I’m a rising junior, and am currently signed up to do UROP in the fall. Should’ve done it fresh/soph year, didn’t, oh well. I have full work study and was intending to use UROP for work study this fall. I also have an excellent on-campus job, which I’m currently working at and will continue to work at, that is work-study only.
I am a Communications major and am also doing the Ross Sales Track (marketing certification). Other things on campus I do include being the editor in chief of a new mental health magazine, some volunteering clubs, some graphic design for magazines, a sorority, and I’m going to join the Ross sales club this fall. Overall nothing too substantial, just a few leadership positions in the mental health magazine. I may join more organizations, I don’t know.
I intend on pursing the one year Ross Master of Management degree. I really have my heart set on that, and am studying intensely for the GMAT and pursuing business as much as possible outside of the classroom. I love e-commerce and intend on starting a new project with that this summer, amongst other things. To have a master’s degree from Ross by age 22? What a dream… hoping to make it a reality. Not particularly interested in other grad schools or studying anything else. I want to get a higher degree in business. I have pre-paid tuition credits, and after my bachelor’s I should have ~29 credits left to apply to a masters. The MM program is 30.75 credits, making a $46,000+ degree possible for <$5000 for me.
Here is my dilemma, well I have a lot of dilemmas… work study will only pay for ~10 hours a week of work, UROP is at least 6. Ideally I’d work as much as possible at my on-campus job, which allows me to do homework almost my entire shift, for probably at least 8 hours a week. Therefore, doing UROP causes me to limit my hours at my job. If I choose to do UROP I’d like to do a project in communications or business.
I wanted to do UROP because it seemed like a solid opportunity for a unique experience (though I doubt I’d want to continue to do research in the future) that I’d get paid for, I want to boost my resume, and, potentially get solid professional contacts. MM application requires two letters of recommendation, and unfortunately, I can’t think of two people I’d like to ask. I can’t say that I gave full effort in my classes the first two years going to office hours or otherwise getting a relationship with any teachers (fortunately, my GPA isn’t absolute trash, I still have a 3.5 and intend on raising it as much as possible). My current boss would write one, however, I’d really like to have some relevant people that could write my letters of recommendation. I hope to gain solid relationships with professors in this upcoming school year and will definitely put considerably more effort in.
I’m only taking 10 credits this fall because the classes offered were not what I needed/wanted to take, and as stated, I have pre-paid credits and it is pointless to waste them on unnecessary classes. Oh, and I can’t be in the UROP seminar with juniors, because I have a scheduling conflict with a necessary class. I’d be with freshman and sophomores. Ugh.
Can anyone give me some advice? I’m at a crossroad here about UROP. If anyone has any advice about the Ross Master of Management degree, that’d be excellent too! Thanks everyone for reading. Feel free to share your actual experience with UROP too.