helpful for some careers and zero help for others.
Then again it can’t hurt to appeal! worst case they say no I guess? Seems unlikely any other outcome? Is that much of an app?
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I know - had a Scholars and FIRE kid.
And some will no doubt decline the invite.
Contact the Honors College at any school in question. At some schools, applications are requested specifically for Honors College students and some internships are for Honors College students only; same for networking & recruiting events.
However, may not be relevant for engineering & accounting majors as GPA seems to be the most valued consideration for initial screening. But it can vary for rotational management programs. The decision rests with individual employers,not the schools. But Honors Colleges market their students to individual employers (including resume books).
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It’s worth exploring how “exclusive” these professional opportunities are.
Students get to “join” professional associations in their field at the student or heavily subsidized rate? That is open to EVERYONE. All it usually takes is a quick email to someone in career services to ask “is there a student rate from University X to join the Women in Finance networking group?” and the answer is usually “here’s the discount code, it should come up as a free membership when you plug it in”. Another “exclusive” opportunity is attending the local “lunch and learns” for professionals in the area. Again, look up the contact information for the convening organizer, shoot off a quick email “is it possible to attend the March meeting- I am very interested in how AI will transform the Quality Control process for the pharmaceutical industry” and the likely email back will be “we order sandwiches for everyone- let us know if you want tuna or a veggie wrap”.
A lot of these honors college “perks” are more marketing than anything else. A student with a reasonable amount of initiative can replicate the benefits on their own.
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This is quite a discussion.
I want to state upfront that a student can be successful at UMD and in life without Honors, Scholars, or any other special program. UMD has many opportunities for student involvement in research and other activities, BUT the student must look for them and they are easy to find. A much more important opportunity for students, IMO, is Departmental Honors. This requires a student to complete and defend an original Honors Thesis Research Project.
I am including the following link because I think it is relevant to this discussion.
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My D’s husband was invited to FIRE and he decided not to accept. He currently has a great job, and is actively recruited by other Companies.
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My D was in the Honors College (2014-2018). She never mentioned “access to “exclusive employment and professional opportunities” as well as to “specialized internships”.
She did, however, talk to her Professors and this let to a good bit of research work.
Departmental Honors is NOT the same thing as being part of an Honors College cohort.
Honors designation on a resume (at least for the first job or two) is very meaningful. The student has completed an original piece of scholarship; it has been vetted by a team of professors, often from different disciplines; it reflects months of research and a significant piece of writing or analysis or synthesis. I ALWAYS ask the student to describe the body of work, the topic, their conclusions, how they came to be interested in the subject– it’s part of the interview and most candidates can discuss this with enthusiasm and demonstrate mastery.
This is very different from being part of an Honors College- at some colleges, that means priority registration, nicer housing options, a freshman seminar or two. This is not the kind of thing an employer is going to notice or care about.
Again- nobody is precluded from doing research, getting to know their professors, or gaining valuable work-adjacent experience if they aren’t in an Honors College!
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Those opportunities/benefits may not have been part of the Honors College ten years ago.
The only constant is change.
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Nobody is doubting that things change.
The question is do employers care about those changes. I’m sure there are some that do. I have never worked for one who did. A kid gets priority registration as a freshman? Doesn’t rise to the level of “wow this is meaningful”. Dorm is closer to the dining hall? Better housing lottery number for sophomore year? Guaranteed entry into a 20 person seminar on “Kant and Hegel” as a freshman which only has 8 enrolled students because most of the “honors college” kids don’t care about Kant and Hegel? Intensive workshop on “how to find a job in a declining labor market”?
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