<p>I have a few questions for UMD students or people that may know the answers...</p>
<p>Does anyone have any first hand experience with these programs? </p>
<p>Also, if you are admitted into honors and/or gemstones, is that an almost sure sign for merit scholarships? </p>
<p>And when do we find out about merit <em>read 7 posts down, I found info from the website</em></p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I also would like to know what the difference is between honors/gemstone/scholars. I was admitted to scholars and I'm a little disappointed I wasn't to honors or gemstone because I was under the impression that these programs are more prestigious? Anyone care to elaborate? My stats are comparable to others who were accepted to honors/gemstone.</p>
<p>I got into honors and gemstone, but not scholars.</p>
<p>??? <em>confused</em></p>
<p>Is it possible to get into all three?</p>
<p>Yeah I'm the opposite, in at scholars, but not honors or gemstone. It seems like honors and gemstone are more prestigious than scholars. Does anyone have any information comparing the programs?</p>
<p>i'm copying and pasting my reply to xeneise in another thread.... hang on</p>
<p>This is the information from the website. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.honors.umd.edu/honorsCPS.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.honors.umd.edu/honorsCPS.html</a></p>
<p>Like Xeneise, my daughter has stats high enough for Honors but was admitted to Scholars instead. Maybe the pool was very strong this year, I don't know.</p>
<p>ORIGINAL POST: xeneise & everyone else who's a little disappointed -- from the perspective of a student at umd .... each of these programs excel at different things for different reasons, and students in each of these programs all think that theirs is the best (although i hear many complaints about the workload of gemstone, once people start wanting to get involved in campus actvities).</p>
<p><strong><em>THIS IS NOT HIGH SCHOOL (or CC)!!!</em></strong> nobody cares what level classes you're in, what special programs you're in, or what your GPA is, except for you. </p>
<p>your leadership activities, for example, make you a great candidate for the public leadership scholars program. or you could choose to get involved in something completely random, like arts scholars, or something related to your major, such as one of the technology-related programs.</p>
<p>i'm in honors, and i can tell you that, academics & course requirements aside, scholars is much more a true living-learning program than honors, especially your freshman year (this is something that i find to be a negative about the honors program). you'll make friends very quickly because you are living with the people in your colloquium class, and you all will be working together on different projects, etc.</p>
<p>so relax-- your stats are higher than some of those i've seen being accepted to honors. gemstone is very research-based and that doesn't interest everyone, or the admissions committee feels that some people are better suited for that type of program than others.</p>
<p>like i said before, most people really enjoy their program, and they all have different positive and negative aspects.</p>
<p>IN ADDITION:
go compare the programs yourself :)
<a href="http://www.honors.umd.edu%5B/url%5D">http://www.honors.umd.edu</a>
<a href="http://www.gemstone.umd.edu%5B/url%5D">http://www.gemstone.umd.edu</a>
<a href="http://www.honorshumanities.umd.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.honorshumanities.umd.edu/</a>
<a href="http://www.scholars.umd.edu%5B/url%5D">http://www.scholars.umd.edu</a></p>
<p>honors humanities & gemstone are divisions of the honors program, so if you weren't admitted to honors, you cannot be admitted to one of these programs. students in these programs can meet the requirements of their individiual program to earn their honors citation, plus they are allowed to take honors seminars/h-version courses if they want to (but they aren't required to for the citation, like general honors students).</p>
<p>honors compared to scholars (from honors page)
<a href="http://www.honors.umd.edu/honorsCPS.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.honors.umd.edu/honorsCPS.html</a></p>
<p>for fall '07 honors admits:
<a href="http://www.honors.umd.edu/newterps.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.honors.umd.edu/newterps.html</a></p>
<p>from honors about scholarships:
Scholarship awards are not connected to admission to Honors. There are no separate applications for University scholarships. If you are going to be offered a partial scholarship or invited to interview for a full scholarship, you will receive a letter between late February and early April.</p>
<p>The eligibility requirements for each scholarship vary, with the most talented entering freshmen receiving the most prestigious scholarships. Admission decision letters are mailed by March 1 and merit scholarship award notifications begin in early March and continue through early April.</p>
<p>I'm shocked I didn't get Gemstone!</p>
<p>Over 1400 hours of research at NIH and other stuffs and haha that's just plain weird. Not that I'd go there but wow.</p>
<p>Banneker/Key Scholarship
The Banneker/Key Scholarship, the most prestigious merit scholarship offered, covers the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and a book allowance for four years. Admission to the University Honors Program and eligibility for Honors housing are additional benefits</p>
<p>Is it impossible to get that then if you haven't been invited to the honors program?</p>
<p>lindz, thanks for clearing that up!</p>
<p>I am invited for honors/gemstones. Any input as to what to choose? I will be a pre-med student. Gpa 3.9/4.62</p>
<p>You are in both Honors and Gemstones. All Honors are not Gemstones, but all Gemstones are Honors.</p>
<p>From <a href="http://www.gemstone.umd.edu/Prospective/faq.htm%5B/url%5D:">http://www.gemstone.umd.edu/Prospective/faq.htm:</a></p>
<p>Can I just remain in Honors, if after accepting the Gemstone invitation I decide Gemstone is not for me?</p>
<p>Yes, in fact you are a University Honors student. We encourage second semester freshmen to think about the commitment that is required to work in a team conducting research for the next three years. When freshmen participate in the topic selection process of GEMS 102 (see the Gemstone Curriculum), they are asked to decide at that point if they wish to remain and commit to the team and topic. It is better for students to make that decision PRIOR to working in a team, as this disrupts the team's progress.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>I think I'm going to go for Gemstones... nothing really to lose!</p>
<p>barbara960</p>
<p>So if I accept gemstone,Iam in honors as well (since my acceptance say you are invited to honors + gemstones?</p>
<p>mellow: good point-- many students decide to try it out, hear older students' opinions, etc. before they decide for sure their second semester.</p>
<p>whyivy: yes.</p>
<p>barbara: your comment reminds me of one of those brainteasers.... if all A is C and all B is A, and all B is not D, is C a member of D? :)</p>
<p>Thank you so much</p>
<p>I am wondering about why some people were chosen for Honors and some chosen for Scholars. It doesn't seem to be a numbers thing. Also, judging from what people are saying they wrote on the essays, that doesn't seem to be the deciding factor either.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any theories? I'm thinking that maybe an applicant's senior-year schedule was an influence. For instance, for those admitted to Honors, did you take AP Calc? Did anyone admitted to Scholars take it? AP Calc came to mind because at another school that I follow, rumor has it that AP Calc is what admissions officers are looking for this year. Just an idea!</p>
<p>LurkNessMonster, I took Ap calc and got into Scholars</p>
<p>^^^ Good to know. On to the next theory! :D</p>