The Universities at Shady Grove: Opportunity is just down the street.

By Bora Ersoy

Every spring and fall semester the college institutions at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) come together and host an open house for interested students to attend. On Saturday March 7, the campus opened its doors to the public. Nine universities attended the event and combined offered over 80 affordable degree programs to compare. Degree representatives from all campuses were on hand to discuss admissions, financial aid, career opportunities, and other questions students might have. The hallways were packed with students of all kinds talking with one another excited and eager to get more information on pursuing their future goals.

The schools are Bowie State University, Salisbury University, Towson University, University of Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), University of Maryland Baltimore, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), University of Maryland University College (UMUC), and University of Maryland College Park.

Located at 9630 Gudelsky Drive on the edge of Rockville and North Potomac lies the Universities at Shady Grove, an off campus oasis of some of the best universities here in Maryland operating within the same grounds.

 

Every semester students face a dilemma when nearing the end of their time here at Montgomery College. Some will graduate on campus, but for a large majority the option of transferring into a four year university is considered the better option. Unfortunately what many students might not consider is the amount of hurdles one would have to face when transferring. Which university is considered better? Do the universities offer the right classes? Where are they located and how long is the travel? What if leaving home is not an option? Luckily all these concerns can easily be answered with a simple weekend drive.

Throughout the open house various presentations and workshops were taking place giving more detailed information on select topics. Topics including career service counseling, biological Science, undergraduate Q&As, cyber security, scholarships, and student life. The presentations were held in nearby classrooms and were on average over filled with interested students. A campgrounds tour was even held to familiarize students on what each of the buildings served and general student life on campus. The event was informative, but ran for only three hours. Considering the overcrowded attendance and how for many arriving at nine in the morning is difficult, this felt very unfair for the ones arriving late.

Despite this complaint the entire event was very successful and should be advertised more for MC students. It’s very surprising the amount of students who are unfamiliar with the Universities at Shady Grove. The universities are only a ten to fifteen minute drive from the Germantown campus and a five minute drive from Rockville. Students can save money on both travel and housing because the location is close to home.

Perhaps a student wishes to attend University of Maryland Eastern Shore, but the distance is too far. Instead, a student can transfer to the Eastern Shore program at USG and continue their education. MC students have the perfect opportunity to reach full potentials while not becoming broke at the end. Please visit and speak with the counseling office for more information on the Universities transfer programs, or better yet visit USG and schedule an appointment with an advisor for additional information. The opportunity is there, now it is up to you to take the advantage.