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Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
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Admitted to Maryland/Smith Part-time DC

by voiceofsticks » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:54 am
Thought I'd share my story....

After working in clinical healthcare for a while I realized that I most interested in pursusing a business career, especially in something dealing with emerging markets (marketing or consulting most likely) I spent most of last year pursuing a career change that would get me closer to an MBA-like career, and eventually ended up in IT support (hey it's closer than nothing). I started researching programs and realized that because of my undergrad GPA (2.6!) I would struggle to get a decent look from a lot of schools. I hunkered down with a GMAT book and started studying. I also took a Macroeconomics course at a local college.

On my first try I got a 650 on my GMAT. Originally I had planned to apply to places like Virginia Tech/Pamplin and George Mason. After researching a bit more and seeing my first-time score, I went with American/Kogod, GW, Georgetown/McDonough and Maryland/Smith instead. I banked on my GMAT, the fact that my undergrad GPA was in a difficult major (Molecular Biology), and my leadership experience through college and after.

I got in everywhere but Georgetown (not even an interview), and after visiting everywhere, I decided to settle with Smith.

Honestly, I struggled with the choice. After I realized that Georgetown wasn't a lost cause statistically, I REALLY, REALLY wanted to make it in. But you have to play with the cards you're dealt, and Maryland is a fine program. What really sold me was of course their favorable rankings (US News 2012 named them tied for #17 part-time program), location (my campus will be basically across the street from the White House) and their offerings. One feature I'm most looking forward to is their Center for Social Value Creation, which I can use to hook up with a local non-profit to do an unofficial internship. As a part-time student looking to transition careers, this is a big deal for me.

All that to say, I'm going to be a Terrapin! I'd love to hear any good feedback that people have about the Maryland/Smith culture and program.
Last edited by voiceofsticks on Wed May 23, 2012 10:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
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by voiceofsticks » Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:19 am
*crickets*
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by terpy » Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:10 pm
hello there, welcome to the Smith program! I am in the fulltime program, but we seem to have similar backgrounds.
Out of all those options mentioned, Maryland is the best option after Gtown. Historically, Maryland ranked higher than Gtown but recently Smith has taken a hit to the rankings. GW is also rising in the rankings, and if it is international work you want, then that might actually be a better option than Maryland.
Smith has worked out for me, but there is no guarantees. I am also a careerswitcher, and doing a careerswitch out of Smith is hard, because a lot of the companies that recruit tend to look for past experience in the field. Smith also charges quite a bit for their degree. It was worth it for me, but I can't speak for everyone else.
The part time program is housed in the Reagan building. I assume you are going to be in for 3 years, right? You will find that the most lucrative positions coming out of the program will be government related, either working for the feds or consulting to them. I am not sure about how significant emerging markets consulting/marketing recruiting would be. For that, most companies will recruit international students who will be returning to their home countries, but even that is not that sizable in terms of openings.
So if you are interested in consulting, there is definitely an ability to transition into it, as long as you are interested in federal government consulting. If you are interested in healthcare consulting, there will also be openings there, but more so in federal govt healthcare consulting.

I am not sure how much financial aid the school offers part-times, but it is in your incentive to push them on it prior to accepting an offer. Again, it has worked out for me, but I know others who are sort of disillusioned with the school. Understand that colleges are a business, it is in their incentive to bring students in and get their tuition dollars. The administration of UMD Smith has been somewhat tone-deaf on understanding student complaints about the recent poor outcomes of students coming out of the program, including high rates of unemployment, built on top of the high tuition they charge.

again, as a fulltime I dont know how fully the part time program works. I assume you will still be working throughout school, so you can continue to build work experience and contacts. If you want a stable, relatively high paying job doing consulting work in DC, that option will be there for you after you graduate. For anything else, it's more of a gamble.
I know a lot of students who work with CSVC, but I am more a finance type, so I am not familiar with the program. Personally, I don't understand the point of spending a small fortune so one can work with a non-profit afterwards...the math doesn't work out in my head.
Press the school for financial aid if you can. Try to get the best deal for yourself prior to entering. Also try to see if they will agree to a flat tuition per hour figure (I am not sure if that is possible or not). The tuition they charge has been rising by a ridiculous amount per year. I know that in the part-time it is 8 credit hours per semester, so by year 3 your tuition rate could be much higher than it is now (which at 1400 per credit hour is already ridiculously high).
The best part of the program is the people you will meet. I have met some of my best friends through the school. My outlook on life has improved as well because of the school. But at the same time, the amount they charge for tuition is steep, and I will be paying it off for the better part of a decade, if not more. So really try to get the costs down by getting some sort of aid through them.

As for the actual material, you won't have to worry about that. Getting a 2.6 in molecular biology is equivalent to getting a 3.5 in business, so you will be able to handle the material easily.
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by voiceofsticks » Mon Apr 30, 2012 9:30 am
terpy,

Thanks for your response, I appreciate your input. You raise some good points. I'm responding to some of your points to fill in some knowledge that seems to be missing about the Part-time program at UMD, not to counter someone that was trying to offer helpful advice, but to assist anyone else who ends up looking at this thread:

1. From my research, Maryland seems to have fallen a bit in rankings but GW is still lower, and seems to have stopped rising. Rankings are seeming to me to be a bit of a sham anyway. Schools always represent the best possible angle, even if it's not that good. Maryland still claims to be the "#1 Program in the Region" and GW keeps quoting 2011's US News Ranking instead of 2012 because they've fallen in the last year.
2. As of this year, UMD and GW are virtually the same price for part-time. UMD is about $2k more, and I since I wasn't offered aid to GW, I'm looking at low-$70's for either school.
3. Maryland offers nothing in the way of aid to part-time students, period. My company will help a little bit every year, but that's it.
4. My interest in the CSVC is not because I want to work in non-profits when I graduate. Rather, because I will be working through school, the CSVC might present the only chance I get to intern while working. Say I settle on Marketing, I can then find a non-profit that needs help developing a new marketing strategy. When I'm done I can put it on my resume and use it to help shop around for jobs. It's not a full proof plan, but it's better than nothing.
5. It's unfortunate that gov't jobs are the only thing I may have a shot at, but I have no intention of resting over the next 3 years. I'll be networking nonstop until I find something that makes sense for me, and I will NOT be limited to what the status quo seems to be coming out of the UMD program.
6. Minor note, but I actually really like the location of the RR Building. I work somewhat near College Park so I can always make trips over there for recruiters and events, and having classes in downtown DC appeals to me.

Good luck with your degree and thanks again. Perhaps our paths will cross at some point!
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