Gemstone Admissions Process

Gemstone Invitation

The Gemstone Academic Advisor coordinates Gemstone invitations by working with University Honors and the University Undergraduate Admissions office. Gemstone students who have been selected for University Honors and who are then invited to join the program through the University Undergraduate Admission process. Gemstone students invited for fall 2007 had an average weighted GPA of 4.5, and average SAT score of 1467. Please reference the Admission and Scholarship information for University Honors for more information on invitation to University Honors. Gemstone does not offer scholarships for students. For best consideration, students are strongly encouraged to apply for admission to the University by December 1 for the following fall.

The Gemstone staff reviews a select list of University Honors invitees. Because the Gemstone Program is multidisciplinary, students are selected for invitation across academic disciplines. Students invited to Gemstone have: very strong academic credentials; demonstrate societal concerns in their admission essay and resume; show involvement in team related and other co-curricular activities; and demonstrate intellectual inquisitiveness and interest in research.

Once students have received an invitation to Gemstone, the student must communicate their intention to accept or decline the invitation by May 1 by following the instructions on the Gemstone homepage. Students confirmed to join the Gemstone Program will receive further information from Gemstone about Honors Orientation sessions, Summer Buddy assignments, Gems Camp, and course requirements.

Contact the Gemstone Academic Advisor at dawsona@umd.edu or at 301-314-7451 with questions regarding the admission process.