Honors College Thoughts

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
1

One thing to keep in mind is that the Honors College does not have unlimited space for all the students who may be qualified. It’s like asking why someone wasn’t admitted to Stanford. (and I’m NOT equating UMD to Stanford). They just cannot tale everyone.

People focus on Stats, but that clearly is Not a deciding factor. I believe, but cannot prove, that essays and ECs. followed by course rigor, LORs, and SAT/GPA are the factors that weigh heavily, in that order. It doesn’t really matter what teachers, guidance counselors, or parents think. It doesn’t matter what I think. It only matters what the various Admission Committees think.

I am not trying to be critical of anyone. All parents want what is best for their kids, and what they think their kids deserve.
What makes the UMD Honors College better than others? My answer is Dr William Dorland. When we were visiting colleges, we always ran into Dr Dorland at UMD. He was the Director of the Honors College. He is Amazing. He has simce stepped for health reasons and now just teaches Physics. He is literally a force of Nature and even back then he was afflicted with a fatal disease.

What else? Here is a link to the current Honors Seminars:

https://ntst.umd.edu/soc/201801/HONR

These are All small classes. 20 students or so. that are engaging, thought-provoking, and demanding. Students have to think, stretch their minds, and grow. They are all taught (led is actually a better word), by leaders in various fields. My D has taken a number of these seminars and benefited from them and being in the Honors College. It pushed her. It challenged her. And she has grown into a confident, capable woman. I will not go into her accomplishments. She does Not like for me to do that.

I don’t know if I answered any questions or concerns. I cannot prove that it is better than other Honors Colleges. I also think that the Scholars Program provides excellent benefits for students in those programs.

College is what you make of it.

But an individual’s success does not depend on Honors or Scholars. It depends on the student and what they themselves do.

2

I wouldn’t at all be surprised if diversity considerations- geographic, gender balance, intended majors/academic strengths, and other forms of diversity - are also in the mix and especially difficult to account for from the outside looking in.

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Yiu may be right. But I am pretty sure that intended major is Not considered.

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@SoofDad Any insight into how many invitations are extended and how many of those actually attend UMd? I thought I read somewhere there are 1000 Honors College invitations but I don’t know if those are the ones that accepted and enrolled or if it the total number offered which would include the ones that got an invitation and decided to go to another school. College Factual says that in 2016, over 28,000 students applied, 12,760 students were accepted, and just about 4,000 enrolled.

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Awesome post!

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@MESMES - I do not have any particular insight into how many are admitted to the Honors College. I do know that each freshman class is in the 4000 range and the number of applicants increase every year. According to a recent Washington Post article, UMD got 25,000 Priority applicants this year.