<p>So I applied to the University of Maryland late... however, I was accepted. I want a spot at the honors college...particularly the gemstone program...but I am doubtful that I will receive a spot as my application was submitted late... I am fine with being placed on the wait list...can someone tell me my chances of getting into the honors college? Maryland is my first choice now...and unless I'm admitted to the honors college...chances are slim of me attending...</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>ok…maybe I should rephrase a bit? Is it possible to be offered a spot?</p>
<p>Why are the chances slim of you attending if you aren’t in Honors?</p>
<p>I would like to say that my chances are slim…but I cannot… I would like to attend the university either way…I’d prefer the honors college because I need the teacher interaction in order to thrive… maybe I can be admitted my sophomore year?</p>
<p>bookworm,</p>
<p>You might want to read about departmental honors. This might still be available to you.</p>
<p>[UM</a> Honors College - About -Departmental Honors](<a href=“http://www.honors.umd.edu/departmentalhonors.php]UM”>http://www.honors.umd.edu/departmentalhonors.php)</p>
<p>UMDCP admittance informs you that day if you were accepted to the program. In other words, CONGRATS WE ARE PLEASED TO OFFER YOU ADMISSION INTO UMDCP HONORS. They do not do a 2 tier system, IN and then HONORS.</p>
<p>All HONORS/GEMSTONE/SCHOLARS students are told on DAY ONE if you opt out don’t expect to step back in because they have a waiting list. It is not like Smith, Phillips or Clark where you can keep re-applying to get in. </p>
<p>If you need teacher inter-action even as an honor this might not be a good fit. You will still be required to take the mass classes like ECON or PSYCH with 200 kids. This is not a private college with 1000 kids graduating each yr.</p>
<p>I know I am being harsh, but I don’t want you to have a false illusion of UMDCP.</p>
<p>As plumazel linked you can get into dept honors, but the questions is will you be happy as a freshman with large classes. Additionally, remember not only will there be Honor or Gemstone students fighting for those spots, but Scholars will too along with Clark, Smith and Phillips students. General admit is an uphill battle because the others were already deemed differently for admission purposes.</p>
<p>UMD is your number one choice, don’t wrap yourself up in the Honors issue, however, be honest to yourself if 200 kid classes for reqs will hurt you maybe you should re-think your choice. Remember Profs live by the rule PUBLISH or PERISH! Unfortunately, many care more about tenure than the student!</p>
<p>Good news is when you get to upper classman you will have that teacher involvement, but this is no longer HS, they have the opinion of sink or swim.</p>
<p>If you want UMD and you would rather go to there before a smaller college with teacher interaction than the answer is easy. If you want/need teacher interaction than the answer is easy too. Don’t go with the thought that you will get into honors/gemstone. Just be happy to go!</p>
<p>The honors college or Gemstone may still be available to you. Depends on how strong your stats are. Call admissions and ask. It is much easier to get them to reevaluate early like this, rather than later in the game.</p>
<p>Secondly, I agree with bulletandpima that being in the honors college doesn’t mean you’ll have small classes and everyone else will have big ones. Honors seminars are primarily used to fulfill your CORE requirements. They are a good experience, but you won’t be saved from the big lectures within your major. UMCP is not a LAC in any sense of the term, that’s true. And I do not think the quality of the introductory classes should factor that much into your decision…after all, it’s just intro classes. Myself and several of my friends never even completed the honors requirements…some people love the experience and it turns out to not be all that exciting for others.</p>
<p>Gemstone is a different special experience…but you are even less likely to be admitted to that late. Gemstone also has a high drop-out rate so again, it’s not necessarily something you would’ve sticked with, anyway. </p>
<p>These aren’t the only opportunities at MD provided you get involved and get good grades - you can still do research, join departmental honors, rise to leadership positions in other activities, do other upperclass living-learning programs such as Hinman-CEO, Beyond the Classroom, etc.</p>
<p>It takes a little effort (like, choosing NOT to be anonymous, making a point to go to your professor’s office hours, asking for help when you need it), but you can make UMD feel much “smaller” by getting to know your professors (and honest, you really CAN do it…showing that you care and want to do the work necessary to get good grades really does make you stand out from the majority of students in your classes, especially freshman and sophomore year) and as UMCP11 points out, getting involved with activities on campus, etc. While I think that the Honors program and the CP Scholars programs are great (I’ve got a D in each one), I think my D’s have been successful because they’ve taken the initiative to get to know their professors and have realized that nothing is going to be handed to them. And that wasn’t because of either program making it happen; it wouldn’t have happened without their efforts. Actually, in D1’s freshman year, the only professor who didn’t know her by name was an old guy who taught one of her Honors Seminars, who was adamant that he wasn’t intending to learn the names of any of the 18 students in that class! 
And I would venture to say that D2 knows a lot more people on campus as a freshman than her sister does as a junior, just because she’s involved in so many things that interest her. She’s already asked (and received) great recommendations from professors and staff people with whom she has interacted…as a freshman.</p>
<p>Also, D1 was invited to Gemstone, and she turned it down because she wanted to be able to focus specifically on the things that interested her. She was an undergrad research assistant 2nd semester of her freshman year, and in her case, the research she’s done at NASA and individual research she’s doing now on campus (with prospects of being published for both) trumps anything that she would have done with Gemstone. </p>
<p>I’m not dissing Gemstone, I’m just saying it’s not for everybody; and although it’s a great program, it should not be the primary basis for your decision to go to UMD. There are TONS of other opportunities there for you to do meaningful, interesting research. You may just have to go to a little effort to find them.</p>
<p>We just got back from UMD and during the business school presentation, we were told that many folks who are admitted into the business school as freshman and who got Gemstone chose to forgo Gemstone in order to focus on the business fellow program instead. I thought that was very interesting.</p>
<p>well thanks to all you! but looks like i’ve decided to attend college elsewhere…umdcp is wayy to big for me. thanks guys!</p>