<p>wait also…so everyone in the honors college doesn’t get asked?</p>
<p>@xogenxo - Nope. But I heard that Honors College Students have about a 25% chance of being asked.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that UMD puts a lot of weight in the National Merit program. Does anybody know if being a semifinalist (finalists haven’t been announced yet) will be of any significant help for b/k?</p>
<p>i got my finalist letter and b/k letter today, so i don’t know, but it worked for me!</p>
<p>Doctorate,I’m hoping for the sane thing. It’s very possible that yours is in a different wave. I’m not sure how they divide out the groups, but the admissions office lady first said that none had been sent, and then when I told her that my friends got letters she said that “most” hadn’t been sent yet.</p>
<p>The waves are spaced a week or two apart (at least they were two years ago). </p>
<p>Patience. It’s your senior year. Go have fun.</p>
<p>I wonder what order they are in? Can’t be alphabetical by last name, for sure, because we are at the end of the alphabet and my kid got hers yesterday. Wonder if it’s alphabetical by major or high school? Or something to do with date of application?</p>
<p>Easier to have fun if you know where you are going to college next year and you know you can afford it.</p>
<p>Has anyone in NJ gotten a letter yet? :/</p>
<p>do you have to had been chosen for the honors program to get one? or can scholars get invited also</p>
<p>does know when other merit aid is released</p>
<p>We were told three years ago that B/K represented the top ~2% of the applicant pool. That 25% of Honors students being invited sounds accurate.</p>
<p>S1 made Honors, NMSF and B/K, S2 made Scholars in a limited enrollment major, Commended and was not nominated for B/K, though got other UMD merit. </p>
<p>NMSF is a “big” deal if one is a Maryland resident and makes the NMSF cutoff (last year, a 221). There has been a Distinguished Scholar Award of $3,000/yr that in previous years was automatic to any <em>Maryland resident</em> who made NMSF and chose to attend a Maryland college, public or private. Not sure if it is still automatic with the budget cuts going on. It basically tacked on to the B/K and could be used to meet personal expenses/books not covered by the B/K book allowance. With a full B/K, it was a truly free ride.</p>
<p>Other merit aid came out last year in late Feb.-early March. UMD announces B/K first because these require interviews. The other awards came in a letter.</p>
<p>I got my invite in the mail today! I’m an out of state student (North east though, so that might make it faster). Also, since some people were wondering if it’s alphabetical, my last name is in the second half of the alphabet. Very excited =)</p>
<p>Please let us know your stats if you have been asked to interview for B/K. And which weekend your interview will take place.</p>
<p>Congratulations!! And good luck! If you are the top 2% you have impressive accomplishments.</p>
<p>How do they define top 2%? Objective stats?</p>
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<p>[Banneker/Key</a> Scholarship](<a href=“http://www.financialaid.umd.edu/scholarships/banneker.info.html]Banneker/Key”>http://www.financialaid.umd.edu/scholarships/banneker.info.html)</p>
<p>I got a letter in the mail today! It was about open house dates -___-. I’m now almost entirely sure that this is some elaborate form of torture…</p>
<p>I am seriously considering installing a device in my mailbox that will notify me when the mail is delivered.</p>
<p>That’s not a bad idea. Haha… I actually called my post office this morn and had them hold my mail so I could go pick it up before my carrier left!! Buttt… nothing yet.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that the letters are being sent out based on the three interview dates - so if you haven’t gotten one yet, don’t give up hope!</p>