Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy (HESI Preview 2024)
FAQs
What time does Preview officially begin?
The Preview Program begins with the Opening Session at 12:30 pm EST on Sunday, March 3, 2024. You can access other important logistical information via the HESI Preview 2024 Welcome Packet emailed to you.
What is the expected attire for Preview?
We suggest/recommend business casual attire for assistantship interviews and casual attire for all other gatherings. Preview is virtual this year, and we want you to be comfortable while sitting at your computers!
What if I cannot attend each session on both days?
You will be able to indicate your attendance in the Intent to Attend Form. If you cannot attend a particular session(s), that’s fine! We hope that any amount of time that you’re able to spend with us is time well spent.
What’s the general “vibe” for Preview via Zoom? Etiquette, expectations, etc.?
- First and foremost - come as you are, and engage to your level of comfort!
- We invite you to write your name and pronouns if you are comfortable.
- If possible/available, please use your camera to increase the sense of community at our events.
- Please be mindful of distracting backgrounds (i.e., people moving or speaking nearby).
- We encourage you to keep your microphone muted when you are not talking.
- Please know that children, food, and pets are welcome on screen.
- Please know that your health matters, and you can step away as you need.
- Please use the chat function thoughtfully.
- Some sessions may be recorded. You will be notified before recordings take place and are welcome to turn off your camera as desired.
Will the presentations be recorded? If so, how can I access the recordings?
There is no plan to record or disseminate recordings of sessions. Do your best to attend sessions you are most interested in, and reach out to relevant students and faculty if you have questions.
When does Preview officially end?
Our final synchronous program sessions occur throughout Monday, March 4th. However, we encourage you to drop into our classes throughout the week, continue to interview for graduate assistantships, chat with our students via WhatsApp or attend our final Q&A Session on March 13th. See our Schedule page for more details.
When will I receive my interview matches?
We will email all interview matches on Friday, February 23.
How many interviews can I expect to receive during Preview?
While we try our best to match each person with as many interviews as possible, we cannot make any guarantees. However, we attempt to secure 3-5 interviews per person. You also have the opportunity to connect with employers throughout Preview and schedule interviews during any time that you and the employer are available.
Can I provide thank-you cards or emails to employers after our interview sessions?
You are encouraged, but not required, to send employers your own thank-you cards or emails.
When are assistantship offers extended?
Preview employers will begin to make offers as early as Monday, March 11 and will continue from that point. Please allow employers reasonable time to contact you.
Employers will have some time after the Preview Program ends to process and select their top applicant(s). Therefore, the earliest you may hear back from employers regarding assistantship offers is on Monday, March 11. Offers will continue for several weeks thereafter. While it is acceptable to follow-up about your status, please allow employers reasonable time to contact you. If you receive more than one offer, we encourage you to take time to consider your options carefully. We also ask that, if you are offered an assistantship that you know you will not accept, please communicate this information with the employer with umdpreview@umd.edu cced so that other students have an opportunity to receive that assistantship.
Although you have until April 15th to confirm your enrollment to the University of Maryland, supervisors may have their own deadlines by which you must communicate with them if you are accepting or declining an assistantship offer. We have communicated with employers that you, as students, have until April 15th to accept your offer of admission to HESI. However, it is up to the employer as to what date you must accept their offer.
If you need support or assistance in communicating with employers, feel free to reach out to umdpreview@umd.edu. Once you confirm that you are accepting a particular assistantship and admission to UMD, please email the employer, your concentration's admissions coordinator (see contacts). Then log in to the Graduate School Application (where you submitted your application) and indicate that you have accepted admission. Please not that accepting an assistantship offer means you are accepting enrollment at the University of Maryland.
Can I receive more than one assistantship offer?
Yes. The University of Maryland allows for admitted students to receive multiple offers. We encourage students to make a decision between those multiple offers, so the employers may offer the spots not selected by students with multiple offers available to other students.
What if I am not offered an assistantship right away?
Roughly once a week, the UMD Preview committee will update this document with assistantships that have been accepted and are therefore closed. These updates will cease on April 15th. Information about assistantships will continue to be updated on the Preview website. That way, if you are deciding between assistantship offers and/or between universities, you have a realistic idea of what assistantships are still available for students. SAC GA will also forward any new graduate assistantships that we have received through various listservs on campus. For new graduate assistantships, you will need to contact the Employer directly, as these new positions are not affiliated with our Preview Program. If you do not receive any offers from your interviews at Preview, there are plenty of opportunities in the weeks following Preview to secure an assistantship. In addition to communicating the status of positions that were included in the Preview program, we will be sure to direct you toward assistantships that become available in the weeks and months following Preview. We also encourage you to look at the Maryland E-Jobs page, as that site will be updated with assistantships that become available over the next few weeks and months.
Who do I contact regarding my decision to accept/decline my admission to the University of Maryland?
Please let Dr. Taylor Woodman at tcwood@umd.edu, sagrad-ga@umd.edu, AND your area of concentration know as soon as possible regarding your decision to attend the University of Maryland. Higher Education students should contact Dr. Marvin Titus (mtitus@umd.edu). Student Affairs students should contact Dr. Candace Moore (cmmoore@umd.edu), and International Education Policy students should contact Dr. Zeena Zakharia (zakharia@umd.edu). Please note that accepting an assistantship offer means you are accepting enrollment at the University of Maryland.
The National Council of Graduate Schools has a policy, endorsed by ACPA’s Commission on Professional Preparation, that no prospective student be required to make a decision before April 15th. The University of Maryland is a signatory on this policy, which enables prospective students to make good decisions and weigh all their options before making a decision. In the event that you decide to accept your offer of admission, please confirm with Dr. Taylor Woodman at tcwood@umd.edu, sagrad-ga@umd.edu, and your concentration’s admissions coordinator. Then, please go to the Graduate School website where you submitted your application and indicate that you have accepted admission.
Who do I notify if I decline a position?
If you have multiple offers, notify those employers that you are declining their position. Please also notify sagrad-ga@umd.edu so we can let other employers with whom you interviewed know that you are no longer available.
Are there any additional resources directed towards international students?
Yes, please take some time to review the information at this link. In addition, feel free to contact the Preview Committee, who may be able to answer your questions or direct you towards the appropriate resource.
How can I stay connected to folx that I interacted with during Preview?
On social media? If so, join our HESI Preview WhatsApp Group! You can also follow @UMDHESI24 on Instagram!
Reach out to the faculty and students you met at Preview. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Want to continue exploring UMD? Click below for additional resources!
UMD Visitor Guide (You may not be able to visit in-person, but we can still get you excited to visit!)
What if I have any additional questions?
Contact the Preview Committee (umdpreview@umd.edu) with all other questions, concerns, or comments!