First of all, Mark I understand that Maryland is currently without a full-time director of admissions. Hayden Estrada, the former director, moved on to Vanderbilt this past year, and Maryland has been searching for a capable successor. What's the status?

Hopefully we're pretty close to finishing the search. We have a job offer out to somebody, and we're looking for a response in the next week. We hope to have the position filled by mid-February. It's been a long search, but finding the right person takes a lot of time. (Editor's Note:On January 5th, Sabrina White, currently the director of graduate studies in business at Bowling Green State University was appointed to Maryland's director of admissions position. She will take the reins in February.)

What is Maryland's official application total for its Class of '99. Is it up or down from last year?

It was 1,553 for the full-time program. We accepted 409, and 214 enrolled, for a 52% yield. That's a decrease of about 7% from last year.

Why do you feel the yield has come down slightly?

Well, I think our application number was up substantially last year. We could have done more marketing to maintain that number.

For the Class of 1998, Maryland had the stingiest acceptance rate within our Next 25 grouping, admitting just 19% of the applicant pool. This year, if my math skills serve me, Maryland accepted 26% into its program -- a figure that still puts it at the top of our Next 25 grouping.

Well, we get a large application pool, and our yield rate is typically higher, while our acceptance rate is typically lower. We have pretty focused applicants. Our curriculum is quite unique, with experiential learning modules, group field projects, a beneficial location near Washington D.C., and a financial aid that is quite strong. And we want to make sure that we're admitting people into our program that can take advantage of all of the opportunities that Maryland has to offer.

For the fall of 1996 and 1997, we brought in slightly more than 200 total full-time students. Traditionally, prior to 1996, we had brought in approximately 120-140 students per year. We increased the size of the full-time program while slightly decreasing the size of the part-time program. We wanted to change the balance to where the majority of MBA students were full-time students.

What's the thinking behind this?

The logic of increasing the size of the full-time class is that we really felt we could attract more recruiters by having a larger critical mass. And indeed we are seeing an increase (Editor's Note: the school had 50 companies recruit on-campus for the 1995/96 year, while it brought in 73 companies for the 1996/97 year, and it estimates that 110 companies will recruit on-campus for 1997/98 academic year).

Another reason is that we've found the way you really make major gains in success is through the full-time program. A B-school's reputation is made through the reputation of the full-time program, not it's part-time or undergraduate programs. So we wanted to beef our full-time program up a bit.

Maryland has historically had a very balanced student body. I believe last year women made up roughly 35% of the class, while internationals made up an equal percentage. Are those unusually high numbers being maintained this year?

The number of international students in the program is being maintained at about 35%, which is exactly where we want it. Women students increased to approximately 40% of the incoming class. We would like to maintain that 40% in 1998.

Is Maryland doing any marketing that specifically targets women? I ask because 40% is an unusually high figure as compared with Maryland's B-school brethren.

In the past, we felt our number was low. A couple of years ago it was about 27% to 29%. And we initiated a pretty strong marketing effort targeted at women to bolster our female student body. We do follow-up telephone calls and try to make sure that we set applicants up with somebody from the school who can answer all of their questions concerning the application process. The follow up phone calls aren't just made to female applicants, however; we try to call as many people as possible, but priorities are set on particular groups, specifically on females and high-profile candidates as defined by their GMAT, GPA, and work experience. But, in general, Maryland is a pretty supportive environment; it has a strong history as it relates to women and minorities. So we've built off of that reputation.

In which demographic population area are you seeing the sharpest growth -- women, internationals, minorities, older applicants?

The population exhibiting the greatest growth at Maryland is really the international pool. It has increased dramatically. I would tend to say that for last year, approximately 45% of the pool was comprised of internationals. The countries that we're getting the greatest application representation are for China, Taiwan, India, and Thailand. Women are also exhibiting sharp growth here.

Are you seeing an increase in female international applicants as well?

I haven't actually broken it down that way yet, but I do believe that that would be correct.

What are this year's application deadlines? And when can applicants expect a response?

The first and early deadline is actually today, Dec. 15th. And decisions will be mailed out by Jan. 24th, 1998. The next deadline date is Feb. 1st, with a decision by Mar. 30th. And then there's a deadline on Apr. 1st, and candidates will get a decision by May 29th. May 15th is the final deadline date, with a decision mailed out by June 15th. On the international side, our final deadline date is Feb. 1st. And all international applicants should have a decision by Apr. 15th.

Is there a scholarship deadline that you publish?

The scholarship deadline is actually on Feb 1st as well.

Is there an application fee that applicants must submit?

Yes, it's $70, and there is also a $325 deposit, due 30 days after an admissions offer. It just secures your spot in the class.

Do you have an idea of how many spots generally get filled per deadline?

The greatest number of students are admited from the Apr. 1st and Feb. 1st deadlines dates. The fewest are from the May 15th dates. The reason for that is, as we go through application cycle, fewer seats are available. The implications of that are quite clear: Apply early.

What comprises a completed application? What are the different criteria that are assessed?

The undergrad transcripts from all of the institutions attended; the application form itself; three essays; the check or money order for the application ($50 for domestic applicants, $70 for internationals); two recommendations; an official GMAT score; and a resume. The only thing that is different between the U.S. and international applications is that foreign applicants also have to admit their TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score as well as their certificate of finance form, which indicates that they have enough money to study in the U.S.

Do you scrutinize any one variable more than the others?

The undergraduate grade-point average, GMAT score, and work experience are the three main variables that we're looking at in detail. The last year or so we have placed greater emphasis on the work experience component. Historically we used to accept about 10% of our students from straight out of their undergraduate schools. We've tried to decrease that. I would tend to say that right now, 5% come straight from undergrad.

What's the average amount of work experience for this year's class?

For this year's group, it was just over four years.

Is that a significant climb from years past?

Several years ago it was approximately three years. So the GPA, GMAT, and work experience are the three main variables. Then there are the others: the essays, and the recommendations. We take a great deal of time assessing the types of activities an applicant has immersed himself in at school, as well as the different professional activities that he or she has been involved with. We have a priority for people who have demonstrated leadership ability, whether it be for extracurricular activities or for things in the professional field. People that have been heavily involved in past activities are the same people who accept leadership responsibility within the business school. They are the people who will also do quite well in the placement process because employers place a great value on that.

I know that, in recent years, Maryland's MBA students have posted high GMAT scores. I believe the Class of '98 had an average GMAT of 640. Is the average continuing to climb?

The GMAT average for the class entering in the fall of 1997 was 646, so it has been climbing. The middle 80% would be at about 640. The GMAT is just one indicator of an applicant's abilities within the admissions process. However, we know that it's an important part based upon validity studies we've done on the admissions process. But, it is truly a balanced process of looking at the GPA, GMAT, and work experience. It is possible for somebody with a high GMAT and a low GPA to get accepted if they have significant work experience. The same goes for those people who have low GMATs, high GPAs, and solid work experience.

Do you evaluate the GMAT holistically or in parts (AWA, Analytical Writing Assessment, Quant, Verbal)?

We really take a look at the quant score in detail because we know that our program is somewhat quantitative. We know that the quant score is the part that correlates greatest with first-year academic success within the program. But there's also an emphasis placed upon the verbal score. The score on the AWA is also used, but more from an evaluation perspective of, for example, what types of activities applicants would have to do prior to entrance. For those who performed poorly on their AWA, we'd recommend taking a writing course because the first-year core is very case-study oriented, so your writing skills are essential.

If an applicant has taken the GMAT several times, do you weigh their second or third GMAT score as heavily as the first?

We take the highest score. When somebody asks me about retaking the GMAT, I advise them that if they do, to make sure that they have done a significant amount of prep work the second time around. When you really look at students that repeat the GMAT, you do not typically see significant differences. A 20-point increase is typically the most you tend to see. I tell people to take six months and go back to improve their quant and verbal skills. If you just take three weeks off, you're really not going to accomplish much.

How heavily in your mind does an applicant's undergrad institution weigh?

At Maryland we've actually done quite a bit of work profiling undergrad institutions. We know of certain institutions where GPAs are typically somewhat lower. For instance, we get a lot of apps from the U.S. Naval Academy, where to graduate with a 3.0 is a significant accomplishment. In the application process we do take that into account. Likewise, we also evaluate the type of major that a student completes because engineering, for example, is typically more difficult than some other majors.

I have read that personal interviews at Maryland are not required but that they are becoming an important part of the admissions process. Are you trying to interview everyone who applies or the people who you feel have a legitimate chance of acceptance into the program?

Last year we interviewed approximately 500 applicants. The interview is becoming a more important part of the admissions process. We have set the interviews as strictly behavioral. In other word, we ask candidates questions that put them in a particular type of situation, and they have to explain how they would handle that situation. The behavioral interview really draws from your previous experiences a great deal. Also, the behavioral model is used frequently by corporations, and we have found it to be a more valuable process than bringing somebody in and asking them general questions about their strengths, weaknesses, where they want to be, etc. The actual interviews are done by the admissions director and associate director. We have a group of five grad assistants and 5-10 volunteers who also participate in the interview process. I don't actually do a lot of interviewing in my role. And the feedback that I'm getting is that Maryland offers one of the most challenging interviews.

Why do you feel that is the case?

I think because our interviews take a different approach. Applicants are virtually trained to answer the "information" questions (such as how a Maryland MBA will contribute to your career goals). When they get a different set of questions, it makes them think a bit, and in many ways can be much more revealing. It's not a traditional interview model that's used by other schools.

How does the interview fit into your overall evaluation of an applicant?

It certainly can be a deciding factor in cases where the admissions decision is close... and when I say close, I'm referring to if they're borderline. It can also be very important for those that are younger with less than three years of work experience.

How come?

We're assessing a variety of things through the interview and those that are younger need to really come across with a clearcut objective in mind. We're really trying to determine what their objectives are: Have they really thought why they want to get an MBA? What kind of contribution would they make to the class? Are they going to fit in with the older, more savvy students to comprise the majority of the student body. We want to interview all of those students that are going straight from undergrad to grad school to gauge how they will fit into a class where the average age of the class is somewhat older.

What's should an applicant do to prepare himself for the interview?

First of all, make sure that you answer the question. Don't ramble. No. 2: Be prepared for the interview by doing background reading -- make sure that you're familiar with the school that you're applying to. No 3: The questions that you ask, make sure that they're thoughtful, not those that you could pull out of the brochure. That shows that they haven't given a whole lot of thought about the program. Being thoughtful in their questions, being concise, and prepared, those are three pieces of advice that I would give to an applicant.

We also interview everybody that we're going to consider for financial aid. Our interviews are done on campus and by telephone. Our preference is in person, but with a large international pool that isn't feasible.

Maryland requires its applicants to answer three essays. Has this changed?

They haven't changed in scope over the last several years. Once we hire the new admissions director though, you will find that those will change.

Word limits. Are there any?

Yes. 250 words or less for all of them.

Can you give me an idea of what the essay questions are?

One question deals with the reason for undertaking studies at Maryland and what your goals and plans for a professional career are.

The second question deals with any specific info that you would like to emphasize within the application process or would like to explain that you feel sets you back. This is where people can explain why they have a low GMAT or GPA. Maybe they worked 40 hours a week while going to college. We don't know this, though, until they tell us. The final question asks you to discuss one or more of your accomplishments which demonstrate your skill for a successful managerial career. That gives us an idea of what people feel is important. And that question is typically hard for somebody with only 1-2 years of work experience to answer.

How can an applicant best present the two recommendations that the Maryland app requires?

Obtain references from people that truly know about your background and have worked with you. We're not interested in the title or the position that the recommender holds. We want people who can accurately assess your background. If somebody just graduated in the last three years, one should be from a professor at a previous academic institution and the other from a current employer. If you've been out of school for more than three years, then both can be from your employer or people that know you on a professional basis.

And what if you're an undergrad student applying to B-school?

Then you can have two references from your undergraduate institution.

Are most of Maryland's MBA students who enrolled straight out of their undergrad coming from Maryland's undergrad?

No, not at all. They're really coming from a variety of different institutions. In fact, when you really look at those going from the undergrad to the grad level, they're typically unique in their background.

Can you elaborate?

There is something about their background that sets them apart from the rest of the pack. Let's say for instance, that they're applying from a country not well represented in our application pool, somewhere like Albania or Bulgaria, or that they've garnered unique undergrad degrees -- maybe they've created their own. Or maybe they've substituted their work experience by being a star athlete, class president, or the editor of the school newspaper. Bottom line, they've accomplished unique feats that qualify them for entrance into our program

What's Maryland's deferral policy?

Students can defer up to one year, and approximately 15-20 defer a year.

How about the dreaded waitlist? Have you utilized it?

It depends totally on the year. Last year we didn't use it. Traditionally though, we have used it.

About how many are taken off when the school goes to its waitlist?

Up to 20-25 annually. My advice to people who are on the waitlist is that they should feel free to submit any new material while they're on the waitlist to supplement their application. They want to diplomatically demonstrate their continued interest in the Maryland MBA.

What kind of counseling do you provide for rejected applicants?

After the admissions process is over -- after May -- we will talk with applicants that we've denied admission to and discuss ways in which they can improve their profile for admissions the next year.

For those who decide to reapply the following year, do they have to redo their entire application?

They have to submit the info that has changed in their background, but they don't have to submit new transcripts. If they've retaken the GMAT or have more work experience, they should submit it. It's important to submit the new information because that is the info that will be used to go from the rejected pool to the admitted pool.

A couple of reasons that typically somebody would be accepted a year later are: They've completed a course at another institution and demonstrated a good graduate GPA; they've retaken the GMAT and performed well; or they have attained additional work experience.

How long do you give accepted applicants to commit to attending the program?

They typically have 30 days from their admission offer, but early in the application cycle, flexiblity is demonstrated. For instance, if somebody is admitted in the first cycle -- they'll get a decision by January -- they're told to give us a decison within 30 days. But typically we'll extend that out to March and early April.

What's this year's tuition -- in-state and out?

The estimated tuition for 1998/'99 in-state is $9,800, and nonresident tuition is estimated at $14,500 -- both of those are for the full-time program.

What would you estimate the annual cost of living to be in the College Park area?

Approximately $10,000 per year.

What kind of financial aid and scholarship does Maryland offer to offset the financial burden?

Maryland offers outstanding financial aid packages to approximately 45% of the incoming students. Those financial-aid packages range from fellowships which include a $10,000 stipend plus all tuition paid, to graduate assistantship positions where a student gets $5,000 plus approximately 50% off of their tuition.

Do these financial-aid packages carry over to the second year, or are they reduced?

The assistantship program carries over to the second year, and all students that get fellowships the first year are granted assistantship packages, provided they have maintained a good academic standing.

I understand that there are several prerequisites to entering the program -- calculus and information systems?

That's right. Calculus because we are a quant-oriented program, and info system because of our commitment to our IT program. We're attempting to assess one's ability to be comfortable with computers and to quickly learn different types of software packages.

That said, does Maryland have a laptop requirement?

At the current time there is not, but that is something that is under serious discussion.

Experiential Learning Modules (ELMs) -- do you want to explain what they are? I understand Maryland has revamped it's curriculum.

That's correct, we revamped the curriculum in the fall of 1994. The key change in the curriculum are the ELMs, or Experiential Learning Modules, that are in areas such as team development, career management, business ethics, and international business.

ELMs are one-week intensive programs that take students out of the traditional classroom environment and put them into an environment where they listen to people who are actually out in the field a great deal. They're very applied in their focus. Speakers describe their careers and apply some of what they do in the ELM.

For example in international business, we focus on a particular region for each year -- last year, we focused on China and Hong Kong. And we had a number of people speak to us about the absorption of Hong Kong by China. We had the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. speak. And then the students also had a program put on by the Chinese Embassy -- an opportunity made available given our close location to Washington, DC. (Editors Note: for a complete schedule of ELMs for the 1997/98 academic year, go to http://www.mbs.umd.edu/masters/calendar.htm].

Is Maryland planning to expand the scope of these ELMs?

In early September, Dean Howard Frank joined the Maryland Business School and started the process of reviewing the program. He wants to strengthen our current program offerings in areas such as telecommunications, management of technology, electronic commerce, financial engineering, management consulting, finance, and entrepreneurship. These are particular areas in detail that we're looking at. I do not expect major changes to be made to the core curriculum, but I do expect changes in the concentrations and professional tracks that we offer. We will implement a number of changes for the class incoming (Class of 2000).

Who are your toughest competitors?

I would break that down into two groups: First is the group of applicants that we're getting from the Baltimore-Washington region. These applicants typically apply to Maryland, UVA, Georgetown, and Wharton. The second group is comprised of applicants outside of that region, and we typically find them applying to UNC, Indiana, and UTexas.

Mark, would you like to add anything else before we wrap up?

I think that Maryland has made a great deal of progress in the last five years. I attribute that process to the university commitment. The last dean was from a corporate environment (William Mayor), and he made some very important changes in the B-school. I believe the new dean is building on those changes. The changes focus on the curriculum and making it more applied. There has also been a greater focus placed on corporate recognition. That's really helping out in our career management and placement area.

Speaking of which, is the starting pay package for Maryland grads going up?

The average pay package for the class that graduated in 1997 is approximately $57,000, and 97% were placed within three months after graduation. We have made a number of important changes in our career management area. In particular, we added three new positions. And there has been a greater focus placed on marketing within the center -- that is clearly paying off now. But we expect the changes made in career placement to take effect for the class graduating this spring. We expect our salary to increase substantially for the Class of 1998.

Mark, thanks very much for shedding light on Maryland Business School's program and admissions process.