Global Communities is a selective program. Incoming freshmen to the University are invited to join. Each year, the Global Communities staff reviews several thousand applications to the University and selects a group of talented, diverse students based upon their background, experience, and educational qualifications.
We seek to invite a mix of students who we believe would benefit from the program. These include those who have demonstrated an interest in world affairs and foreign cultures; international students seeking to broaden their perspectives; and students who may not have any international experience but who come to the university with an open mind.
We recognize that not all students highlight their international interests in their application to the University. Accordingly, we welcome students who believe they are strong candidates for the program to send an email to globalcommunities@umd.edu. Provided we have remaining spots and are still reviewing applications, we are happy to consider students we may have missed.
Invited Students: How to Accept or Decline Your Invitation
You may accept or decline your invitation online by directly emailing your name and decision to to globalcommunities@umd.edu. In your email, please provide your full name and a message that states you are interested or not interested in participating in the program if you decide to attend the University of Maryland. You can also complete a brief online form that will be sent to us upon submission. Once we receive your decision, we will email you with a confirmation. For best consideration, please respond by April 15, 2012.
If you accept the invitation, you do not need to do anything further to reserve your spot in the program. However, you should still plan on completing all the same housing paperwork as freshmen who are not participating in a special program. You do not need to state in this paperwork that you are participating in Global Communities.
Exchange Student Admission
Hundreds of exchange students have called Dorchester Hall home during their studies at the University of Maryland. Global Communities and its open-minded students create a welcoming residential environment for students coming from different countries. As a result, exchange students are easily able to make friends from the United States and beyond, all while enjoying a traditional residence hall experience in the heart of the University of Maryland campus:
I have learned valuable lessons about the world and other cultures by living in Dorchester Hall. More importantly for me, I have made friends with people from all over the world.
Bo S., Copenhagen, Denmark
Exchange students who live in Dorchester Hall do not take the courses required of Global Communities students. However, they are able to take part in any extracurricular activity sponsored by the program, including: excursions to Washington, DC; international dinner nights; lecture events; and more! This allows exchange students to benefit from living in an active residence hall and focus on their studies and relationship-building.
We admit exchange students on a space-available basis. This means that we cannot guarantee that all interested exchange students will be able to live in Dorchester Hall. Consequently, it is important that interested exchange students contact us as soon as they learn of their admission to the University of Maryland. If you are interested in living in Dorchester Hall, please send an email to globalcommunities@umd.edu.
