What Students Say
Likes
- Professors are highly qualified.
- Community which is diverse and enthusiastic.
- Top notch coursework for Cybersecurity.
Dislikes
- High cost of living compared to other states.
- The university pantry can improve.
- Less emphasis on fests and extra activities.
Colleges Where I Was Accepted
Reason for choosing my college
- UMD is really good at cybersecurity. They have good teachers and research opportunities that match what I want to do in my career. Being close to the capital means I can meet a lot of people from tech companies. This is useful for internships and Jobs. UMD is considered a public Ivy, and this makes the university a reputable one. The cost of tuition is lesser compared to private institutions.
Colleges Where I Was Rejected
Reason for Rejection
- The university has a very low acceptance rate, making it very competitive. I did not take the GRE. Which could have been another reason.
Colleges Where I Was Waitlisted
Required Exams for Admission
Required Documents For Admission
CV |
LOR |
SOP
Tips to enhance your application
- All the documents that are required for the admission process are important. There is an option to enhance your SOP where you can mention your strength with the provided SOP format from the university. Getting an LOR from a senior professor at your institution can be helpful.
Admission Experience
- I chose to study in the US because it has some of the best cybersecurity companies. The country is filled with tech companies that hire candidates on a large scale. UMD is respected for its cybersecurity program and often ranks among the top schools.
- The teachers are experienced, so I know I am learning from experts. The course has many subjects that interest me, like DFIR, Cloud security, Pen testing, and Secure coding. etc. These subjects are important.
- Washington, DC, is a prime location for tech companies. It gives me a chance to connect with recruiters. The connections that I have made have helped me find internship and full-time job opportunities.
- Overall experience: My time at UMD has been rewarding. The classes are interesting, pushing me to learn more
Class Schedule
- Every subject has one class per week. Depending on the number of subjects, your number of classes will increase. The classes are usually in the evening. The classes might be between 1 pm and 10 pm. There are usually 20- 30 students in a single class. There are students attending classes online.
- Indians make up most of the engineering class. There are around 95% to 99% Indians in the classroom. There is a lot of time for assignments and self-study. A student gets an average of 5-6 hours in a day for studies.
Faculty
- For every faculty, there are around 30 students in a class. The faculty are approachable in the class, or we can contact them through email. Best faculty: Kevin Shivers is the best faculty for the Cybersecurity course. He is the best there is. It depends on the relationship the student has with the professor. The faculty are more than happy to help the students.
Campus Life
- The university has a lot of campuses. The library is open most of the time and hosts many events. ReWell is for sports and has a sports facility. The university hosts football games and basketball games. For which the tickets are free for the students. Sports are the highlight.
Part Time Jobs
- The pay for part-time is fixed across campus at $18/hour. This might increase in the future. It is easy to get a job. One needs to network with the hiring managers across campus. Most Indians get a job right from the beginning. The process is simple and involves an application.
- It is difficult to get an assistantship. The usual pay is around $19/ hour. Only a few students get this job. On-campus jobs: The hourly wages for other jobs are fixed at $18/ hour. As a student, one can work up to 20 hours/ week. A student is not allowed to exceed this limit.
Placement
- Most people get a job before graduation. The average salary for a Cybersecurity Engineer is around 70000 USD annually. Students usually find a job on LinkedIn. By connecting with people who are from the same domain. There are other platforms like Indeed, Handshake, etc. The highest salary is 160000 USD, and the lowest salary is 60000 USD.
Accommodation
- Students usually apply for accommodation online.
- There are two very famous apartments: Graduate Hills and Graduate Garden. They take online applications. Students can join WhatsApp groups to get more updates.
Challenges: These apartment gets a lot of applications. It is advised to apply early.
Recommendations: Connect with students who are already in the US.