So I recently gained admission to the University of Maryland College Park and did not get into the Smith School of Business. I was admitted to letters and sciences. Is this a big help deal? If I were to go to maryland with the intent of transferring into the Smith school of business, would that be a huge risk?
I’ve already been accepted into Penn State’s Smeal college of business into my intended major of marketing. I know it’s my decision, but should I take the risk of maybe or maybe not getting into smith when I’m already into smeal?
I was told that I’d have to prove myself with my GPA in my first year and apply again. But I’m not sure if I should take that risk. Penn State’s business college is just as good I’ve heard, and I’m already in that one.
@Positron311, you are not actually in the same boat…terpgirl is correct that Smith is still competitive as an internal transfer, but Clark is not. Clark is only competitive as an incoming freshman. However, since the program is tough, there is a lot of attrition so there are more openings that become available. As long as you fulfill the gateway classes for engineering satisfactorily, you will be admitted.
@Devo456, unfortunately, no one can predict the risk factor for you. I know you want help with making the decisions and it sounds like you want reassurance that if you choose UMD, you will definitely have a good chance of getting into Smith. If you have seen any of my posts on this forum, you won’t be surprised by me saying I like Maryland better than Penn State…Yes, Penn State has a gorgeous campus and an idyllic college town, but, wow, people who complain Maryland is too big…? Yeah, they haven’t seen Penn State. Penn State could be it’s own state, haha.
The issue you need to consider is honesty with yourself. Are you the type of student that sets a goal and has the will power to stay on track, to do what is needed, in order to achieve that goal? Or, are you the type that does get distracted easily?
Transition to college is all about self-discipline. It’s where you learn a lot more about yourself than just grades. There will be countless distractions that you never had before (social opportunities) and countless responsibilities you never had before (actually getting up on time without the safety net of mom dragging your butt out of bed, doing your own laundry, making sure you arrive at the dining hall during the hours meals are actually served, going to class, doing homework, etc)…
While I don’t know what the average GPA is for an internal transfer to Smith, the 3.6 is something that sounds reasonable to shoot for in order to be a competitive candidate. Not sure if you are aware of the Shady Grove campus option…http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/2/ss/2022/s/2026
I hope some Smith students chime in to help you decide…maybe worth a visit to Maryland to talk to some students and admissions reps about this.