Just got accepted into UMD Global Communities Program. Pros and Cons? Would there be any way to switch into the Honors or Scholars Program? What’s the difference between North and South campus?
Bump. Can anyone help?
I was also invited to the program and would like to know more about it. From what I gather, it seems like a really nice opportunity.
Any current/former students at the program around here?
I mean, from the past posts that I’ve read, this is a separate program from honors/scholars and the required courses are pretty bs/grade boosters. Only thing positive that I’ve read about it is that the location of the dorms are more convenient (closer to classes but on opposite side of campus away from honors/scholars people) and the dorms are nicer…but i don’t know if that outweighs the academic benefits…
I am a current freshman in the Global Communities Program. It is a 2 year program that is completely separate from scholars or honors. Switching into honors or scholars are unlikely. For scholars, you will need to self-nominate yourself if they did not invite you. If they have room, they’ll consider you. But if you plan being in scholars, there is no point in being in Global because you will just switch over anyway without completion of the program. For Honors you can apply after a 2 semesters if you were not invited initially (acceptance depends on availability).
Here is the difference between campus: North Campus is where most freshman will stay. It is a cluster of dorms on one side of campus where the gym is located, and closer to the Xfinity center. 251, the all-you-can-eat dining hall, is also located here. If you live on North Campus, you get to come here once a week. If you live on south, you get to come here 4 times a semester, but they give you more dining points in exchange. You can also buy more swipes to 251 in exchange of dining points. South Campus is closer to most of the classes and the library. Dorms are also nicer, but not by too much. There are also more upperclassmen on south campus. Dorchester Hall, home to global communities is in a prime location. Close to Stamp Student Union and right behind the library. I am not far from many of my classes. Both campuses have their own dining hall, but South dining hall is a little further from Dorchester than the North Dining hall is from some north campus dorms.
Some benefits of the program: The program itself is not academically challenging, and completion of the program will appear as a notation on your transcript. These courses will satisfy some general education requirements you need to graduate anyway. Furthermore, almost all of Dorchester is Global Communities Students (a handful of exchange students as well (my roommate is from Tokyo!)) and feels like a close-knit community on campus. The dorm itself is about 1/6 the size of a north campus dorm, so you know almost everyone, especially because you have class with them all. Bonus: Dorchester has a full kitchen for our use. We plan many activities and international food nights in addition to awesome field trips. So far we have gone to the Chesapeake Bay, museum visits, cultural festivals, and embassy visits. I visited the Embassy of Botswana and met her Majesty the Ambassador last semester. We are going to the Brazilian Embassy soon as well. What many people don’t know about this program is that upon completion, you are required to have a global experience. This can be a study abroad, an alternative break, global internship, or program in the US that is globally connected.
We have information sessions at upcoming accepted student days on campus for more information from our director and other students. If you ever visit when we do not have an information session, we will be happy to meet with you, show you around, and answer any questions you might have!
Best of luck with the college process!