Turkey Day is almost here..and so is the final deadline!

With the holidays quickly approaching it is always a good time to take a step back and think of your friends and family and all that is good in life.  It’s also a time to think about where you are transferring in the new year!  Many of you have a few days off this week and it’s a great time to submit your application or at least get started.  The final deadline for the Spring 2010 is December 15th so only a few weeks away.  If you aren’t going shopping at midnight on Black Friday think about starting your application and requesting those transcripts.

To get more information on how to start the process start at our transfer website-a great resource and if you are reading my blog chances are you already found it!

For those of you already admitted for the Spring please register for an orientation course selection day if you have not already.

I will be out of the office Wednesday-Friday this week but if you have any questions feel free to shoot an e-mail to kellysmith@umbc.edu and I will get back to you when I return Monday!  Have a great Thanksgiving!

The Travel season has ended!

As fun as travel season is, it can also be a stressful and very busy time in the life of an admissions counselor.  We often are surviving on little sleep and are very weary after spending hours in the car commuting from destination to destination.  It is very nice to come back to the office and see the faces of your co-workers that you haven’t seen in months and to be able to settle into a routine again.  What is even better is seeing the results from all of the hard work!  After our November 1 deadline we received over 3,000 applications!  To put this in perspective, typically we receive about 6,000 over the course of a year.  We got half of that all at once!  Needless to say this means that being in the office doesn’t mean we get to relax.  We are now moving into application reading mode and are very busy making sure we stay on schedule to get our decisions out on time.

We are hoping to continue to get more applications particularly from our transfer student population.  The final deadline will be here soon enough (along with the holidays!) so make sure to submit those applications and transcripts by December 15th!

As always we are at your service and will be available for any questions so feel free to stop by (walk in hours M-F 8:30-4:30pm and until 7pm on Wednesdays) or call (410-455-2292) or e-mail (admissions@umbc.edu).   We would be happy to help you with the application process.

Western MD was cold-Back to Baltimore!

Last week I got to experience the changing leaves and the unexpected COLD in Allegany and Garrett counties.  The scenery was beautiful but I definitely did not pack accordingly.

I did, however, have some great visits with transfers as well as freshmen!  I was excited to be getting the chance to attend some of the local college fairs and visit some high schools.

It was a long (and cold) week and it was very nice to get home and enjoy my Hepburns pie a la mode when I returned on Thursday evening.

This week I got the pleasure of staying local and doing the CCBC/BCCC circuit.  It was nice to be in our own backyard for a change.  I went through tons of Transfer Open House brochures so I expect to see lots of you there!

If you still have not signed up for the Transfer Open House on Friday, November 6th do so NOW!

A great week!

What an exciting week.  Carroll, Howard, and Frederick all in a row.  I was impressed with the number of students I was able to talk with and the interest in UMBC!  I came back with a lot of inquiry cards so we will be following up with more information.

I want to remind you that coming up next month is our Transfer Open House.  We are offering it on a Friday during the day this semester and have already received a lot of students registering for the program.  If you are interested in seeing the campus, getting more information on the admissions process, financial aid, and scholarships, as well as meeting with top notch faculty and staff in addition to our awesome students please register now!

I am gearing up for a long, but fun, week in Western MD.  Garret and Allegany counties here I come!  Hope to see you out there!

495 is fun!

This week I got to travel down 95 and 495 to visit the Montgomery College campuses.  I give people a lot of credit who have to make that commute everyday!  The good news is that I survived and spoke with TONS of great students as a result-even a few that I had been working with.

One thing that these visits made me realize it that a lot of students have never used (or even heard of) ArtSYS.   It was shocking to hear how many students have never even heard of it and they were all ready to transfer for the spring!  ArtSYS is a great tool if you are transferring from a MD 2 year institution to a MD 4 year institution.  It will recommend courses for you to take as well as give you an idea of which courses are transferable.

I would encourage you to use this great tool!

Southern MD was a success!

This past week I spent some time enjoying the beautiful weather and the sites in Southern Maryland.  My journey began with visits to CSM Price Frederick and Leonardtown ending with visits to Prince Georges CC and wrapping up with CSM LaPlata.

What great visits!  I really enjoyed CSM Laplata’s transfer day as it was outside in the beautiful weather-even though it was a bit warm, I was thankful to have a nice spot in the shade!

I enjoyed talking with everyone who attended the fairs this week!  Lots of great students with interest in UMBC!

Next week I will be off to Montgomery County!  If you attend any of the MC campuses I will be there this week so please come out and see me and pick up more information about UMBC and the transfer process.

Tuesday, September 29th-MC Takoma Park

Wednesday, September 30th-MC Rockville

Thursday, October 1st-MC Germantown

Looking forward to it!

Attention all Spring 2010 applicants…

The Spring 2010 application is now currently available so start applying!!  The priority deadline is November 1st with the final deadline being December 15th.

What’s the benefit of applying early you say?  Well not only will you hear from us sooner (as long as your application is complete!)  you will also have the chance to register early for your choice of an orientation course selection day program and will be reviewed first for transfer merit scholarships if you are transferring from a 2 year institution .  You will also be able to apply for housing sooner.

So what do we need from you?  What we will need is a completed application along with your official college transcripts from each institution attended.  Have less than 30 graded credits?  That’s ok!  We will also need then your high school information including transcripts and test scores.   There is no separate application needed for merit scholarships, however if you are interested in need based aid such as grants and loans you will need to complete or update your FAFSA as soon as possible for the Spring semester.

We are looking forward to reviewing your applications!  Apply now!

Back and ready to hit the road!

Greetings!  Well I am back after a very excited 2 weeks vacation!  It’s now time for me to hit the road and begin the lovely season of recruitment travel.  I am hoping to see many of you out there!  If you are currently attending a MD community college click on the Transfer Advising Day link to find out when I will be at your school!  This coming week I will be visiting the beautiful Southern MD visiting CSM and PGCC.  I always love visiting the south of our state-it’s one of my favorite places and I always love visiting beautiful Solomons Island!

Hope to see you out there!

Out of the office…for good reason!

Hi everyone!

I will be out of the office for 2 weeks starting August 31st with no access to e-mail or phone.  Don’t worry…I will be back I just have to go get married and go on a honeymoon…no biggie! 

In case you need to reach someone in the admissions office you can send an e-mail to admissions@umbc.edu or call 410-455-2292 and a member of our staff can assist you.

Please keep in mind that I will be shortly hitting the road in September and will hopefully be visiting your campus this Fall.  Click on the Transfer Advising Day tab at the top of the page to find out when I will be at your school.

Good Luck with the start of classes and I look forward to speaking with or meeting with you when I return or out on the road!

We’re #1!!!!

UMBC has been recognized as the #1 up and coming school of the year by US News and World Report America’s best Colleges Guide.  This means the UMBC has been recognized as THE top school that has recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus and facilities.

Click here to read more

Some other points to brag about…UMBC also was tied for 4th place with Stanford University as one of the top institutions for faculty commitment to undergraduate teaching.   We were also mentioned in an unranked list of schools best known for giving our students opportunities for undergraduate research and creative programs.

To read more about UMBC’s accomplishments visit our website.    We have always known that UMBC was a diamond in the rough and an up and coming institution and we are so proud that UMBC is getting the national recognition we have always deserved!  Go Dawgs!!