UMD Banneker Key Scholarship

[Anonymous]

My BK kid is friends with other full BK kids from Mass and Australia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it only for MD students? thanks

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

yes, from NOVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

My asian/white kid from a magnet had near perfect stats, and also didn't get it. I think BK looks holistically, and not just stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

My asian/white kid from a magnet had near perfect stats, and also didn't get it. I think BK looks holistically, and not just stats.

did they have research and main leadership like robotics captain?

[Anonymous]

DS and another kid from his school were top of class, 500+ points above school average, and very arts focused. Holistic does not need to mean research and robotics captains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it only for MD students? thanks

No, it's open to all incoming freshmen, IS and OOS.

[Anonymous]

"Interviews" are not really "interviews" per se. Only about 15 min or so. They just want to know your kid. Tell your kid to relax and watch your manner. Remember, UMD wants you as much as you want the full B/K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My asian/white kid from a magnet had near perfect stats, and also didn't get it. I think BK looks holistically, and not just stats.

Blair magnet has lots of perfect stats kids not even in honor, only in scholar including MIT accepted, so definitely not just stats,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My asian/white kid from a magnet had near perfect stats, and also didn't get it. I think BK looks holistically, and not just stats.

Blair magnet has lots of perfect stats kids not even in honor, only in scholar including MIT accepted, so definitely not just stats,

It's the same with other MCPS high schools where students have max rigor, excellent stats, and good ECs. My kid and her friends all got scholars. Fewer students (that she knows of) from her HS got honors. Only honors invitees are considered for BK.

[Anonymous]

Don't try to figure out how the BK scholarships are given because you might fall into a trap. Nobody knows the rules and you ended up in a frustrating state that is transmitted to your kid. UMD is great school that awards these scholarships for tens of years. They do not say they are purely academic merit based. Someone with lower stats but a significant volunteer activity that he initiated might get a BK but one with perfect score might not.

My son is also in a HS magnet and has almost perfect scores. He also got awards that only few in Maryland have. He didn't get the BK that he was 101% sure he will get. But that's ok! Maryland has done for him and the rest of the magnet kids way more than a BK scholarship. He was privileged to take advanced classes that other kids couldn't attend to. The MD state invested resources to provide these kids better education than others received. And, there is always a divine balance in life. You were already awarded in HS, maybe it is time for other amazing students to be awarded too. Right?

Most of these perfect score kids will end up going at other colleges with or without a BK scholarship. Just relax, wait for March admission results, and acknowledge that there are many, many great students outside magnets.

These are my 2 cents for those still looking for BK answers.

[Anonymous]

Also, UMd awards additional merit scholarships in early March, including presidential, which is very generous.