Getting in UMaryland

[Albanski]

To all those that have applied to Maryland and gotten in, would you mind posting your stats? Do you have any specific advice for Maryland and other top programs.

Thanks!

[littlegirlvik]

I was wait listed at UMaryland, but ultimately rejected. I did, however, get into UAlbany, which is where I currently go.

My stats:

GPA: 3.4 overall; both majors: 3.8

GRE: 1250

I had 3 pretty good letters of recommendation; lots of research experience. I was directly out of undergrad, no publications, but a pretty solid writing sample. My SOP, the way I structured it, probably really appealed to the admissions committee, which makes sense now that I know the admissions committee personally.

My biggest pieces of advice: 1) tailor your SOP towards research. They're interested in making researchers more so than teachers. 2) Emphasize all and any research experience that you can; it means a LOT. 3) What you want to study within CJ means a lot less than showing that you can think critically about what you want to study, and why you want to study it (originally, I wanted to do international systems. I'm currently looking at gender in a number of projects).

If you have any other questions, I'm more than happy to answer them with my own experiences, to the best of my ability. However, like I said, my caveat is that I did NOT end up getting into Maryland. To be honest, though, most of my applications were tailored towards Albany. It was my top choice school from the time I was 20 years old, and I never felt I was going to be a great fit at Maryland. Regardless, I can try and help as best I can.

Good luck!

To all those that have applied to Maryland and gotten in, would you mind posting your stats? Do you have any specific advice for Maryland and other top programs.

Thanks!

[Albanski]

I was wait listed at UMaryland, but ultimately rejected. I did, however, get into UAlbany, which is where I currently go.

My stats:

GPA: 3.4 overall; both majors: 3.8

GRE: 1250

I had 3 pretty good letters of recommendation; lots of research experience. I was directly out of undergrad, no publications, but a pretty solid writing sample. My SOP, the way I structured it, probably really appealed to the admissions committee, which makes sense now that I know the admissions committee personally.

My biggest pieces of advice: 1) tailor your SOP towards research. They're interested in making researchers more so than teachers. 2) Emphasize all and any research experience that you can; it means a LOT. 3) What you want to study within CJ means a lot less than showing that you can think critically about what you want to study, and why you want to study it (originally, I wanted to do international systems. I'm currently looking at gender in a number of projects).

If you have any other questions, I'm more than happy to answer them with my own experiences, to the best of my ability. However, like I said, my caveat is that I did NOT end up getting into Maryland. To be honest, though, most of my applications were tailored towards Albany. It was my top choice school from the time I was 20 years old, and I never felt I was going to be a great fit at Maryland. Regardless, I can try and help as best I can.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. I will most definately tailor my SOP to research, because thats what I want to do. Teaching wont get me tenure.

I have visited Albany in the past and was impressed by their academics. Although somewhat dismayed at their small library. Their faculty was really friendly and the students loved the school. However, some key people that i was interested in will be leaving soon When I was there, I got the feeling that they were in competition with Maryland.

My current stats are:

Undergrad GPA 3.6 (top 60)

Grad GPA 3.9 (JJAY)

1 publication in a communications journal

7 Conference presentations (ASC, ASA, APA)

1 Publication in a CJ journal in the works

Hopefully publish my Master's thesis

My main concer is my GRE. When I took it out of undergrad I got a 900. The GRE is the main reason why I didn't apply this year. I hope I can bring it up, when I study again. I would be really upset if my GRE score holds me back from some amazing schools like ALBANY and Maryland.

[littlegirlvik]

The library is a little small on the downtown campus, but we do have a larger one uptown. Plus, if you need a book from up there, they'll bring it over to the downtown library.

I absolutely love the school, as you said earlier. I get along incredibly well with all of the other grad students---very friendly, supportive, and helpful atmosphere---and the faculty have been amazing. I've been working very closely with more than one of them. Of course, as I said earlier: I'm biased. Albany was my dream school by my third year of undergrad.

We are losing a couple of faculty, which is never fun. We are actively hiring right now, though---I think we have four positions? Not all of them are from outgoing faculty; we were given more money by the university to make another position---and students do have a vote in hiring decisions, so it'll be a pretty interesting time to be a student there.

And I guess some might say we're in competition with Maryland. I've never gotten that feeling. Maryland is a wonderful program as well, some of our faculty work with theirs, some of our faculty have worked there in the past, some of our students have gone there. Day to day, there's really not much thought that way. From what I understand, we have two very different cultures and ideologies on education, which is good, and as it should be. From what I know of Maryland, I don't think I would've (personally) been a good fit for them, and Albany works. I'm sure there are others who fall into the other category. I sincerely don't think there's any amount of true ill-will between the departments; mostly a good-natured rivalry. Or at least, that's my impression of it.

The conferences presentations will be great; the publications will also be really good (and they will work in your favor, regardless; however, if they're awesome journals, they'll REALLY work in your favor). Over all, it sounds like you have a pretty good package to offer. I've heard in the past that as long as you break 1000 on the GRE, they'll work with you (I've heard this as a rule for most grad schools, not even CJ specifically), but I've never been on an admissions committee, so I can't help too much on that.

How do your letters of recommendation look? Your statement? Those are also really important.

Good luck with the season---I hope you get in everywhere you're looking to.

(Also, sorry it takes me so long to get back sometimes: I have this website set up to send me emails whenever anyone replies in the Criminology/Criminal Justice folder, but for some reason, it only sends about half of the posts through)

Thanks for the advice. I will most definately tailor my SOP to research, because thats what I want to do. Teaching wont get me tenure.

I have visited Albany in the past and was impressed by their academics. Although somewhat dismayed at their small library. Their faculty was really friendly and the students loved the school. However, some key people that i was interested in will be leaving soon When I was there, I got the feeling that they were in competition with Maryland.

My current stats are:

Undergrad GPA 3.6 (top 60)

Grad GPA 3.9 (JJAY)

1 publication in a communications journal

7 Conference presentations (ASC, ASA, APA)

1 Publication in a CJ journal in the works

Hopefully publish my Master's thesis

My main concer is my GRE. When I took it out of undergrad I got a 900. The GRE is the main reason why I didn't apply this year. I hope I can bring it up, when I study again. I would be really upset if my GRE score holds me back from some amazing schools like ALBANY and Maryland.

[A_Murphy]

The first result from UMD on here was from 2/11 and I still haven't heard from them yet. I couldn't take it anymore, so I finally broke down and e-mailed them today. I'm not sure if I'm teetering right on the edge of acceptance or if I'm so low that they just haven't bothered to get to my rejection notice yet. So sick of not knowing...

[Guest criminologist]

Anyone applying to the Phd program at Maryland this fall?