<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I did not get into the honors program at UMD, and I was wondering what the benefits are. I am aware of the advanced classes, diff. dorms, etc. but are there any benefits in terms of jobs/internships/professional studies?</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Congratulations on getting into UMD, tho. That’s great. Honors is nice but it is just one way to make UMD smaller. There are many others, and you can do those whether or not you’re in honors.</p>
<p>Inside and outside honors, the opportunities for jobs, internships, research opportunities, etc. are what you make of them. Talk to the students, profs, and staff who are most likely to be interested in those things whether or not you’re in Honors. Research this stuff on your own. Cut UMD down to your size.</p>
<p>I also think there is a way to transfer into Honors but that it is quite difficult.</p>
<p>The main reason I am asking this is because I got honors at OSU, but not at Maryland</p>
<p>Re your statement “transfer into Honors but that it is quite difficult” - if you are a strong student (which you should be considering you are upset by not being invited to honors?) then it really is not difficult. </p>
<p>The benefit, as I see it, to the honors college in regards to jobs/internships is that you can list Honors College on your resume. Which is only worth as much as you think it may be: a tiny amount of influence. What gets you jobs/internships is, in this order, 1. knowing what you need to know to do the job well 2. personality portrayed during the interview 3. accomplishments/accolades</p>
<p>^^For some people, being part of the EIP for example has been a good conversation starter during an interview. If you are part of one of those focused LLPs and expand upon that in a resume and in an interview, then that seems to (and should) have a bigger influence than just listing “Honors College”. </p>
<p>Being in the Honors College has its benefits, but even if you aren’t in it, that does not mean you are at a disadvantage at all. </p>
<p>bbbbuuuummmmpppppp</p>
<p>I perform on-campus interviews for my employer. If I see Honors on a resume, I will make a note to ask the student about the requirements and what experiences / benefits the student got from the program. It’s a good opportunity for the student to do some self-promotion and provide more information than is listed on a one-page sheet of paper.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if the student didn’t take advantage of the opportunities provided by the program, it could end up being a slight negative. An answer like “I was admitted to University X and the Honors Program but I didn’t take any Honors classes or participate in any of the communities / projects / etc.” would make me think that there’s more fluff than accomplishment in your resume.</p>
<p>Taking it one step further, working your way into the Honors Program after being excluded on your admission decision would be a strong positive.</p>
<p>These things aren’t absolute deal breakers. But if I am talking to 50 students at a job fair or performing formal interviews with 15 students in one day, any piece of information that differentiates you from your competition can have an effect on reaching the next level.</p>
<p>@Fauster, would you mind reading another thread and adding your perspective (just ignore the bickering about the costs of an ivy league)…it would be interesting to know how much value you attach to an ivy league degree when interviewing students …<a href=“Value of UMD Honors Citation versus Ivy League diploma - University of Maryland - College Park - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-maryland-college-park/1611137-value-of-umd-honors-citation-versus-ivy-league-diploma-p1.html</a><br>
Thanks!</p>
<p>@maryversity, I read that thread but really can’t comment as I interview for engineering positions. We’re more likely to hire graduates from Lehigh or Carnegie Mellon than any of the Ivy League schools. And since my company is very specialized, we expect to invest a significant amount of training into our new hires. That means that starting salaries are probably a bit on the low side for an Ivy grad (my opinion).</p>
<p>@Fauster, thank you for at least looking! </p>