I really would not let comments about a “vibe” influence your son’s choice as every cohort is going to be unique to the students that are in it that particular year, so every year is different.
As @whenyoubelieve said, “However, choosing an LLP is all about fit! He should join a program he likes (not just one that complements what he’s majoring in) …I would just ask him to choose programs that actually interest him, since people are way more likely to enjoy their time at UMD and in their LLP if they’re doing something they like.”
As for not being artsy, the program description specifically states how they look to “bringing together people with different skill sets, different backgrounds, and different perspectives.” Take a look at examples of their capstone projects here http://www.dcc.umd.edu/learning.html (scroll down the page for list of projects) and you will see they are not all “artsy”…
@JMS111 glad you find my posts helpful! It is an interesting thing about the big lectures…some kids actually like the break of just listening and not having to engage. However, if your daughter sits in the front of the lecture hall, she may find the size of the class less impactful to her.
From another CC thread, it sounds like some in-state students are getting red envelopes with BK invitations today. Fingers crossed for all Honors admits!
@pickledginger picked an honors college yet? D wants humanities but cant decide between eip and dcc for #2.
Fyi beginning today at 6 they are doing online chats about the various honors colleges. Go.umd.edu/honorschat
@whenyoubelieve Hey! I am thinking about doing Aces since I’m going to be an EE major in the honors college. I was wondering if I am required to complete the llp in two years or if I can take three or four years to complete it. Also, do you know if you can store a bike indoors at Prince Frederick Hall? You’re required to live there if you’re participating in Aces.
@Ohboycollege You can complete it in more than two years, but MOST people finish in 2 years! Also, yes! There’s bike storage indoors at PF (it’s a bike room which requires swipe access, but I’d still STRONGLY recommend bringing a bike lock, if you get in)
@klbmom18 , he decided his first choice is DCC, humanities second and EIP third, I believe. Did the honors college chat help your daughter decide?
Hi @pickledginger I listened to the DCC and humanities and university honors chats and EIP is tonight. She wants to hear the EIP chats (she’s been in rehearsals all week so can’t do them)
They said if you pick by the 16th, you will hear by March 1 so that’s nice. DCC doesn’t require computer knowledge but she found that it was too focused on coding, programming, 3-D printers etc. humanities has a keystone project you do second semester sophomore year. You take three humanities seminars plus keystone plus one more three hour option. University honors requires the same time commitment but you have a choice of any of the honors seminars. You take five of them with three hours each. University honors doesn’t require a keystone. So right now she’s probably between humanities and University honors but she wants to see EIP. Personally DH and I have no idea how we got a daughter who is interested in business but who knows. Interestingly there are also honors study abroad programs during winter and spring.
Also @pickledginger Please note I’m not criticizing DCC at all. The director and students seemed great and it seems very interesting. It’s just that my daughter runs in the other direction when anyone says coding.
@klbmom18, thanks SOOoo much for all of the info! I think we missed the notifications about the various chats - they sound very helpful. My son also runs away when someone mentions coding, although I think he might actually like it, or at least not hate it. Are the honors study abroad programs offered to all honors students or just students in University honors? My son will be at work tonight, but I am going to look up how to access the EIP chat. Thanks again!!
@pickledginger The links (and time and dates) for the chats should have been emailed to your son at some point after he got accepted to the Honors College (I would check his inbox or trash to see if it’s there). I believe that all honors study abroad programs are offered to all Honors students, since, technically, everyone in the Honors College is also part of University Honors (they just don’t have to do the UH curriculum).
@pickledginger Each study abroad program lists eligibility, which usually includes a minimum gpa. Some courses are designed for specific majors or programs, but any honors college/departmental Honors student is eligible for any HONR program.
Typically, if it is a short-term, program/major-specific course led by faculty (such as those offered during winter break, spring break, or summer), the application is “open” but priority is given to students listed in eligibility requirements due to space limitations. This typically comes into play for high demand programs, such as winter break to exotic/popular locales.
@whenyoubelieve , @maryversity , thanks for the info.
My son doesn’t have any emails about the chats . . . the only emails he has from UMD are his initial application acknowledgement, an admission email telling him to check the portal when he got admitted, and an admitted student Open House invite. It’s possible an email could have been deleted, I guess. It has been hard keeping track of all the emails! I triple checked his letter and it does say he was admitted to the Honors College, and he was able to submit his LLC choices online, so at least this lack of chat notification doesn’t seem to indicate that he wasn’t actually admitted to the Honors College!
Anyway, I will try to contact the school and figure out how to access the chat, but if anyone has a link or any other info and could send it to me, I would appreciate that. I have a bunch of meetings this morning (I’m on PST in CA) between now and the chat and I’m not sure how long it will take to try to contact the right person at UMD.
@pickledginger Here is the email regarding chat.
Congratulations again on your admission to the Honors College at the University of Maryland!
Want to learn more? Join us for an online chat with current Honors College students and staff who can answer your questions about the various living and learning programs. Most chats will feature a specific Honors College living and learning program, and you may join us for as many of the online chats as you would like. (All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.)
February 12, 6:00-7:00 pm: Design Cultures & Creativity
February 12, 7:00-8:00 pm: Integrated Life Sciences
February 13, 6:00-7:00 pm: Gemstone
February 13, 7:00-8:00 pm: Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students
February 14, 6:00-7:00 pm: University Honors
February 14, 7:00-8:00 pm: Honors Humanities
February 15, 6:00-7:00 pm: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
February 15, 7:00-8:00 pm: Honors College (information about all Honors Living and Learning Programs)
To join any of our online chats, visit go.umd.edu/honorschat and log in as a guest using your full name and start chatting!
Thanks, @mommahawk!! Trying not to be too bummed that we didn’t know about them earlier. At least we (or I, since my son will be at work), can sit in on two of them tonight and one of the two is an overview. I truly appreciate all of the info shared so far - you guys are great!!
Also, thanks to @klbmom18 for trying to give us all a heads’ up on 2/12 for the first chat. I hadn’t seen that post but see it now looking back.
@pickledginger You are welcome. My son did not get to join any of it either because he had track meet but glad he gets to join tonight since those are his top 2 choices.
They also seemed accommodating about changing preferences if you didn’t like the first one you picked – if you email them right away. Additional DCC Capstone projects can be see at the DCC director’s website at http://kristacaballero.com/teaching/practicum-in-digital-cultures-and-creativity
@mommahawk @klbmom18 , any changes after the chats today? I am thinking that, although none of them seem like a perfect fit (if there is such a thing), DCC is the closest for my son, despite the “coding issue.” We’ll see if he still agrees.
D is comfortable with 1 humanities 2 eip. They are different but she likes both. DCC said you dont have to code. So if he likes the creativity aspect he should love it!