My son received notification over the weekend that he was selected as a semifinalist for UMD’s Banneker Key merit award. Honestly did not even have this on our radar and he was completely surprised and excited to be nominated. He will be majoring in Computer Engineering. He had his heart set on UofSC - acceptance to Honors College (received in state tuition as an OOS with additional merit yet to be announced). Clemson (awaiting merit award) and NC State are in his top three as well. We live in Maryland and he really wanted to go out of state to SC or NC for college. He of course is putting UMD into consideration based on the merit award. Anyone with a student in the Banneker Key program who can lend insight and also provide input on the interview process? Plus welcoming any input on his current choices. They say love the college that loves you most and follow your heart - at the end of the day I want him to be happy. SC seems to have his heart but he’s struggling now with passing up this prestigious award and the COA.
SC was our kid’s second choice…and she had a nice scholarship there. It might work out financially for your kiddo too.
At this point, just wait and see.
ETA…there are two levels of the BK from what I understand…full tuition plus, and partial tuition plus. You won’t know your student’s actual award until about the beginning of April.
But….congratulations!
Hi, I would appreciate if any past scholars shed some light on interview process for Banneker Key?
Thank you! He’s planning on completing the interview and then weighing his options. BK is a great opportunity for sure!
Yes, it’s very important for your son to be happy! UMD was not a top contender for my daughter until she won the full Banneker Key. Luckily, she’s a practical girl. Anyway, something that you might want to consider is that UMD is much higher ranked in Computer Science than the other schools that you mention. This US News List (for computer science grad school) ranks UMD at 16, NC State at 43, Clemson at 82, and South Carolina at 111. The computer science program at UMD is very rigorous. I don’t think that any graduates have trouble getting jobs. He might want to consider if he would prefer to be a top student at South Carolina vs middle-of-the-pack for Computer Science at UMD. He might also want to ask Career Services at each institution about the starting salaries for Computer Science graduates. He can also ask about the most popular employers. CS graduates from UMD are getting top jobs; he will have plenty of time to get away from Maryland when he ends up in Silicon Valley, IF that is what he wants to do. Best luck to your son with his decision!
That’s actually the graduate schools ranking. Here’s the undergraduate ranking:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/computer-science-overall
UMD is still pretty high at #18.
Thank you kindly for your feedback! Definitely lots of factors to consider. BK is a tremendous opportunity! Will have my son obtain feedback from career services on starting salaries. We knew UMD was ranked pretty high but were uncertain how they stood in comparison to the other schools. Thanks again!
Thanks! I was unable to view the entire list without the subscription. Do you happen to know where UofSC, Clemson and NC State are ranked on the list? Thanks again!
My daughter won Banneker Key full scholarship in 2019. Every student short listed for Bannerker Key , gets a scholarship. If it is full scholarship or partial scholarship is determined after interview. Per my daughter , interview was very basic. As she applied for Mechanical Engineering major - some senior professor from that department interviewed her. They basically gauge her interest in the program and if she is a good fit for the college. They basically asked about her various extra caricular activities in school. About 100 students from all over the country win 100% scholarship. This schlarship covers full tuition, boarding and some book allowance.
Per USNWR:
U of South Carolina - #122
Clemson - #71
North Carolina State - #51
Here’s an alternate ranking of CS programs:
This list has UMD at #11.
I put this into perspective for my daughter who was accepted at UMD for CS, honors. There are literally thousands of colleges across the country offering CS majors. Of them all, UMD is in the top 20. That’s huge!
Yes, UMD is a top school for CS, but even more, the DC area is awash in CS opportunities with every major Government Agency and their Contractors/Consultants having facilities in the area.
I wouldn’t hesitate to put NC State on the list. Good school, pretty campus and the Research Triangle nearby.
Our OOS neighbor’s son went there for CS. He’s done well. He’s at Georgia Tech working on his PhD.
Of course the Banneker could be the game changer. Is your son eligible for the Park scholarship at NC State?
SC and Clemson are fine too. Being in SC Honors will open doors and gain access to opportunities that normal students don’t get. I enjoyed Columbia when I went there for grad school. Except maybe August. It’s very hot and humid.
Thank you for the information! It’s great to have feedback from someone who has been through the interview process.
Great information- thank you!!
Congrats on the BK full scholarship. Do you know if the partial scholarship brings tuition to in-state levels or is it a fixed amount awarded per year? Thanks
Partial Banneker Key is $12,000 per year for OOS students.
Thanks! So brings the OOS costs to around 44k
There’s also a $1,250 book allowance included. I think I’m the end the total cost is closer to $40k a year.
Keep in mind that even though on-campus housing is guaranteed for BK Scholars for 4 years, very few students end up wanting to live on campus for 4 years, as they will be surrounded by sophomores and freshmen. Living off-campus is very popular for juniors and seniors. Local apartment buildings tend to be quite expensive. There are a few bargains, but students usually want to stay with their best friends, so having a consensus regarding price is key. Some students rent houses and these tend to be more affordable. An in-between option is available in South Campus Commons, which is on the edge of university property but is privately owned and managed. The price is in-between as well. Just wanted to give the heads up that housing costs are not going to always stay within the official university budget! Students who can cook or who are frugal usually end up saving on food. For humanities or social science students, the book allowance is very generous.