QUEST is taking in a new batch of students.
The multidisciplinary, reality-centered program at the Robert H. Smith School of Business is processing recruits from the business school as well as the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.
“We have a team of students who lead our QUEST recruitment efforts,” said Dr. Joseph Bailey, the Executive Director of QUEST, “We try to hold information sessions during the fall semester across campus in our three participating colleges.”
QUEST is a three-year undergraduate program, so recruitment this semester is focused on rising sophomores. Prospective students must be a part of one of the three participating schools and have a GPA of at least 3.0.
“We want them to be able to be able to demonstrate the ability or interest in working in teams on issues of process improvement, quality management, and systems design,” said Bailey.
Aditya Sridhar, the QUEST representative from the engineering school, stressed that prospective students should be prepared to face diverse challenges.
“These are not just problems that have a technical aspect to it. It has a business aspect to it, an economic aspect to it, a political aspect to it,” said Sridhar. “People that are excited by that, I think, would be a great fit for QUEST.”
Having been through the recruitment process, Sridhar, a junior mechanical engineering and fire protection major, has some key advice for students hoping to join QUEST.
“Try to have a broader perspective,” said Sridhar. “Be open to the creative way of thinking if you’re an engineer, and be open to a more analytical process if you’re a business major.”
Applications for QUEST will be available online on December 14.