Welcome to Terp Nation @YoohooAddict
@SoofDad Haha, thanks!
What day is the orientation at UMD?
@YoohooAddict Here is the link to start with. Make sure you pick a date that is appropriate for you, i.e.major/.honors./scholars/etc.
http://www.orientation.umd.edu/
There are several dates.
@SoofDad Thanks so much!
Also, one last question. UMD has my major set to CS, but I’m intending on doing a double major in CS and Math. Should I request that it be changed to that before my orientation day? If so, then how can I go about doing that?
Is there an Admitted Students session specific to the Computer Science department? Where you can see the facilities for that major, speak to faculty, sit in on classes?
I only found this general open house: https://admissions.umd.edu/visit/asoh.php
@durna01 - I do recommend attending one of the Admitted Student Open Houses. They provide a lot of good info about attending UMD and, as I recall, they divide students by major (or at least college, engineering, business, etc.). So there may be a session for CS majors and a chance to talk with some students and faculty.
However, what you may also want is “Terp for a Day”. Here is the link.
https://www.admissions.umd.edu/visit/terpforaday.php
I assume that you call admissions to register. I know that spaces are limited, since they have to depend on student volunteers to take you around.
@YoohooAddict - You should call either Admissions or the Math Department. Maybe the Math Department first. Their phone number is at the bottom of this link
@YoohooAddict You can sign up for math classes without being declared as a math major, so it’s perfectly fine to wait until after your first or second semester. If any classes require special approval, just send an email to the math department ugrad address and they’ll grant you permission as long as you meet the prereqs.
@synack So what you’re saying is that I can take math courses for my first two semesters and then notify the math department that I’m interested in also doing a math major, and they’ll work it out for me?
@YoohooAddict - Here is the Math Department link for Double Majors.
@YoohooAddict Yep. The CS+Math combo is extremely common, and CS majors are required to take some introductory math courses anyway so I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with course registration. That said if you want to contact them to declare it now, I can’t imagine it’ll hurt.
We are signed up for the 3/31 admitted students open house. D17 is looking forward to seeing more of the engineering facilities, and the opportunity to learn more about DC&C, which was her first choice in honors programs.
Does anyone know when decisions on Honors programs are finalized? I just don’t want to have her disappointed if she goes to admitted students day, decides she loves DC&C (which is quite likely) and then doesn’t get selected.
IIRC, we went to admitted student’s open house with DS 3 years ago toward the end of March or beginning of April, and he knew by then what LLC he’d been placed in. We went to their presentation, and he was not happy at all with it – the LLC was not a good fit for him, and was not one that he’d ranked highly in his selections; I assured him that I thought for sure that if he didn’t want to do that LLC, there was a way to not do it, if everything else about the university was what he wanted. He ended up choosing a different school, though.
We also are going to the open house on 3/31. DD is spending the night with FLEXUS this weekend. She’s about 80% sure UMD is going to be the choice for her, but she wants all the info before she makes her decision…
Thanks for the info, @ailinsh1! I’d love for D17 to take more time to investigate FLEXUS because I love the idea of it, but since we’re traveling from Illinois, we have to limit our visits. Like your DD, I think mine is 70 - 80% sure, but she hasn’t even visited one of the campuses (UA) so we want to provide all of the information we can.
@NerdMom88, DD really loved UA when we visited last spring; also loved Auburn. She’s narrowed it down to Auburn vs UMD, but UMD has the edge because they have a true bioengineering program (vs. doing it as part of chemical engineering), as well as some other smaller things like the accessibility of the barn on campus, the equestrian club, etc., which are important to her. Good luck with your trip and your daughter’s decision!
Thanks, @ailinsh1! D17 only applied to three schools because we were chasing big merit with an aerospace major. UA-Huntsville is really tempting IF she doesn’t change her major, but she really loved the Honors options at UMD. UA is an outlier; I kind of made her apply, and she isn’t enthused, but I want her to visit. If she feels the same after her visit, that’s fine. You have to narrow it down somehow! Also, our other D is at UMBC, so that’s another attraction for D17. I strongly suspect she’ll end up as a Terp.
Let us know what your D decides.
For those looking at the Honors programs, and/or FLEXUS, thought I’d share a synopsis of what DD learned from a friend who is there now, in her 3rd year of civil engineering, and was part of FLEXUS. This young lady is just about the sweetest, kindest young woman I’ve ever met; she’s very quiet but warm, friendly, and funny; gentle, but also in the NROTC; just the sort of nurturing wing you hope your new freshman lands near…
- The most broad program is University Honors where you only have to take 2 H-version courses and 3 honors seminars. If you want to do FLEXUS, choose UH as your Honors program.
- GEMSTONE is a 4 year research project program, and is the most intensive one.
- UH and GEMSTONE live in the "worst" high riser dorms on campus in terms of age, etc. (Hagerstown or Ellicott). This individual did UH, but avoided the UH dorm by living with the FLEXUS community.
- DCC and ACES live in the nicest dorm building on campus: Prince Frederick. Prince Frederick is basically a hotel.
- She highly recommended FLEXUS -- great way to meet people in your classes, they provide a lot of professional development opportunities, the classes are a GPA booster, they have events with free food, and they connect you with a lot of programs and events.
- Some people end up hating their Honors program, some people love theirs, and most people end up with some combination of loving it/hating it, but that's just Life and the nature of college. You'll definitely get something positive out of it if you go into it with an open mind and give it a fair shot, even if you end up in a program that is not your favorite.