@cshigh - I want to amplify something you posted. At UMD, Honors College students are able to take Honors Seminars, reserved for them, and limited to 20 students. These seminars cover a wide range of very interesting topics. They are also able to take Honors versions of certain classes (Eng/CS/Math/etc) that are likewise restricted to 20 students or less. I have seen some CS Honors courses limited to 12 students. These classes are offered at the discretion of each individual Department.
Honors Seminars and Classes do in fact appear on the transcript, as well as the Honors College Citation, when completed. However, a more notable achievement is the completion of Departmental Honors, which students can only apply to at the start of their Junior year. This achievement does appear on the Diploma.
And, as a final note, over the course of my career, I have interviewed and hired many people in the fields of Computer Science and Engineering. I never once ;looked at anyoneās transcript or diploma.
The real bottom line is that college is what you make of it, and I am sure that you will be successful
@TechSup we were told to apply for a LLC that was different than your major.
My oldest is a sophomore in engineering at UMD. She dropped the College Park Scholars LLC as soon as she could. It provided little return for the amount of time invested. Plus, engineering at UMD is very, very rigorous. She needed every spare freshman moment to see her professors, advisers and TAs.
Iām sure the LLCās perform a function for most, she didnāt think it was the best use of her time.
PM me for specific questions. Iād be glad to help.
I agree with @terpiedad Engineering students should make themselves aware of any extra work included in an āhonorsā curriculum before making the commitment. Make no mistake, getting loaded down with honors seminar busy work and lengthy writing assignments WILL impact their ability to focus on their āvery very rigorousā engineering curriculum.
@SoofDad, thanks for your insight. I am sure you are very familiar @USD. Whatās your opinion on instate college like Rutgers in CS or EE for career opportunities? Of course I will wait out for scholarships but other than the money part, how much employers put in thought about type of college coming to campus or recruiting ?
@cshigh - In my opinion, and experience, any student who graduates from a good college (UMD, Rutgers. and many others) with good grades in CS or EE will have good career opportunities. I think employers, and front line supervisors, are looking for demonstrated ability.
The college that you attended loses importance very quickly in CS and Engineering. Itās what you have done, and can do. that matters. Teamwork and writing skills are very important.
@terpiedad and @STEM2017 - The various Honors and Scholars program vary a lot in the amount of effort requiredā¦ My D (not in Engineering) selected University Honors. All of the seminars and classes that she took satisfied GenEd requirements. which even Engineering students must meet. She says they were challenging, bur also some of the most enjoyable.
I do know that Engineering is Very demanding. I just recommend not making a hasty decision.
@UMDgirl23 My DD is a spring20 admit and is considering FC. Do you know if there is a cost difference for the fall? I know the website says a flat tuition, but I am wondering if it is a discount compared to regular tuition? Do you happen to remember or know what you paid for the fall tuition? Is it the same for instate and out of state?
For those that did not get direct admission into Smith (starting in Fall either in L&S or FC), you will hear a lot about āhow hard it is to transfer to Smithā It is the most competitive LEP and you only get one chance to apply. Although true, itās very reachable if you really kill it in the first semester. The WORST thing you can do is have to dig out of a hole after one semester. So many kids regret not focusing enough in the first semester. The school mainly rushes in the spring, which takes up more of your study time if you choose that option, so go out swinging!
Hi. I got into government and politics as well as UMD College Scholars. I was wondering if I was still a contender for the B/K scholarship. I am OOS, and I really want the B/K so I can go to UMD (my top school).
FC wasnāt bad at all! Youāre right it was evening classes between 3-9 PM. We got a tuition break too. The downsides are you canāt join certain clubs because they meet when you have class and you usually get crappy housing. But I loved my floor and it ended up fine. Itās a great option! Let me know if you have other questions. @rlc31103
We got Spring and no LEP. I wish truly that they would just send a straight forward denial because than we can move on and go to where we are wanted. No LEP and Spring admission means no sholarships or grants, starting late , no choice in classes if he decides to go any way, behind his peers a whole year and have to start transfer pricess from scratch a year later. Not to mention accumulation of college debt for cources that lead to no degree. Thankfully we have 6 other choices
Hereās a suggestion. Pretend its a denial and move on. Rather than rejecting you, the school is offering you a pretty solid option. And for those students whose first choice is UMD and may not have ā6 other choicesā this is a great offer.
@Allecto I never said it was ājust the same.ā In fact, it is different, but its still a solid option. Frankly, my kid doesnāt have the stats for merit scholarships so I wasnāt expecting any. I wasnāt even sure he would be admitted, but he wasā¦for Spring. And thatās just fine with me. If he decides to attend, heāll knock out some electives and some Gen Ed Core courses in the Fall. Weāll save a little money because of lower tuition. And heāll be just fine. By the time sophomore year starts, no one will know the difference.
In your case, I agree, LEP majors are a bit more challenging. So your kid might have a tougher time. In any case, I wish him/her the best of luck!
I know a sophomore who was FC and it was a complete non issue. Heās not behind, had normal housing, is now in a frat. But heās not in an LEP BUT I thought that his advisors were going to work with him to make sure he had the prereqs he needed in case he wanted to apply. I think this is all stuff you can talk out with admissions so that you understand exactly what this all means to him and his goals with graduating on time in his choice of major. I would also ask them how realistic it is to get into the LEP he wants. I believe there was a parent who posted on this thread or the other UMD thread that her son did FC and got into Engineering and graduated with a high GPAā¦it all turned out fine. I would definitely dig deeper because UMD is a great school and I do think FC is such a great option if this was one of his top choices.
For anyone who didnāt get an EA decision on Friday, like my D, if you contact UMD, would you please post what they say? Iāve asked my D to contact them, but not sure she will as sheās waiting to hear back from her GC.