What to Do Now That You’ve Been Accepted to Business School

If you were at the top of your game and submitted an early application for Robert H. Smith School of Business graduate programs starting in Fall 2020, first-round notifications begin issuing soon, in December and January.

So, what should you consider if you’re accepted to graduate school? 

• Learn about scholarships and financial aid. You probably thought about the cost of your new degree before applying. But, now is a good time to calculate the real financial impact of attending your dream school. You no longer have to guess how much your degree will cost. Use tuition numbers provided by the admissions office to recalculate.

• Estimate living expenses for the area where you’ve been accepted to school. Identify housing, transportation, health and other costs associated with your family status and lifestyle. Most schools, including the University of Maryland, provide estimated student living expenses to get you started (note that you must refer to your academic program page for non living expenses). Together with the cost of tuition, you’ll begin to see a full financial picture of your new degree. B-school has the potential to increase your earning potential, but do the math upfront, so you’re not surprised later.

• Reexamine your school’s employer partners. Reflect on the career opportunity you’re seeking. Then, ask students already in your target program, “Which employers have been hiring your classmates after graduation?” If it applies, also ask current students where their classmates interned. Reaffirm that these employers and career opportunities align with your goals.

• Lean on current student ambassadors. Top graduate business schools usually have a program in place to connect you with current students. Lean on those student ambassadors to ask about employer partners, degree outcomes and the best way to prepare for school. It can even be helpful to attend webinars or events on campus to get a feel for your future experience.

• Stay in touch with fellow applicants from school tours and information sessions. The people you meet on campus could end up as your classmates, friends or even roommates!

• Submit your response by the decision deadline.

Special thanks to the Forté Foundation for tips, including some of the above, provided during the 2017 Forté MBA Launch series.

Another thanks to Bladimir Portillo, Robert H. Smith School of Business Class of 2019, for the tips he provided on my first trip to the College Park, MD campus.

–By Miranda Taylor. Taylor is a 2020 MBA candidate. She is originally from Minneapolis, and worked as a science writer and digital content strategist in the health industry before coming to Maryland Smith to pursue an MBA.

Photo: jeshoots.com via Unsplash