The Banneker/Key Scholarship is the most prestigious merit scholarship offered to incoming UMD freshmen. It includes admission to the Honors College. In selecting Banneker/Key Scholars, the selection committee seeks to identify potential academic leaders, who as individuals and as a group, will enrich and benefit from the campus learning environment. The selection committee carefully reviews the entire application of each early action deadline applicant, and semifinalists for the scholarship are invited to an interview as part of the final selection process. November 1 is the early action deadline. Banneker/Key Semifinalists will receive their interview invitation by March 1 and they will be notified of their final scholarship award by April 1. Only U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents can qualify for the universityÔÇÖs merit scholarships.