<p>I was accepted into Gemstone and Honors Humanities, but I'm pretty sure that, if I go to Maryland, I'll choose Gemstone (I want to major in Chem or Physics, but maybe it was because I put Theatre as my second choice that they considered me for Honors Humanities?). Is there anyone here who's in Gemstone that would like to share their experiences? I know what Gemstone is, the research teams, the housing, etc., but how it really affects the experience at UMD I don't really know.</p>
<p>How much more of a separate community is it than Honors? I gathered from some old threads that, because by far the majority of classes you take in Honors aren't specifically Honors classes, it's not too different from being a normal student at the university other than living with other Honors students and the occasional Honors seminar or H-version class.</p>
<p>In that same vein, how much of a commitment is it? I saw on the website all the courses you have to take (the Gemstone-specific ones)... are those usually done on top of a four-course load, or as part of the four?</p>
<p>And last, is housing guaranteed for Gemstone students for all four years, or is the Gemstone-specific housing only for the first two years?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any input! Before I got my decision on Friday I wasn't really excited at all about UMD (I'm in-state and considered it a safety), but after getting into these programs I'm starting to get really, really interested.</p>
<p>Here's my 2-cents' worth. Gemstone-specific housing is guaranteed for 2 years....Your first year you'll be at Ellicott.</p>
<p>The Gemstone-specific ones are part of your regular course load (avg about 15-17 hrs per semester....most courses are 3 or 4 credit hours). I believe that once you are into your actual project (year 2 and beyond), you take a 3-hr course that accounts for part of the time you spend on it.</p>
<p>It appeared to me to be an awesome chance for research opportunities as an undergrad---there are lots of examples of Gemstone teams getting their work published, etc. </p>
<p>D wanted to be able to have a double degree in Astronomy and Physics, and didn't want to commit the time to a Gemstone project (she's hoping for undergrad research work within her department(s)....and she was not interested in committing to such a long group project (she had too many group projects from hell in high school, I think!!).</p>
<p>Living with other kids who come in with your same general attitudes about studying, caring about learning, etc. is a really good thing. You'll always have someone to party with, but it is nice to know that you're surrounded by people whose main goal is to learn, too. congrats---and maybe you'll have some good news when it comes to merit offers, too....?</p>
<p>well, i can't speak about honors humanities, but i am in gemstone, and absolutely love it. the courses are extra work added to what you would already be taking, but after a little bit of work, most people can fit them in. it's definitely a commitment, but everyone in gemstone seems to have other things going on in their lives aside from gemstone, so i don't think it eats your life. right now i am a freshman, so i don't know much about the real research aspect. as far as living, it was great because in gemstone, you go to gemscamp (like 2 days of icebreakers) before move-in day, so you move in early and get to meet everyone in the program. this gives you a core group of people (hopefully friends) that you know which is pretty nice. it's also nice to know that everyone likes to learn as much as you. we just started to learn how to do real research this semester which will probably prove to be useful.</p>
<p>we're not completely separate from honors. ive taken an honors seminar and a few h-versions. i also did honors yoga the other night, and ive used their kitchen. so you can meet people in university honors, and depending on your major, there might be a lot of people in honors who you meet. (i am an engineer.)</p>
<p>gemstone does not guarantee you housing for all 4 years. it does help with housing though. non-living and learning program kids are more likely to be in quads or be put in random places on campus. the gemstone dorm is with all of the other freshman dorms, is right near the diner, the rec center and a whole bunch of other things. after freshman year though, you have no better shot at getting housing than anyone else at the school.</p>
<p>so i would definitely recommend gemstone! it's a great opportunity and helps in meeting people in gems and in honors. (ive only met 2 people in honors humanities, mostly because they live on south campus and gems and university honors live on north campus.)</p>
<p>one final note: people think gemstone kids don't know how to have fun or party. this is just not true. we definitely have our fair share of party animals, drinkers, potheads and crazy kids. you name it, we got it. the only difference is we know how to study too.</p>
<p>Hi, I was accepted into gemstone as well, but am having mixed feelings toward the program. By the time I enroll, I will have worked at the NIH on a research project for over a year, and will hopefully have published my work. It seems that the gemstone project might be fun, but would it really be worth my time? From the website, the projects appear pretty basic, and not at all as advanced as the research one would conduct if they were working in the lab of a professor. Even if i do gemstone, I will most likely work in a lab anyways. So is gemstone really worth it?</p>
<p>it sucks. it's just a way to force science kids to take useless history classes. and because the research teams are so diverse there's no way you can get a decent project done (too much breadth, not enough depth).</p>
<p>gee, a778999, tell us how you REALLY feel :) !!! You can always start in gemstone and get a feel for the program, and drop out before the project really gets ramped up, if you don't think the program is for you.....</p>
<p>In response to a778999's comment, ALL students have to take "useless history classes" as part of CORE, so I'm not sure how Gemstone students are forced into it more than others...</p>
<p>I also got into Gemstone, and while it has bumped Maryland up on my list, there are still some very selective schools that I am anxiously waiting to hear back from. I guess I am wondering exactly how selective a program like Gemstone is and if it frequently translates into acceptance at other selective schools, such as Yale and Columbia. I know that there is really no way of knowing what your chances are at a school like Yale, but I would love to hear some stories of what acceptance letters followed the acceptance letter to Gemstone. Basically, should I be any more confident now about my other top schools (which are Yale, Columbia, Wash U, and Tufts)?</p>
<p>Hey i was just accepted into the Gemstone program... I was wondering even though I am not planning on majoring in science or engineering and am more interested in pursuing business would it still be worthwhile to do Gemstone?</p>
<p>Also, do most people in Gemstone recieve merit scholarship?</p>
<p>aamb-- I was accepted into Gemstone and also New York University; deferred ED from University of Virginia. Gemstone is very selective but I really don't think you can use it to predict which other schools you'll get into :)</p>
<p>eaglefan-- I know quite a few business majors who are in Gemstone as well. As long as you're interested in research and groupwork, it could definitely still be worthwhile to you as a business major. One of the great things about the many academic programs UMD has to offer is that they don't have to correspond with your major in order to take advantage of them (for example, an engineering major could participate in the Arts Scholars program).</p>
<p>How do you know if you got into gemstone? I mean I got a letter saying that I was accepted to University Honors with my first choice of major. But on the website, it says that I have been invited to gemstone and university honors. So does that mean I got into gemstone as well even though the acceptance letter did not mention it?</p>
<p>Yea. My online account says I got into honors and gemstone, but the letter I got in the mail didn't mention gemstone. So I'd say you got into gemstone.</p>
<p>I think D may have got a separate letter from Gemstone last year, but it was several days after her acceptance letter was sent.....and, like you, she saw it online. I believe they send a form you return to indicate whether you wish to participate in the program or not.</p>