UMD Banneker Key Scholarship

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are not academic merit scholarships! This year, in one of the most prestigious HS magnet program in MCPS, the 2 kids that got the BK scholarship are at the bottom of the class. Kids with much better stats and international awards like gold olympiad medals were not selected.
It is ok to use these scholarships to attract some kids, but UMD needs to define what the merit means to avoid creating false expectations that academic merit is the intend. That's in the spirit of honesty and transparency that any education institution should be operating on.

My kid had near perfect stats and got it. Asian from MoCo magnet w/ no hooks of any kind. All of her friends who won it have similar stats as far as I know. I am not sure what you mean by "kids with much better stats".

I am really glad to read this. We are also Asian from a MoCo Magnet with near perfect stats, top of the class and excellent ECs and did not get it. Of course, I believed that it was anti-Asian bias until I saw your post.

[Anonymous]

These high stats get you into Honors. B/K draws from these tippy top kids and chooses among them using different criteria. It is more “holistic,” if you will. BK has never claimed to be strictly about stats.

[Anonymous]

nova-wf, 1550 one sitting, all 5s, ib diploma, all HL classes, 4.0 UW, major leadership EC in engineering, so i dont see anything holistic but i do see random-not everyone can be picked,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These high stats get you into Honors. B/K draws from these tippy top kids and chooses among them using different criteria. It is more “holistic,” if you will. BK has never claimed to be strictly about stats.

Not necessarily true. It seems high stats will help with Honors or Scholars.

I have two very high stats kids with average ECs...older is at UMD in Honors College; younger was just accepted to UMD and Scholars. This is from an in-state, public high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting BK students is tough and subjective since all Honors students are top students with great achievements. Those gold medals students will go to MIT/ivyes anyway.

What happens to the scholarships if they were picked but end up going elsewhere come May decision?

Hoping someone can address this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These high stats get you into Honors. B/K draws from these tippy top kids and chooses among them using different criteria. It is more “holistic,” if you will. BK has never claimed to be strictly about stats.

Not necessarily true. It seems high stats will help with Honors or Scholars.

I have two very high stats kids with average ECs...older is at UMD in Honors College; younger was just accepted to UMD and Scholars. This is from an in-state, public high school.

But that's what PP stated -- you can get honors and presidential scholarships with high stats, but BK has a more holistic approach.

FWIW, my kid had super high stats and got presidential, not BK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting BK students is tough and subjective since all Honors students are top students with great achievements. Those gold medals students will go to MIT/ivyes anyway.

What happens to the scholarships if they were picked but end up going elsewhere come May decision?

Hoping someone can address this?

They award more than they expect will be used, so the idea that some will not be used is baked into the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting BK students is tough and subjective since all Honors students are top students with great achievements. Those gold medals students will go to MIT/ivyes anyway.

What happens to the scholarships if they were picked but end up going elsewhere come May decision?

Hoping someone can address this?

They award more than they expect will be used, so the idea that some will not be used is baked into the process.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:nova-wf, 1550 one sitting, all 5s, ib diploma, all HL classes, 4.0 UW, major leadership EC in engineering, so i dont see anything holistic but i do see random-not everyone can be picked,

Can you give an example of a major leadership EC in engineering?

I'm having trouble imagining what this might be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting BK students is tough and subjective since all Honors students are top students with great achievements. Those gold medals students will go to MIT/ivyes anyway.

What happens to the scholarships if they were picked but end up going elsewhere come May decision?

Hoping someone can address this?

They award more than they expect will be used, so the idea that some will not be used is baked into the process.

Yes, this is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are not academic merit scholarships! This year, in one of the most prestigious HS magnet program in MCPS, the 2 kids that got the BK scholarship are at the bottom of the class. Kids with much better stats and international awards like gold olympiad medals were not selected.

I don't believe this since they pick from the honors kids, and the honors kids have top stats...

[Anonymous]

Not this year but my kid got BK, Asian, moco magnet, not at the top of class (more like top 10%), but good testing stats (1550 one sitting as well, 13 APs all 5s, etc), national awards in ECs, significant leadership ECs. Ended up at HYP.

[Anonymous]

UMd not really on son’s radar til he got BK. It’s been a great fit for him.

Tips for interview.
Do have kid dress business casual for the interview. Not necessary to buy new suit just for this occasion but nice shirt/sweater/pants are good.

My DS is in engineering and learned a lot about the programs there during the informational interviews in the morning.

During formal interview, he was asked about different activities on his EC list. DS came away thinking the interviewer did not like him. That same interviewer has been guest lecturer in his class and told him she was happy he had chosen UMd.

Send thank you notes!!! DS did via email.

[Anonymous]

Is it only for MD students? thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it only for MD students? thanks

There are posters on this thread that claim to be recipients from OOS.