Emily Whitt ’23 considered other graduate schools to pursue a master’s degree in accounting, but only one rose to the top of her list – the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary.
The University of Mary Washington senior mentally prepared herself for a painstaking application process and a patient wait for an admissions decision. But when she mentioned her grad-school preference to Ken Machande, interim dean of UMW’s College of Business and her professor for a class in cost accounting, he had a better idea.
UMW had recently entered a partnership with William & Mary to streamline the Mason School admissions process for well-qualified Mary Washington applicants.
“The guaranteed admission program recognizes the caliber of students we have at UMW and builds on our alumni, who have been successfully participating in W&M graduate programs for years,” Machande said. “This agreement makes the admissions process – to one of the best graduate programs in the nation – far less intimidating for our students.”
And Machande knew that Whitt, a top student who’s taken as many upper-level business and accounting classes as her schedule allows, was a great candidate. “Emily is bright, inquisitive and thoughtful,” he noted.
With Machande’s nomination to the program, Whitt was able to bypass postgraduate admissions tests. She did provide an unofficial transcript and a résumé, and she wrote a personal statement that reflected her abilities, preparation and goals.
“You can’t just say, ‘I’m good at math and I really like numbers,’” she recalled. “I had to brainstorm what qualities make a good accountant and what I’m hoping to achieve during the program.”
She focused her essay on her sense of ethics, excellent time-management and problem-solving skills, plus short- and long-term goals – first, to prepare for the notoriously challenging certified public accountant exam and gain work experience as a CPA, and ultimately to transition to private accounting.
She submitted her electronic application on a Sunday night, and by Wednesday she had great news: She was in. Whitt will begin the one-year residential program in fall 2023 after a summer internship with EY’s Richmond office.
Richmond is near her hometown of Glen Allen, Virginia, where her journey to UMW began with her parents’ stories of their own time at Mary Washington. Mom Dodie Denison Whitt ’95 and dad Rob Whitt ’93 met as resident advisors in Randolph Hall and married in Dodie’s senior year.
When elder daughter Abigail was considering colleges, the Whitts made sure she saw the UMW campus – and they took eighth-grader Emily along for the visit. Abigail ultimately chose a different university, but Emily thought, “This is the place I’m coming to.”
It’s been a good fit even during pandemic upheaval. Besides racking up a 3.87 grade-point average at UMW, Whitt is president of the women’s club basketball team and works part time with the admissions team, helping prospective students connect with one another on the Zeemee app.
She took advantage of UMW’s robust study-abroad programs with a faculty-sponsored study trip to Rome last spring. And she’s embraced Fredericksburg life, attending Fredericksburg United Methodist Church and enjoying downtown coffee shops.
Whitt is making the most of her last semester at Mary Washington with courses in strategic management, auditing, world religions, and Roman civilization (she took three years of Latin in high school and two in college).
When she enters William & Mary next fall, she expects to work hard getting that master’s – but she also expects to achieve her goals.
Machande, the College of Business interim dean, has no doubt. “Emily’s experience at William & Mary will enhance her skills and abilities,” he said, “and help her tap her immense potential.”
Students interested in the program must be nominated by UMW, and if they complete the application by Feb. 15, receive financial support. This support includes scholarships totaling $7,500 for in-state students and $10,000 for out-of-state students for the academic year, discounts for summer credit-bearing prerequisite courses, and an opportunity to compete for additional scholarships and graduate assistantships. The application fee is waived as part of the nomination.
For more information, visit UMW’s College of Business partnership page.
