university of maryland supplemental essays 2023

University of Maryland Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Wondering how to write your University of Maryland supplemental essays? If so, you’re in the right place. The UMD essay prompts are unique, both in length and style. In fact, all of the UMD supplemental essays are actually short-answer questions. So, applicants need to be strategic about their responses to the UMD prompts if they want to make their application stand out. 

In this guide to the UMD essays, we’ll go beyond just introducing you to the UMD essay prompts. You’ll find tips for building your short answer responses and for writing your all-important personal statement. If you are considering transferring to UMD, we also go over the UMD supplemental essays for transfer students. Finally, we will connect you to several other resources that can aid you in your essay writing journey. 

By the end of this guide, we hope to have answered most of your questions about applying to UMD. Then, you’ll have the tools you’ll need to write excellent University of Maryland supplemental essays. But, before we jump in, let’s start with some UMD Admissions Quick Facts.

UMD Supplemental Essays: Quick Facts

University of maryland admissions quick facts.

• University of Maryland Acceptance Rate:  44% – If you’re considering applying early, note that the early acceptance rate at UMD is 47.7%.
• 1 (~650 word) personal essay
• 6 (~650 character) short answer questions
• University of Maryland Application:  Students must submit their UMD application through the  Common Application or the StandOut Admissions Network . Prepare your  required application materials , including your University of Maryland supplemental essays, before applying . 
• Early Action: November 1
• Regular Decision: January 20 
• University of Maryland Essay Tip:  Don’t overthink your responses to the University of Maryland supplemental essays. Go with an answer that feels authentic and then write concise and clear answers to the prompts. 

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

Does the University of Maryland have supplemental essays?

Yes – there are six University of Maryland supplemental essays. However, the UMD supplemental essays are very different from most other schools’ essay prompts. Let’s look at a few ways they differ.

Short Essays

First, the University of Maryland supplemental essays are very short. On average, supplemental essays range in word count from 150-300 words. The University of Maryland supplemental essays are described as short answer questions, and rightly so. The maximum length is 650 characters, which amounts to anywhere from 92 to 163 words, depending on your word length. With such limited space, you’ll need to be concise in your answers to the UMD College Park supplemental essays.

Quirky Questions

Secondly, the University of Maryland supplemental essays are focused on understanding who you are through different snapshots of your life. Many supplemental essays focus on your academic interests or why you want to attend a given college. However, the UMD supplemental essays ask seemingly random questions like “What did you do last Thursday?”. While the UMD essay prompts might seem random, they’re there for a reason: to take the pressure off! These fun prompts allow students to showcase a realistic and holistic perspective on who they are beyond being a student.

Six Prompts

Finally, there are six UMD supplemental essays. Most commonly, schools have one to two required supplemental essays and potentially an optional one. By offering six University of Maryland supplemental essays, UMD seeks to give students many ways to showcase who they are. And, since they’re all required, applicants have no choice but to make the most of their responses.

Next, let’s look at each of the UMD College Park supplemental essays and talk about how you might respond to each one.

UMD Supplemental Essay Requirements

As we shared above, there are six required University of Maryland supplemental essays. The word limit for each is 650 characters (between 92 and 136 words). In this section, we will start by breaking down what each of the UMD essay prompts is looking for. Then, we’ll get into how you can provide an answer that will impress University of Maryland admissions officers.

Here are the six UMD essay prompts, followed by some guidance about how to respond.

University of Maryland Prompt 1

If i could travel anywhere, i would go to….

The first of the UMD supplemental essays is a fun one. With this question, the school is looking to see your adventurous spirit come through. Answer authentically, while being specific. Avoid being too general by stating the name of a continent or a country. Instead, choose a city, town, or even neighborhood. And, avoid cliches that are overused, such as “I would travel to another time period.” You can generally avoid falling into the trap of cliches if you’re specific and answer in a heartfelt, honest manner.

University of Maryland Prompt 2

The most interesting fact i ever learned from research was… .

In the second of your University of Maryland supplemental essays, UMD is looking for evidence of your curious mindset. Feel free to interpret the word “research” broadly. While actual scientific research is valid to highlight, it’s not the only avenue to choose. You could also talk about a topic you did a deep dive on the internet to learn more about. Again, be specific about why this fact interested you. 

Second, connect your interest back to a personal value or an academic subject you enjoy. For example, maybe you were fascinated to learn that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch contains enough trash to fill 500 Jumbo Jets. You’d want to then speak to why this was important to you and if learning it had any impact on your future thoughts or actions.

University of Maryland Prompt 3

In addition to my major, my academic interests include… .

The third of your UMD supplemental essays is focused on your academic interests. The key to this prompt are the words, “In addition to my major.” This question is looking for insight into other fields of interest besides your stated major. The University of Maryland supplemental essays create space for you to highlight your various interests and demonstrate your intellectual curiosity.

To answer this question, consider other academic subjects that interest you. Note that you do not have to list a field, like mechanical engineering or business. Instead, you can provide specific topics that interest you. For example, maybe your academic interests include reading Shakespearean plays or learning Italian. Include a few sentences about why you are interested in this topic. Do you have fond memories of acting out Shakespearean plays in sophomore English? Maybe you have plans to one day travel to Florence, so learning Italian inspires you. Whatever you choose, be genuine.

University of Maryland Prompt 4

My favorite thing about last thursday was… .

Some students may read this UMD supplemental essay prompt and wonder why the school wants to know what happened last Thursday. The answer is simple – they want to know what you really value in your daily life. Don’t overthink your response. Rather, try to reflect upon your previous Thursday with wonder. What did you enjoy about that day? What was exciting, inspiring, or special? Maybe the weather was so cool and crisp that you felt inspired to go for a run. Or perhaps, you found out a friend won an award, and it made you happy to see that person honored. 

If you can’t remember what you did last Thursday, then pick any recent day you do remember. The school does not actually care about Thursday in particular, but rather the way in which you reflect upon your life. Use sensory details and explain why your answer is meaningful to you. Remember, even the little things can give your University of Maryland supplemental essays extra flair. 

University of Maryland Prompt 5

Something you might not know about me is… .

For some students, the most challenging of the UMD College Park supplemental essays is this one because of its open-endedness. However, rather than stress about trying to guess what might impress University of Maryland admissions officers, simply be yourself. This prompt allows you to highlight something that does not fit into any of the other prompts. So, you might wish to answer this question last.

Indeed, there is no “right” answer to this question. But you should still take time to think of something about yourself that is actually meaningful to you. Maybe you love waking up early on Saturdays to have pancakes with your family because it reminds you of how much you are loved. Maybe you paint portraits of your favorite hip-hop artists because you admire their music so much. As with all the UMD supplemental essays, being genuine and explaining why you chose your answer will be key.

University of Maryland Prompt 6

Because we know that diversity benefits the educational experience of all students, the university of maryland values diversity in all of its many forms. this includes (but is not limited to) racial, socio-economic, gender, geographical, and sexual orientation. we are interested in hearing about your own individual life experiences. in a few sentences, will you please describe how you have learned, grown, been inspired or developed skills through one or more components of diversity. .

The last, but certainly not least important, of the UMD College Park supplemental essays is the diversity question. The first step in answering this question is to remember that diversity is a broad term. Diversity can include things like your race, culture, or socioeconomic status. But it can also include where you grew up, unique childhood experiences, or challenges you may have faced. 

The key is to reflect upon your life experiences and how they have shaped you. For example, maybe you grew up in a family of self-starters, and this shaped your own desire to one day own a business. Or perhaps you were very sick as a child, and overcoming your illness taught you about patience and self-care. Whatever you choose, be sure to explain what this aspect of your life experience taught you. 

Besides your six University of Maryland supplemental essays, you will also submit a personal statement. Keep reading to learn more about what goes into your personal statement.

University of Maryland Personal Statement

In contrast to the six UMD College Park supplemental essays, your personal statement can be up to 650 words long. As such, you have much more space to express your thoughts. Your essay will respond to one of the seven Common App essay prompts.

To clarify, your University of Maryland personal statement is the same as your Common App personal statement. As such, your UMD personal statement will not be school-specific, but will instead contribute to your overall college application brand . So, think of your personal statement as a chance to write about a key part of your identity.

A well-written personal statement usually contains a story-like approach. This includes engaging elements like a hook and a story arc with a beginning, middle, and end. Many personal statements also include reflective moments where the student shares what they learned from the experience they are sharing. Read more about how to begin in this CollegeAdvisor resource on How to Start a Personal Statement.

UMD Essay Requirements – Transfer Students

If you are a transfer student, your University of Maryland supplemental essays will include a college transfer essay. What constitutes a transfer student? A transfer student is:

• Any student that has at least 12 semester or 18 quarter hours after high school graduation AND
• Is applying for admission at a new college

Your transfer application must accomplish a slightly different task of explaining to UMD why you wish to transfer schools.

Instead of a personal statement, transfer students will write a college transfer essay for their transfer application. Below is the prompt:

University of Maryland Transfer Students Essay Prompt

Please describe your past academic experiences and your reasons for wishing to enroll at umd at this point in your academic career. (300 words or less).

To effectively answer this question, transfer students must be clear about what specific aspect of studying at UMD appeals to them. Students who have been out of school for some time or have faced academic challenges should share more about those experiences in their responses. While there may be numerous reasons why you want to transfer, avoid speaking poorly of another school. Instead, focus on what makes you believe you will thrive at UMD.

Please note that your transfer application can only be submitted through the StandOut Admissions Network platform. The early action deadline for submitting a transfer application is: 

• March 1 of the spring before the fall semester in which you wish to enroll OR
• August 1 of the summer before the spring semester you wish to enroll

Next, we will explore some tips for writing your UMD supplemental essays.

Tips for approaching the UMD Supplemental Essays

Without a doubt, it can be daunting to see the six UMD essay prompts you have to respond to. After all, that’s a lot of UMD supplemental essays! Below are some tips for ensuring your responses are interesting and showcase the best version of yourself to UMD Admissions.

1. Be authentic

As always, authenticity is key. With these UMD College Park supplemental essays, the school is really trying to get to know multiple sides of you. If you try too hard to impress them, you are defeating the purpose of the UMD essay prompts. Ask friends and family to double-check your ideas and see whether they sound like you. Those who know you best can give valuable input.

2. Write first, then edit down

Some students feel frozen when they see the word count, not knowing how they can respond with only 650 characters. However, don’t worry about the length of your University of Maryland supplemental essays. Instead, write drafts that are as long as you need them to be. Then, go through your drafts and find the most critical ideas. These can be interesting details or insights that you believe are important. 

3. Avoid repetition

Since there are six UMD supplemental essays, you might be tempted to repeat topics or ideas. However, each 650-character essay is valuable real estate. Show something new about yourself in each of your UMD supplemental essays. Remember, Admissions is reading all six as a collection, not each one individually!

4. Share your why

For each of your University of Maryland supplemental essays, answer the question directly but be sure to share your why . Indeed, sharing why you chose an answer can often say as much or more about you than the answer itself. If I tell you my favorite color is blue, you’ve learned one simple fact. Now let’s say I add that my grandmother always wore blue at Sunday dinner and it reminds me of her. Now, you’ve learned that I value my family, miss my grandmother, and am nostalgic for dinners with her.

Next, we will take a deeper look at what the University of Maryland – College Park is known for. With this knowledge, you can write University of Maryland supplemental essays that demonstrate qualities that align with the school’s values.

What is the University of Maryland – College Park known for?

If you are considering applying to the University of Maryland, there is a lot you should know about the school. For one, the University of Maryland – College Park is a competitive public institution. According to U.S. News , the UMD acceptance rate is 44% and the school ranks #19 among top public universities . Similarly, Forbes ranked UMD #34 amongst its top colleges for 2023. As such, writing strong UMD supplemental essays is important to stand out against other qualified applicants. 

The University of Maryland – College Park is known for being the first campus in the UMD college system . The school is located in the suburb of College Park, Maryland. However, students also have easy access to the big cities of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. With over 30,000 undergraduates, UMD is a large campus with 12 colleges and more than 800 clubs and organizations. UMD is known for its excellent James Clark School of Engineering and Robert H. Smith School of Business, as well as its research initiatives. Lastly, UMD is known for its sustainability initiatives, with a plan in place to be carbon neutral by 2050.

As such a large school with so many resources, UMD College Park is likely to be a great fit for your studies . If you want to attend, keep reading to learn more about how to make your UMD supplemental essays stand out. 

How to make your University of Maryland Essays stand out!

If you want to beat the UMD acceptance rate, you’ll want your UMD supplemental essays to stand out from the pack. Here are a few tips for ensuring that they do:

1. Edit them well

Your UMD College Park supplemental essays are a chance to showcase who you are. But, they are also a chance to showcase your writing skills. Be sure to spend time editing for proper grammar, varied sentence structure, and clear transitions. Consider reading your essays out loud to catch errors. Also, ask a trusted advisor, like your CollegeAdvisor admissions expert or a teacher, to review your essays.

2. Include specific details

In each of your responses, include details that bring your response to life. Only having 650 characters for your UMD supplemental essays may feel limiting. But you can still include vivid imagery that helps to add some color to your essays.

3. Showcase your unique personality

As you write each of your UMD supplemental essays, make sure your voice is coming through. Avoid letting someone else edit your essays to the point where the voice no longer sounds like yours. The University of Maryland admissions officers want to know who you are, not an uncle or a friend. 

Next, we have even more places to find expert advice on how to write your University of Maryland supplemental essays.

More supplemental essay resources from CollegeAdvisor

Below are three CollegeAdvisor resources that might help you as you write your UMD College Park supplemental essays.

• 8 College Essay Topics : This resource covers the most common types of supplemental essays. Two of the types described in this article – the personal statement and the diversity essay – are ones you will have to write for your UMD College Park supplemental essays.
• How to Write Better Essays : This article provides tips for how to write essays of all kinds. From tips about your writing approach to ideas for how to choose topics, this article covers a lot of essay-writing ground. Review it before writing your University of Maryland supplemental essays.
• Common App Essay Examples : Looking for examples of strong personal statements? This article will highlight ten of them and explain why each one was successful. Understanding what makes an essay strong can help you write even stronger University of Maryland supplemental essays.

Continue browsing through CollegeAdvisor’s resources to find lots of free advice for your University of Maryland supplemental essays.

The University of Maryland Supplemental Essays – Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve read this guide on the University of Maryland supplemental essays, you should be ready to start writing. In this article, we reviewed the UMD essay prompts, both for a freshman UMD application and a transfer UMD application. We also broke down tips for writing your UMD College Park supplemental essays. 

Inevitably, the college process has a lot of unknowns, which can be stressful. However, writing good University of Maryland supplemental essays is entirely in your control. With this guidance and support from trusted advisors, you can beat the UMD acceptance rate and pursue your college dreams.

This essay guide was written by senior advisor, Courtney Ng . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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How to Write the University of Maryland Supplement 2023-2024

UMD, or the University of Maryland, is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. It’s a big college with about 30,000 undergrads, 12 schools, and more than 90 majors for undergraduates. There is a lot to love about UM, including excellent academics and sports. Last year, their acceptance rate was 34.3% . This was significantly lower than in the past two years as the amount of applicants has risen sharply.

When you first see UMD’s supplement, it looks like a lot. There are a lot of tabs and drop-down questions. There is a place to upload a resume and identify interests. However, the writing is minimal. There are no essays, just a set of fill-in-the-blank/short-answer style questions. Each prompt gives you 650 characters to respond (so like about 100 words). Notably, this is an increased character count from last year , when it was 300 characters.

Sometimes, students find this easier than full essays. However, many can overthink these types of questions. So, let’s break them down and how you should approach these short answers.

At the University of Maryland, we encourage our students to go beyond the classroom to engage in opportunities that further both their academic and personal growth. To tell us more about yourself, please complete the following prompts using only the space provided (650 characters).

If I could travel anywhere, I would go to...*

There is really no wrong answer to this question, but you can get extra points by connecting it to an interest of yours or something in your background. For example, if you are talking AP Spanish and AP Art History, going to Madrid to see the Prado lets you connect this to your academic interests. Or if your grandfather is Korean, you may want to go to Busan with your dad to reconnect with your family history. Avoid anything too basic, and you should be fine.

The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was...*

This question can be tricky for a lot of students. They hear the word “research” and the shutdown. You don’t have to be published in a journal to answer this question. If you are, that’s great; feel free to nerd out about your research. But everyone can answer this. Think of the research you have done for school assignments. Maybe you love a good Wikipedia rabbit hole or have done independent research. From looking up movie facts after you watch every film or looking into ingredients in the food you eat, you can learn some fascinating facts that you can use here.

As long as the fact connects to an interest of yours and it is true (you don’t necessarily need to cite your sources… but please make sure it is 100% accurate,) you should be able to answer this question.

In addition to my major, my academic interests include...*

The only trick here is to get specific. Have you seen that TikTok trend where people say what they could talk about for 30 minutes straight without any preparation? This should feel like that. Maybe you want to major in Biology but love politics. Politics is too broad. Leftist movements in America in the 1990s… now we are talking. Pinpoint something about that field or a topic that you are fascinated by. This also doesn't have to be about just one topic. It is fine to give us a couple here. Just make sure they aren’t too general. 

My favorite thing about last Thursday was...*

Funnily enough, they changed this question from last year. Last year, it was “last Wednesday.” Does this matter? No. But it highlights something important. This isn’t asking about the most exciting day of your life. This is an average weekday. The thing you write about doesn’t actually have to have happened last Thursday or Wednesday, for that matter, but it needs to feel like it could have. It should feel like a weekly or even daily activity. There is beauty in the everyday, and this is what you are trying to capture. Some examples we like:

-Making the perfect fried egg

-Writing a poem or drawing a great doodle

-Receiving a letter you had been waiting on

-Organizing a drawer that has been bugging you

-Getting milkshakes with your best friend

-Playing soccer at the park at dusk

It’s okay and encouraged to feel small. We want to see you appreciate one of life’s little moments.  

Something you might not know about me is...*

For this question, you are going to want to consider your entire application. You don’t want to say something here that was in your activities section, transcript, or resume. The easiest way to avoid repeating yourself is to write about something quirky here. Make sure it’s appropriate, but writing about baking cookies before every test you take or how you read Mrs. Dalloway every year on your birthday probably won’t be anywhere else in your application. 

Because we know that diversity benefits the educational experience of all students, the University of Maryland values diversity in all of its many forms.  This includes (but is not limited to) racial, socio-economic, gender, geographical, and sexual orientation.  We are interested in hearing about your own individual life experiences.  In a few sentences, will you please describe how you have learned, grown, been inspired or developed skills through one or more components of diversity.*

So… we don’t like this question. It feels like too big to be a short answer. The question itself is like 500 characters, which feels unfair to us. However, we suggest thinking of a moment. You can’t tackle everything about “diversity” in a couple of sentences. Think of a time when you learned something or benefited from a “diverse” situation. Maybe you helped run an event in your own community or attended a family friend’s wedding from another culture. We would rather hear about going to your friend’s Afro-Haitian dance show or volunteering at your high school’s women's center than you trying to break off more than you can chew here.

These questions are short but ask for a fair amount of creativity. It is worth taking some time to brainstorm and edit. Honestly, you might hit the top of the character count for some of these and have to take time to cut them down. If you need help, reach out!

It’s what we do! Contact us here .

University of Maryland Supplemental Essays 2024 | Strategies and Insights for Success

With over 56,000 applicants vying for a spot each year, the University of Maryland—College Park’s admissions process might seem like a numbers game focused solely on GPA and SAT scores. However, in a testament to their commitment to a holistic review process, prospective Terrapins are also tasked with completing six short “Complete this Sentence” supplemental essays alongside the 650-word Common App essay. As UMD’s acceptance rate continues to drop—it was just 34% last year—applicants must seize the opportunity presented by these short answer essays to differentiate themselves.

Let’s delve into the UMD supplemental essays for the 2023-24 admissions cycle and explore tips on how to approach each one.

Also read University of Maryland Acceptance Rate | Strategies and Insights for Admission Success 2024

University of Maryland Supplemental Essays

1) If I could travel anywhere, I would go to… (650 characters)

While it’s tempting to pick a well-known destination, this prompt invites creativity. Consider journeys beyond geographical borders—exploring a historical era, delving into a niche interest, or engaging in a unique cultural experience. Whether it’s unearthing fossils in Montana or conversing with historical figures, your choice should reflect depth and curiosity.

2) The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was… (650 characters)

Research isn’t limited to science labs. From psychological insights to historical revelations, fascinating discoveries abound. Share a compelling finding that resonated with you, regardless of the field. Remember, it’s about the significance of the knowledge gained, not the accolades earned.

3) In addition to my major, my academic interests include… (650 characters)

Embrace the opportunity to showcase your intellectual breadth. Whether it’s exploring interdisciplinary connections or pursuing passions outside your major, delve into diverse academic interests. From philosophy to artificial intelligence, highlight the richness of your scholarly pursuits beyond the confines of your chosen field.

UMD Supplemental Essays

4) My favorite thing about last Thursday was… (650 characters)

Ditch the mundane details and delve into the significance of a recent moment. Whether it’s a small victory, a meaningful interaction, or a moment of personal growth, reflect on what made last Thursday memorable. Use vivid language to convey the essence of this cherished experience in a brief snapshot.

5) When I think of diversity, I think of.. (650 characters)

Move beyond textbook definitions and share your personal perspective on diversity. Consider how diversity enriches the fabric of society and shapes your worldview. Whether it’s cultural heritage, individual experiences, or varied perspectives, articulate what diversity means to you and how it enhances the University of Maryland community.

6) Because we know that diversity benefits the educational experience of all students, the University of Maryland values diversity in all of its many forms. This includes (but is not limited to) racial, socio-economic, gender, geographical, and sexual orientation. We are interested in hearing about your own individual life experiences. In a few sentences, will you please describe how you have learned, grown, been inspired or developed skills through one or more components of diversity. (650 characters)

Reflect on how diversity has shaped your personal journey and contributed to your growth. Share a specific experience or insight that has broadened your perspective or deepened your understanding of others. Whether it’s advocating for inclusivity, navigating cultural differences, or fostering empathy, highlight the ways in which diversity has influenced your development and prepared you to thrive in a diverse academic environment.

Also see 25 Most Affordable And Beautiful Colleges in Appalachia 2024

How Important are the UMD Supplemental Essays?

In the evaluation process at the University of Maryland, the supplemental essays carry significant weight. They are classified as an “important” factor, placing them alongside crucial considerations like class rank, recommendations, talent/ability, first-generation status, and state residency. Notably, these essays are weighted higher than factors such as extracurricular activities, legacy status, race/ethnicity, or work experience. Therefore, crafting thoughtful and compelling responses to the UMD supplemental prompts is essential for applicants aiming to stand out in the admissions process.

While the University of Maryland’s admission process considers various factors, the supplemental essays play a crucial role in showcasing applicants’ personalities, interests, and potential contributions to the campus community. As UMD becomes increasingly competitive, applicants must seize the opportunity presented by these essays to demonstrate their uniqueness and suitability for the university. By carefully crafting their responses, applicants can significantly enhance their chances of success in gaining admission to the University of Maryland.

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Confirmation Deadline Extended to June 1

To provide students and families additional time to review their financial offers, we will be extending our Fall 2024 freshman enrollment confirmation deadline from May 15 to June 1, 2024.

Freshman Applicants

All the information you need, in one place, to apply to the University of Maryland (UMD) as a freshman.

APPLY AS A FRESHMAN

If you are a high school student or a student with fewer than 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours of university-level credit beyond secondary school, you should apply as a freshman applicant.

Below you will find information on freshman application requirements and deadlines, a complete list of required application materials and more.

Applicant Requirements

As prescribed by the Board of Regents , the university expects you, at a minimum, to have completed the following coursework by high school graduation.

The most competitive freshman applicants exceed these minimum requirements, earning a strong A-/B+ or better average in their high school coursework while taking several honors and/or Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and additional academic electives.

Years of English

Years of foreign language

Years of history or social science

Years of science in at least 2 different areas

With at least 2 lab experiences

4 Years of math, including Algebra I, Geometry & Algebra II

If you complete Algebra II prior to your final year, you must complete the 4-year math requirement by taking a course that utilizes non-trivial algebra, such as Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics, College Algebra.

Choosing a Major

Whether you know exactly what you want to study or are still figuring it out, we encourage you to explore UMD's academic programs . As you explore you may see that some of our majors are considered Limited Enrollment Programs (LEP). These programs have limited space and, therefore, have more competitive admission criteria.

On the UMD application, you'll select a preferred major. This information will not impact whether or not you are admissible to the university. If you selected an LEP, you will also be reviewed by the specific program to determine admission to your preferred major.

While most students are admitted to their preferred major, some LEP applicants may not be. Students who are undecided or undeclared (working on getting into an LEP) will work with Letters & Sciences advisors to explore their interests or complete LEP gateway requirements.

Benefits of Applying Early Action

We strongly encourage you to apply early action to receive priority consideration for admission, merit-based scholarships and invitations to special programs . UMD's November 1 early action deadline is non-binding and students who submit a completed application by this date will receive an admission decision by February 1. By applying for admission to the fall semester, you will also be automatically considered for admission to the spring semester.

Application Platforms

Freshman students can apply to UMD using either of the following platforms:

• StandOut Admissions Network

The application platform you choose will not make a difference on how your application will be reviewed. Choose the platform you are comfortable using.

Application Checklist

Utilize our application checklist to ensure you're submitting all required freshman application materials.

Before you get started, consider the following questions:

• Are you an international student?  | If you are a non-U.S. citizen or non-permanent U.S. resident you apply as an international applicant .
• Do you need to provide proof of English proficiency?  | If English is not your native language, regardless of your citizenship, or if you have taken English Second Language courses in high school, you must provide verification of your proficiency in English .
• Do you have non-U.S. academic records?  | If you have non-U.S. academic records for post-secondary/university work, please review our international applicant requirements for instructions on submitting these records.

Completed online application

The freshman application can be submitted online via the Common App or StandOut Admissions Network . The online application only needs to be submitted once, so choose the platform you are most comfortable using.

As part of the online application you will be required to submit a(n):

Essay |   This is your opportunity to share your personality and experiences with the Admission Committee. Get inspired by one of our essay questions .

Activities and awards list or resume | Tell us how you spend your time outside the classroom! Please start by sharing the two experiences outside of academics that are most important to you. Whether community involvement, the arts, sports, work experience, research opportunities, family involvements or other activities and hobbies, you should share only what has been particularly meaningful (up to a maximum of eight).

Nonrefundable application fee of $75 | When submitting your application you will be required to pay a $75 application fee on our secure website with a credit card unless you have received a fee waiver . Fee waivers must be submitted prior to application submission for consideration. We cannot accept cash or check payments.

Two letters of recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required: one from your school counselor and one from a teacher. Recommendations must be sent to us directly from the recommender. Learn how recommendation letters can be submitted on our Submitting Documents  page.

Official copy of your high school transcripts

Each high school you've attended must submit an official copy of your high school transcript(s) listing all courses you attempted/completed. Learn how transcripts can be submitted on our Submitting Documents  page.

Official copy of your college transcripts (if necessary)

If you have completed any collegiate coursework, each institution you've attended must submit an official copy of your college transcripts listing all courses you attempted/completed. Learn how transcripts can be submitted on our Submitting Documents  page.

If you have non-U.S. academic records for post-secondary work, please review our international applicant requirements as they might apply to you.

Official standardized test scores (optional)

UMD is currently test-optional through to the Spring and Fall 2025 application cycles. Students can choose whether or not to submit SAT/ACT scores with their application. As part of the online application, you will be able to indicate your test-optional status. If you choose to include your test scores, learn how to submit them on our Submitting Documents  page.

If you would like to receive credit toward your degree for successfully completing Advanced Placement (AP) , International Baccalaureate (IB) , A/AS level examinations or certain other standard exams, you must submit those official scores upon receiving an offer of admission.

School of Music application (School of Music applicants only)

In addition to the above items, students seeking enrollment into the School of Music must submit an  online application supplement and  audition . These items will only be used to determine your eligibility for admission into the School of Music and will not be used in the review of your eligibility for admission to UMD.

Making Sure Your UMD Application is Complete

Applications are considered complete when the online application and all required documents have been submitted electronically or postmarked by the appropriate deadline .  It is your responsibility to confirm receipt of all materials.

To do so, you will need to create a Terps Application Portal (TAP) account. You'll receive an email with instructions on how to create a TAP account within two business days of submitting your online application. Through your TAP account, you can:

• Track your application status.
• Confirm receipt of required materials.
• Receive your admission decision when it becomes available.

Keep in mind:  It may take up to 10 business days for recently submitted materials to be listed as received within TAP

Application FAQs

If questions come up as you're filling out the UMD application, be sure to reference our frequently asked questions. We've gathered answers about the application platforms, required materials, what to do after you've applied, and more.

Submitting Documents

Find details on the best way to submit all of your required application materials.

Admission Review Process & Factors

Familiarize yourself with our holistic review process and the many factors we consider when reviewing applications.

There is a lot more to learn about UMD, so let's stay in touch!

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Application Instructions and Deadlines

Start Your Application Now

The button above will take you to the Admissions Dashboard where you will:

• submit your online application and fee
• submit/request any supporting materials
• check your application status
• Please note that PhD applicants apply through UMB’s Graduate School .

You can save your progress and return to your application at a later date. We recommend that you continue to log in for regular updates.

Applications and supporting material submitted to the School of Nursing become the property of the University of Maryland and will not be returned. Applicants should make and retain copies of all application documents before submission.

View Instructions and Deadlines by Program:

Bsn admission information, in this section:.

• Qualifications
• Prerequisite Coursework
• Application Materials and Instructions
• Applicants without a High School Diploma or College Degree in the U.S

UMSON is leading nursing schools nationwide to reconceptualize its BSN curriculum to meet the new American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education Essentials .

For best consideration, applicants are encouraged to have all required application materials submitted by the respective deadlines to ensure your application is considered for admission and scholarships.

Qualifications:

• an overall GPA of 3.0
• a science GPA of 3.0 (chemistry, anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology)
• a degree from a U.S. high school, college, or university; otherwise, you are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS to demonstrate English proficiency ( learn more ).
• a TEAS score of proficient or higher, overall and in each sub-category, which is a minimum of 58.7%. The TEAS is waived for those who hold a bachelor’s degree in another field.

Prerequisite Coursework:

Applicants are required to complete 59 credits of prerequisite course work from an accredited institution.

Prior to applying, applicants must complete a minimum of:

• two of the following science prerequisite courses:
• General Chemistry with Lab*
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab*
• Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab*
• Microbiology with Lab*

* These courses must have been taken in the past 10 years.

• one of the following prerequisite courses: 
• Human Growth and Development

Additionally, applicants can have no more than four courses in progress at the time of application.

See more information on BSN Prerequisite Requirements .

Accepted students must submit proof of enrollment for any outstanding prerequisite courses. Documentation must be received by June 1   for students admitted for Fall and Sept. 1  for students admitted for Spring. Acceptable documentation includes an official transcript, unofficial transcript or a letter from the registrar’s office stating that you are enrolled for those courses. Failure to provide documentation of coursework in progress may result in the cancellation of your admission. Proof of enrollment documentation can be uploaded on your student portal. All prerequisite courses must be complete prior to enrollment at UMSON. Applicants must submit final grades one week prior to classes starting.

Application Materials and Instructions:

Applicants without a high school diploma or college degree in the u.s:.

• If you do not have a degree from a U.S. high school, college, or university, you are required to demonstrate English proficiency.
• If you have completed coursework outside of the U.S., you must have your transcripts evaluated.

More information .

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process,  contact the Office of Admissions and Student Scholarships  to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

RN-to-BSN Admission Information

• Prerequisites
• Admission Materials and Instructions

Deadlines:  

Competitive candidates for admission typically exhibit an academic and professional background that includes the following.

• an overall GPA of 2.5
• a preferred science GPA of 2.75 (chemistry, anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology)
• experience in nursing
• two science prerequisite courses: chemistry with lab, anatomy and physiology I or II with lab, or microbiology with lab
• one of the following prerequisite courses:  human growth and development, statistics, or nutrition

All prerequisite courses must be complete prior to enrollment at UMSON. Applicants must submit final grades one week prior to classes starting.

Admissions Materials and Instructions:

This program is not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship by the University of Maryland, Baltimore due to the amount of online courses.

RN-to-MSN Admission Information

• an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.5
• an undergraduate science GPA of at least 2.75 (chemistry, anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology)

This program is not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship by the University of Maryland, Baltimore, due to the amount of online courses.

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process,  contact the Office of Admission and Student Scholarships  to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

MSN-E Admission Information

Deadline: .

• Baccalaureate degree in a major other than nursing with an overall undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Science Prerequisite GPA of 3.0 (chemistry, anatomy and physiology I and II, and microbiology)

Applicants who do not meet certain admission criteria may still be considered for admission. You are strongly advised to submit the supplemental essay to review your case. Please refer to the Essay section below for more information about the supplemental essay.

See more information on MSN-E Prerequisite Requirements.

Accepted students must submit proof of enrollment for any outstanding prerequisite courses. Documentation must be received by June 1  for students admitted for Fall and Sept. 1  for students admitted for Spring. Acceptable documentation includes an official transcript, unofficial transcript or a letter from the registrar’s office stating that you are enrolled for those courses. Failure to provide documentation of coursework in progress may result in the cancellation of your admission. Proof of enrollment documentation can be uploaded on your student portal. All prerequisite courses must be complete prior to enrollment at UMSON. Applicants must submit final grades one week prior to classes starting.

MSN Admission Information

• an ACEN- (formally known as NLNAC), CCNE- or NLN CNEA- accredited college or university or
• an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution
• an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0

Application Materials:

The Health Service Leadership management and Nursing Informatics master's specialties are not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship by the University of Maryland, Baltimore due to the amount of online courses.

DNP - Nurse Anesthesia Specialty - Admission Information

The  Nurse Anesthesia specialty  accepts applicants for the  summer session only .  (All other specialties and the Post-Master's DNP option accept students for fall admission.)

For best consideration, applicants are encouraged to have all required application materials submitted by the deadlines listed below.

• Completed applications received after the priority deadline date will be reviewed on a space-available basis.
• After the admissions committee file review, applicants may be invited to an on-campus interview.
• Applicants not selected for an interview will not be advanced to the next stage of applicant review. 
• preferred grade point average of at least 3.25
• at least two years of continuous full-time acute care nursing experience at the time of application
• CCRN certification

An interview with selected applicants will be arranged after the applications are received and reviewed.

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process, contact the Office of Admissions and Student Scholarships  to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

DNP Admission Information

The  Nurse Anesthesia specialty  accepts applicants for the  summer session only and has  different deadlines and requirements . 

All other specialties and the Post-Master's DNP option accept students for fall admission .

• Applicants not selected for an interview will not be advanced to the next stage of applicant review.  

Work experience requirements, if applicable, are included under the Required Work Experience dropdown on each DNP specialty page.

Postdoctoral Certificate Admission Information

Postdoctoral certificates are available for the following specialty areas:.

• DNP: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist#/postdoc-cert 
• DNP: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• DNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
• DNP: Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
• DNP: Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner 
• DNP: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
• DNP: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Learn more about our DNP Pathways .

Fall Admission

• Priority Deadline: Nov. 1 If you submit your online application and all supplemental applications materials by this date, your application will be given priority consideration.
• Deadline: July 31 Completed applications received between Nov. 1 and June 1 will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

Spring Admission:

• Priority Deadline: Oct. 1 If you submit your online application and all supplemental applications materials by this date, your application will be given priority consideration.
• Deadline: Nov. 15 Completed applications received between Oct. 1 and Nov. 15 will be reviewed on a space-available basis.
• Graduate degree in nursing (which may include a DNP)
• Doctoral degree (DNP, PhD, EdD, etc.)
• Active registered nursing license

This program is not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship by the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

PhD Admission Information

Phd applicants apply through umb’s graduate school..

• Application Materials and Instructions  *There are  no application fees ever  for PhD applicants!
• Fall Enrollment:  Dec. 1

PhD applicants apply through UMB’s Graduate School . Your application and all supplemental materials must be received by this date.

Applicants should possess a bachelor's or master's degree with a major in nursing or a related health field from a regionally accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution.  For International Applicants or those with a degree outside the United States, please review the International Applicants webpage.

Application Materials and Instructions: 

There are no application fees ever for PhD applicants!

PhD applicants apply through UMB’s Graduate School. All applicants must satisfy the general requirements of the University of Maryland Graduate School and submit the following materials:

Submit/request these materials via the Admissions Dashboard .

If you have questions regarding the admissions requirements or process, contact  [email protected]  to avoid errors that could delay the processing of your application.

Certificate Admission Information

Click the certificate below to see admission requirements and application deadlines.

• Care Coordination
• Environmental Health
• Global Health
• Nursing Informatics  
• Substance Use and Addictions Nursing
• Teaching in Nursing and Health Professions

Coursework Only Admission Information

The Admission Committee will review completed applications on a rolling basis and release decisions throughout the admission cycle. Space may be limited so applicants are highly encouraged to apply early and well in advance of the deadline. If you are accepted, you will receive notification and more details on course registration, tuition status, compliance requirements, etc.

• an earned bachelor’s degree from a four year institution or equivalent
• an overall GPA of 2.75

Live Chat with Us

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• get your admissions questions answered Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. ET

See the "Chat with us" button at the bottom of this page.

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How to Write the University of Maryland Supplement Essays 2023-2024

In this article, we’ll be discussing how to write the University of Maryland supplement essays. This guide will help you write essays that will stand out in UMD’s admissions pool.

And, that’s important. Very important!

Why? Well, the campus is rather selective. All University of Maryland supplement essays need to be stellar for an application to stand out from the rest of the competition.

Here are the details:

UMD’s Fall 2022 admissions cycle saw 56,637 students apply. Out of that, 25,201 were accepted. That means UMD had an acceptance rate of 44.49%. That’s less than a coin toss. Now, here’s the good news: This is not much different from their admissions history from a few years ago. It’s stayed relatively stable.

Below we’ve visualized UMD’s acceptance rate over time over the past 9 years. It’s low; but, at least it’s stable!

Below is the itemized admissions stats for your reference.

• 2022-23: 56,637 applied, 25,201 accepted 44.49%
• 2021-22: 50,146 applied, 26,072 accepted 51.99%
• 2020-21: 32,211 applied, 16,437 accepted 51.02%
• 2019-20: 32,987 applied, 14,560 accepted 44.13%
• 2018-19: 33,461 applied, 15,760 accepted 47.09%
• 2017-18: 33907 applied, 15081 accepted 44.47%
• 2016-17: 30272 applied, 14538 accepted 48.02%
• 2015-16: 28301 applied, 12637 accepted 44.65%
• 2014-15: 26268 applied, 12556 accepted 47.79%

Fingers crossed you’ll be applying to UMD with a stable (and, if you’re lucky, higher) acceptance rate that hasn’t dipped compared to the past few years.

Now, in order to get accepted into a school with such a low acceptance rate, it’s safe to say you’re going to need strong essays. Specifically, you’ll need to have strong responses to UMD’s Short Answer Questions.

Below, we’ll be showing you exactly that. So, let’s get right to it!

Table of Contents

• If I could travel anywhere, I would go to…
• The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was…
• In addition to my major, my academic interests include…
• My favorite thing about last Thursday was…
• Something you might not know about me is…
• Because we know that diversity benefits the educational experience of all students, the University of Maryland values diversity in all of its many forms. This includes (but is not limited to) racial, socio-economic, gender, geographical, and sexual orientation. We are interested in hearing about your own individual life experiences. In a few sentences, will you please describe how you have learned, grown, been inspired or developed skills through one or more components of diversity.
• Please describe your past academic experiences and your reasons for wishing to enroll at UMD at this point in your academic career.

Professional College Application Help.

Contact us. we'll get to you within 24 hours. , university of maryland freshman supplement essays (short answer questions).

Below you’ll find all the listed University of Maryland freshman supplement essays, also known as the short answer questions. And boy are the short answer questions… well, short.

Here’s what the Common App has to say:

“To tell us more about yourself, please complete the following prompts using only the space provided (650 characters). “ Common Application: University of Maryland Short Answer Question Instructions

650 characters. Not words, characters.

That gives you very, very little space to really answer each question. Additionally, the small word count is no reason not to have a decent response. UMD still expects your responses to be thoughtful and demonstrate positive attributes about you.

Let’s go over each one at a time.

1. If I could travel anywhere, I would go to…

Remember: places are not limited to the names of countries or City States.

You’re not limited to London, Taiwan, Greece, or New York. You can mention travel to places outside of the conventional norms. As an example, one answer that could be creative would be…

“The surface of Mars, both to satisfy my scientific curiosity and spite against Elon Musk.”

But, let’s say you truly wish to travel to a popular place like Paris or Japan.

Just because you have a generic answer doesn’t mean the reasons and details behind it must be generic. Remember, you still have 650 characters to provide a unique response. You can choose to connect your choices to your ideologies, beliefs, personality, and even your intended major.

Be creative, and don’t be afraid to make a list where you experiment with your answers. The more you experiment and test out different answers, the more unique answers you’ll have.

2. The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was…

How can you answer the UMD research fact prompt if you’ve never done any research at a lab or worked under a professor? Are you screwed?

Just because you didn’t don the white cloak doesn’t mean you can’t answer this question. “Research” can mean everything from a quick Google search on salad recipes to a deep dive into a crime mystery.

Of course, if you want to create an answer that stands out, you’ll hopefully have an answer that is exciting.

One of the things we recommend doing is translating the interesting fact you learned into something that outsiders can read and still find compelling. This is a difficult thing to do, especially since students often nerd out about topics without realizing their admissions officers are most probably outside their topic’s community.

For example: the lore behind Star Wars plots may be understandable to other fellow Star Wars fans; but, not every admissions officer is a Star Wars fan. Your answer should read simply yet beautifully enough such that a non-Star Wars fan would be compelled to read more, let alone understand it.

Additionally, think of what your research topic actually says about you.

Are you looking up fashion tips for men? Perhaps you’ve discovered color theory in clothing; and, as a man who has not updated your wardrobe in centuries, the world of men’s fashion is fascinating in just how much you could “glow up.” This demonstrates not just a sense of self-care, but also a great intellectual curiosity to pursue learning outside of your original comfort zone.

3. In addition to my major, my academic interests include…

This is the perfect time to demonstrate to admissions officers your intellectual curiosity.

Most admitted students demonstrate a level of interest in things outside of their intended field of study. It doesn’t mean they must be compelled to like every subject out there. After all, it’s totally normal for Liberal Arts students to fear Math!

You just need to demonstrate openness and curiosity in other fields outside your comfort zone.

Here’s an example.

Most mechanical engineers may be interested in the material world and the relevant subjects surrounding it. Chemistry. Aerospace. Physics. Anything in that realm.

However, we can be sure that there are a good number of said engineers who love video games (especially tasteful game design and development.) Sure, milling a block of steel and having the right design to reduce weight is probably not going to have anything to do with video game design, digital concept art, and software development. However, it’s still an interest people can have. We’re multi-faceted creatures, after all.

So, don’t be afraid to nerd out and share your interests that may be wildly outside your intended major.

We’ve had students who were passionate about the world of business and finance gush over Korean history. We’ve also had students who were in engineering fall in love with the world of dermatology, primarily due to videos from Dr. Pimple Popper herself !

4. My favorite thing about last Thursday was…

Well, you probably already know this; but, we’re going to say it anyway: what you put in this prompt does NOT have to be from last Thursday. The college admissions police aren’t going to be checking to see if you really did have froyo for breakfast last Thursday. So, don’t worry!

Now, here’s the thing.

What makes this prompt so cool is that it can really show a lot about your character depending on what you really write about. But, it’s not only WHAT you write about. It’s also about HOW you choose to portray it.

I’m going to give you two examples.

• Parking the Lamborghini I just bought into my million-dollar studio.
• Spending $20 on an overpriced brunch restaurant (they justified the price with apostrophes and French adjectives.)

Notice how the first option is trying too hard to impress admissions officers?

Of course, a few students are going to be parking a Lamborghini on a random Thursday. But, you get the point. It’s trying too hard to emphasize how impressive they are.

Meanwhile, the second answer talks about the smaller things in life such as having brunch. Of course, brunch is often a posh and fancy thing to have, especially at a brunch-specializing restaurant. So, the applicant is able to sneak in some sarcasm and clever wit to make things interesting. This makes the answer much more exciting and shows what kind of world the applicant lives in.

Here’s another example.

• Playing the piano perfectly on a song that I just learned.
• Finally, after days of rumination, having a Eureka moment about where one of the Ikea screws was supposed to go into the bunk bed setup for my younger siblings.

Again, same principle. The first answer is attempting to shove in impressive feats into the personal essays. In reality, your admissions officers already have your resume, grades, and listed feats readily available to be impressed by.

Remember: these essays are meant to demonstrate more of your personal character and temperament. So, impressing them with feats will need to be subtler than that.

Take the second answer: it impresses admissions officers by showing that the applicant can help their siblings days after the scheduled Ikea furniture building process. It shows a level of concern and care for their younger siblings. And, this Eureka moment with Ikea furniture is a very human and relatable experience that practically anyone can relate to; this makes the applicant closer to the reader and much more easy to accept on a personal level.

5. Something you might not know about me is…

This is one of those questions that stumps a lot of applicants applying to UMD.

“What am I even supposed to say?!” is often what we hear!

Don’t worry! This question is not supposed to have a right or wrong answer. The key to answering it well is to make sure that what you write is something that reveals something about you that the admissions officers may enjoy.

The keyword here is enjoy.

That doesn’t mean it MUST be impressive.

It CAN be impressive; but, it may also just be something related to your personal life, something you find meaningful, something funny, or even just a cool thing you want to nerd out about!

Here are a few examples.

• I used to think I was the only one who could lick their elbow; boy, how naive I was!
• I thought I was the most evil person in the world for secretly mixing soda drinks I got from burger places; I still am quite nefarious!
• Despite dedicating most of my life to the world of medicine, I actually have an unceasing fascination for medieval French history.
• I published a romance Webtoon series online; but, I can only draw and update it in secret because my family wishes I would only work on academic affairs.
• I’ve been connecting the dots of lore in the game Elden Ring, and become too deeply invested to the point of scouring item descriptions to create my own interpretation of a canonical lore.

6. Because we know that diversity benefits the educational experience of all students, the University of Maryland values diversity in all of its many forms. This includes (but is not limited to) racial, socio-economic, gender, geographical, and sexual orientation. We are interested in hearing about your own individual life experiences. In a few sentences, will you please describe how you have learned, grown, been inspired or developed skills through one or more components of diversity.

The key to answering the UMD diversity question is to recognize that not everyone’s experience with diversity is the same. Some people are neurodivergent. Others come from different socio-economic backgrounds.

Sometimes, student backgrounds are disadvantaged in ways that they may not otherwise understand. One such example of this is students who are mixed race: they may not belong to one race or the other; and, thus, not feel that they have a community to belong to.

Another is actually living in a sheltered bubble. For instance, Irvine CA is considered to have what they call the Irvine Bubble, where most residents are sheltered, wealthy, and live a rather unassuming life outside of conflict and general discontent. This may keep students from genuine conflict that every individual needs in life to properly grow and develop as a human being, as it plays a crucial role in the development of the mind into maturity.

Chances are, you’re probably approaching the UMD diversity question with a general idea of where your place in diversity lands. But, you most probably don’t know everything about your place in diversity and where both your privileges and oppression may be.

If you don’t know how to fully answer this question or brainstorm unique ideas for it, consider speaking with us over a free consultation . Our professional college admissions consultants can help you write a fantastic diversity essay for UMD that helps you stand out, no matter your background.

University of Maryland Transfer Supplement Essays

This question just applies to students who are applying for the transfer application for UMD. If you’re an aspiring freshman, don’t worry about this section.

Of course, if you’re a transfer applicant, the UMD transfer essay still plays a crucial role. It’s importance still cannot be understated; so, take it seriously! We’ll show you how to approach it in the next section below.

1. Please describe your past academic experiences and your reasons for wishing to enroll at UMD at this point in your academic career.

Compared to the other University of Maryland supplement essays, this question is a bit more serious than the previous ones.

In this prompt, UMD is asking that you document what your previous academic experiences were like, and why you want to attend UMD now.

In other words, you can think of this as a “why is your current institution insufficient for your long-term goals” question. You should think about the kinds of resources available at UMD. What do they have that your current school lacks? It doesn’t just have to be in academics; but, keeping it related to academics would certainly help!

Additionally, think of what you’re going to be doing in your career in the future. What role would UMD have in helping you achieve this goal? This would help you answer the UMD transfer prompt in a much more thorough and comprehensive way. It also demonstrates to admissions officers that you actually took the time to consider UMD in your future and have done the necessary planning to make the right decision to transfer.

This is important. After all, transfer decisions can have a lasting impact on your future career.

Speaking of important and lasting impacts, don’t let a bad set of University of Maryland supplement essays get in the way of your acceptance. Contact us for a free consultation , and our expert college admissions consultants will help you craft a set of essays that will impress admissions officers and set you apart from the rest of the admissions pool.

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University of Richmond 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Guide

Early Action/Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 1

You Have: 

University of Richmond 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

Get ready, nerds! The University of Richmond supplement was made for the intellectually curious. All three prompts ask you to think on your feet and get creative in different ways. So be prepared to get a little messy, brainstorm , and give admissions a deeper look into the way your brain works.

The Requirements: 1 essay of 350-650 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Oddball

Please select one of the following prompts to address (350-650 words): 

You have a platform to create change. what is an action or policy you might propose to address an issue of social injustice in your school or local community, or on a national or global scale.

This prompt will likely stick out to the activists among you, and we encourage you to follow your instincts. What actions or policies would you like to see taken or implemented to address an issue of social injustice? Maybe after marching in protests in the wake of police violence, you’d like to see new anti-racist training programs roll out for law enforcement officers. Perhaps a rise in gas prices has made you more concerned about fossil fuels vs. renewable energy (and affordability for marginalized groups), and you want to petition for alternate energy sources in your town. Show admissions that you’re thinking about and committed to being part of positive change on a local, national, or global scale.

Tell us about a time you learned something unexpected. What did you learn, and what happened next?

This prompt is fabulous because a ton of ideas/stories yet to be included can be backed into it. Have you been itching to write an essay about one of your favorite activities? Or maybe you have an idea for a diversity and inclusion essay that speaks to your ability to connect and reflect. So long as you can write about the topic through the lens of learning something new and digesting and/or applying that knowledge, you’re on the right track. 

If you have already drafted an essay that you’d like to mold to meet the needs of this prompt, we recommend adapting it, reading it over, then sharing it with a trusted mentor or family member to make sure it successfully addresses the question posed. It would be silly to miss the mark on a prompt with so much potential!

Richmond welcomes students from various backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. What is at least one way you will contribute to our community that is not already mentioned in your application?

College applications are rampant with essay questions about community, so this essay is ripe for recycling (how eco-friendly of you!). If you haven’t already written a Community Essay that you plan to adapt and recycle here, we recommend considering the things that make you unique. What about your history, experiences, perspectives, or talents might be worth highlighting for an admissions officer? And how can the experience, perspective, or talent you choose enrich the learning environment at the University of Richmond for others? Maybe you have always been an organizer and the glue that holds your summer camp community together during the school year. How will you bring people together on campus? Maybe you were raised on a farm and developed a strong work ethic at a young age as you helped your parents tend to the fields. Will you be a natural leader in group projects and take initiative in the many clubs you’d like to join? Be sure to connect your personal story to a future vision of yourself at Richmond. The most important thing to remember for this prompt is that your experience, perspective, or talent is dynamic and makes you stand out from the crowd.

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How to Write the University of Richmond Essays 2023-2024

The University of Richmond has one, required supplemental essay, which allows you to choose one of three prompts. You can write about a societal issue you’re passionate about, an unexpected lesson you learned, or some aspect of your identity that speaks to your potential as a University of Richmond student.

Although you only have to write one essay, the 650-word limit means it’s probably one of the longest supplements you’ll be writing, so make sure you leave yourself ample time to brainstorm, draft, and revise. In this post, we’re going to break down each prompt for you, so that you can be sure you’re approaching each one in the right way.

Read these University of Richmond essay examples to inspire your writing.

University of Richmond Supplemental Essay Prompts

We want to hear your voice and your story, as well as provide space for you to share more about your interests, passions and experiences. Please select one of the following prompts to address (350-650 words): 

• Option 1: You have a platform to create change. What is an action or policy you might propose to address an issue of social injustice in your school or local community, or on a national or global scale? 
• Option 2: Tell us about a time you learned something unexpected. What did you learn, and what happened next? 
• Option 3: Richmond welcomes students from various backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. What is at least one way you will contribute to our community that is not already mentioned in your application?

You have a platform to create change. What is an action or policy you might propose to address an issue of social injustice in your school or local community, or on a national or global scale? (350-650 words)

Brainstorming Your Topic

This is a good example of the “Global Issues” essay, which has become an increasingly common supplement in recent years. This kind of essay typically asks you to do two things: talk about an issue you’re passionate about, and explain what your interest in that issue has taught you about yourself, or how it has helped you develop certain attributes.

The first thing you’ll want to do is pick an issue to write about. Note that this issue can be something close to home, in your own community, or one that affects the entire world. If you do pick a global issue, however, make sure you identify something specific within that broad issue to focus on. 650 words is a lot for a college essay, but if you’re writing about, say, climate change, professional scientists dedicate years of their lives to writing entire books intended to provide just a general overview of the issue. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Instead, think about which element of climate change you are most motivated to tackle. Are you heartbroken about the loss of habitat for species that live at the poles? Are you worried about increased cases of heat exhaustion and heatstroke exacerbating the flaws in the American healthcare system? Or are you concerned that the partisanship in the United States government will prevent any bill geared towards promoting greener energy from ever passing?

These potential topics are zoomed in on one tiny part of the huge beast that is the climate crisis. That narrower focus will provide more structure for your thoughts, which will result in a more cohesive, easier to follow essay.

If you instead want to write about a local issue, think about which headlines in your local newspaper grab your attention, or recent conversations you’ve had with your family or neighbors about things going on in the area. Maybe your town, like many in the United States, doesn’t have good public transportation, and you dislike how much space is taken up by parking lots. Or maybe a nearby puppy mill was recently discovered and shut down, but now the animal shelters are overwhelmed.

Whatever issue you choose to write about should be one you feel some genuine personal connection to. Maybe your dad is a real estate agent and always complains about an illogical quirk in your town’s zoning laws. You might know a lot about this issue for someone your age, but if you don’t really care about it, your essay will come across as dry and impersonal. 

So, don’t structure your brainstorming around what will make you seem smart or impressive, as the thing that will actually convey those attributes is highlighting an issue that admissions officers can feel is truly near and dear to your heart.

Tips for Writing Your Essay

The #1 key to writing a strong response is describing your issue in a way that is personal , so that your readers don’t just learn about how the issues of climate change and healthcare intersect, or about overwhelmed animal shelters in your community, but also learn what your investment in these issues says about you . You’re not a journalist, you’re a college applicant, so ultimately the most important thing to do is teach Richmond admissions officers something substantive about how you would fit into their campus community.

To do that, you’ll want to rely on personal anecdotes you have related to the issue you’ve selected. By seeing you in action, so to speak, admissions officers will learn something about how you think, how you work with others, what your primary values are, and so on.

If you’ve chosen a local issue, explaining it through specific examples from your own life should hopefully be pretty straightforward. Maybe you write about how your own dog was a rescue, which motivates you to help the puppy mill dogs find forever homes, as you know that bringing in a rescue dog may present unique challenges, but also brings an unparalleled form of companionship.

For a larger scale issue, your example might be more tangentially related, as it’s possible this issue is something you’ve become passionate about just through observation, rather than a direct link to your own life. That’s okay, so long as it’s still clear how we’re getting from A to B. For example, maybe you’re from Seattle, and write about how the increasingly frequent heat waves, and lack of equal access to something as simple as a fan during these periods, makes you worry about what the future, with consistently extreme heat having more and more severe consequences, will look like.

Finally, note that Richmond isn’t just asking you to describe an issue you care about, but also to propose “an action or policy” to help address it. This requirement may seem intimidating at first, but don’t worry–admissions officers aren’t expecting you to enact world peace overnight. They just want to see that you’re able to think critically about an issue and be creative in identifying potential ways to make the world a little better, as that’s a huge part of what you’ll be asked to do in your classes once you arrive on campus.

In coming up with your solution, it’s not a bad idea to see if you can draw on your other interests, to both demonstrate your creativity and subtly teach Richmond admissions officers something new about you. For example, maybe you’re a big baseball fan, and propose collaborating with the local team to host a meet-and-greet with players where puppies are also available for adoption. 

Or, perhaps you’re interested in learning about other cultures, so to offset the negative health effects of extreme heat, you propose a drastic change to the American work schedule–the implementation of a siesta, to allow people to relax when the heat is most intense, like they have long done in many places that are closer to the equator.

If you’re feeling stuck, take a step back from your actual essay, and ask yourself honestly: what would you like to do about this issue? Remember, this is a college essay, not a congressional bill, so you don’t have to worry about other people agreeing with you. You want your solution to make sense, and acknowledge the complexity of your issue–you wouldn’t want to, for example, say that to combat the health consequences of extreme heat we should simply force more people to go to medical school–but as long as you do those two things, there really aren’t any rules about what you can and can’t do.

Mistakes to Avoid

As we touched on in the “Tips” section above, the biggest pitfall with this kind of essay is accidentally making it too much about the issue, and not enough about yourself. Particularly if you’re writing about something you’re already extremely knowledgeable about, pay attention to make sure your essay doesn’t turn into a newspaper article. 

While it’s okay to include some background context about your topic, to prove that you are truly passionate about it, this is still a reflective piece of writing. So, don’t cite a million facts and figures, as, while that may be educational for Richmond admissions officers, it won’t give them a clearer sense of how you’ll fit into their campus community. Instead, make sure that your discussion of your issue always connects back to something you have learned about yourself as a result of your interest in it.

You also want to be careful that you don’t accidentally offend your admissions officer with your discussion of the issue. Higher education as a whole leans much further left than society in general, but you still never know what perspectives your particular reader will have. So, avoid blaming one group or another for causing the issue or obstructing its resolution, and instead keep the focus on you and your own potential to help.

Tell us about a time you learned something unexpected. What did you learn, and what happened next? (350-650 words)

This is a good example of an open-ended prompt that can be very appealing at first blush, because of the freedom you have to write about nearly anything: any time you learned something unexpected is a possible topic. When you sit down to figure out what you actually want to say, however, you may realize that more structure could actually be kind of nice.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities, you can try to organize your thoughts with slightly more direct questions, like the following:

• What’s one of the most important things you’ve ever learned about yourself? How did you learn it?
• Think about the big pivot moments in your life–times when you felt fundamentally different afterwards. What triggered that massive change in your understanding of yourself?
• If you don’t want to write directly about yourself, what are some things about the world that shocked you to learn? As a child, were you amazed to realize that life exists even at the very bottom of oceanic trenches?

Keep in mind that whatever unexpected lesson you choose to write about will need to sustain a pretty long essay, so the moment you choose needs to have been genuinely meaningful. Maybe when you were nine you learned that your grandfather once worked for J. D. Rockefeller, but that information, while initially surprising, didn’t do anything to shape your life going forward.

Instead, focus on something that had, and continues to have, a real impact on how you understand yourself and the world. This thing doesn’t have to be earth-shattering, as our lives aren’t Netflix series, just significant to you. 

Maybe that means you write about learning that your childhood home used to be the dining hall for a logging company, which gave you a different understanding of how places evolve and influence people differently over time. Or perhaps you describe your shock when you learned that your elderly neighbor consulted on Oprah’s show when she was first starting out, as this revelation gave you a different appreciation for how interconnected all people are.

Your brainstorming process is going to be focused on identifying a moment that taught you something both unexpected and meaningful. The writing process is going to be focused on answering the prompt’s actual question: what did you learn from this experience, and what happened next?

While you are being asked to reflect on a moment that happened in the past, your goal here is still the same as in any college essay:to  explain why this moment is important to understanding what you’ll be like as a college student. So, you need to connect your realization from your past to who you are now, and who you hope to become in the next four years.

As usual, the best way to make that connection is through specific anecdotes and experiences that illustrate what you’re trying to say, as that approach is both more meaningful and more engaging than simply stating, for example, “After learning about my home’s history, I became more aware that the world is a lot bigger than just me.”

Instead, this student could write about how, after their realization, they researched the histories of other buildings in their hometowns, and the backstories of famous buildings elsewhere in the country and the world. They could then describe how this process gave them a different awareness of the vastness of the world, but also the power of one person or a group of people to give a certain meaning to a particular place.

This much more fleshed out response will show Richmond admissions officers that this student is motivated, curious, and able to draw sophisticated takeaways from complex information, which are all qualities colleges value in their applicants. 

If you have the space, you can even go a step further, and directly connect the broader lessons you learned to something specific you hope to do at Richmond. For example, this student may write about how they see Richmond’s study abroad program in Rome as the perfect opportunity for them to continue refining their ideas about the connect between individuals and the place they live, as the program includes the course “Ancient City,” which involves “includes many site visits in and around Rome.”

This prompt doesn’t explicitly ask for this school-specific connection, and you can write a strong response without it. But showing Richmond admissions officers that you already have a concrete sense of how you’d like to take advantage of their school’s opportunities may well be the thing that takes your essay from great to outstanding.

As we noted in the “Brainstorming” section, this question is in some ways the least structured of the three, so if you’re really struggling to come up with a good topic, or to describe it in a way that makes sense, don’t beat yourself up. The beauty of option prompts is that you have, well, options . So, there’s no shame at all in pivoting to one of the other two prompts, if this one proves to be too tricky.

Richmond welcomes students from various backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. What is at least one way you will contribute to our community that is not already mentioned in your application? (350-650 words)

This is a classic example of the common “Diversity” essay, which you’ll likely come across more than once as you knock out your supplements. Or maybe you’ve already responded to this kind of prompt for another school, and are thinking of repurposing that essay here. While you can certainly write about the same topic, and your previous work will streamline your brainstorming and writing processes, this essay is likely quite a bit longer than the one you’ve already written, so you’ll still need to generate some new content.

If this is your first time tackling this kind of essay, don’t worry–we’re here to help you figure out exactly what you want to write about!

The first thing to note is that the way colleges evaluate race in the admissions process will be different this year, and moving forward, after the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in June. Schools are now only allowed to consider a student’s race in the context of their overall story and background, and the essay is the perfect place to show how your race fits into the broader context of who you are. 

What this means is that, if your race is an important part of your identity, we’d encourage you to think hard about focusing this response on it, as otherwise Richmond admissions officers will be incredibly limited in their ability to factor your race into their admissions decision.

Of course, if you don’t think your race is quite the right topic for you, that’s completely fine. There are many things that comprise our identities, as Richmond underscores by saying that they welcome “students from various backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences.”

So, you could write a strong essay about a different aspect of your identity that people typically associate with “diversity,” like your gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and so on. But you could also write about something more unconventional, like a hobby you’re unusually passionate about, or a particularly formative experience. Topics in this vein could include:

• The countless hours you’ve spent researching how analytics has changed how baseball teams evaluate their players
• Your experience driving the Pacific Coast Highway on your own last summer
• Your encyclopedic knowledge of where different cacti species grow, and how large they  can become

So long as the thing you choose is genuinely important to understanding who you are overall, you’ll be able to write a strong response about it.

The first step to writing a strong response is explaining why this feature of your identity is fundamental to who you are. You should do that using specific anecdotes that show , rather than merely tell, Richmond admissions officers why this quality of yours matters. If you just say “Coming to terms with my sexuality was hard, but ultimately joyful,” they may feel sympathy or pride towards you, but won’t understand anything about how this process inspired your growth or development.

Instead, describe the anxiety you felt at any family gathering when your relatives would ask you if you had a girlfriend yet, and how you felt like a failure when your older brother got engaged to his long-term girlfriend. Then, you can transition into talking about how, during a backpacking trip with him and his fiancée, being away from the world for a few days made you feel comfortable enough to come out for the first time, and their immediate acceptance and love helped start to wash away your feelings of inferiority. 

Because this is an unusually long supplement, take the time to really let your story breathe. Don’t just give an overview of what happened. Instead, use strong descriptive language to fully flesh out your thoughts and feelings. Depending on what you’re writing about, some of those thoughts and feelings may still be quite raw, so keep in mind that, while showing vulnerability speaks well of your self-awareness and overall emotional maturity, you don’t need to bare your soul to a bunch of strangers. Only go as deep as you’re comfortable with.

You also want to make sure you’re addressing both pieces of the prompt. You don’t want to just describe this one feature of your identity, but also explain how it will help you contribute to Richmond’s campus community. That means admissions officers need to understand not just that your identity encompasses this one feature, but also what this one feature says about who you are as a whole.

Because you have a lot of space to work with, ideally you should also connect what you’ve learned from having this particular quality to a specific club, program, or even academic offering at Richmond. Your goal in this essay is to describe how one particular aspect of your identity has been especially important in shaping who you are, and who you will become at Richmond, and the best way to do that is by making a concrete connection between this feature of yourself and the school.

For example, the hypothetical student described above may talk about how his experience coming out to his brother taught him how empowering it is to have even one person on your side. And because he also knows how risky it feels to take that first step, at Richmond he hopes to become an URWELL Peer Educator, so that he can help promote “healthy behaviors through outreach and educational programs.”

If he were to instead just say something general, like “I will draw on this experience whenever I interact with my peers, to ensure they feel supported even if I don’t know what they’re going through,” most of the work of envisioning him as a Richmond student is being left up to the admissions officers, as what he described is something he could do at any college. By instead citing a school-specific resource that will help him achieve this goal of supporting his peers, he paints a clear picture of himself as an empathetic, engaged member of the Richmond community.

The main thing that can sometimes happen in this kind of essay is your response only focuses on the one aspect of your identity you’re highlighting, and doesn’t take that next step of zooming out to how this one feature impacts who you are as a whole. That should be less of an issue with this particular prompt, as with a much higher word count, you’ll likely end up making that connection naturally. Once you have a strong working draft, just take a second to double check the broader significance is addressed, as otherwise your response won’t be as informative for admissions officers as it should be.

Where to Get Your University of Richmond Essay Edited

Do you want feedback on your University of Richmond essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Best College Admissions Consultants – 2024

May 7, 2024

As you look through the various lists of the “Best College Admissions Consultants” on the internet, you’ll be treated to an array of lists compiled by what appears to be some impartial ranking entity (“Aha, I’ve finally found the Consumer Reports/Wirecutter of college counseling!”). In reality, each of these lists is created by a particular college consulting agency, and published via a proxy server with no identifiable author. It’s about as “2024” a marketing technique as you can employ, but it’s also disingenuous and misleading, qualities that likely aren’t exactly aligned with what you’re looking for as you seek counseling and support for your child who is about to make what could be a $400,000 investment in tuition, housing, and other costs.

This list of the Best College Admissions Consultants only has one entry and it is, of course (spoiler alert), for our own company. While we do think we are “the best,” we also believe that there are dozens (or more) of other fantastic private counselors and essay coaches spread across the United States. Many others also provide research and experience-based advice that leads to positive outcomes for clients. As such, we aren’t knocking any other excellent company out there; in this space, we simply want to present the case as to why, for certain types of students and families, College Transitions may be the best fit.

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What makes College Transitions unlike any other college counseling agency?

• The CT Founders have authored two published books: The Enlightened College Applicant (2016, 2023) and the annual college guide Colleges Worth Your Money (now in its 5th edition).
• We’ve published research in top higher education journals such as Education Evaluation & Policy Analysis ,  Research in Higher Education,  and  The Journal of Higher Education.
• We’re regularly quoted by top national/global publications (example here ).
• CT maintains a free Dataverse,   Common Data Set Repository, blog, and newsletter for parents, students, and counselors.
• We developed a College List-Building Tool.
• We are certified in and able to offer valuable Career Assessments.
• Our essay coaches are highly trained professionals who all have teaching or tutoring experience, typically at the college level. Many of our coaches are also published writers or researchers who hold master’s or doctoral degrees in English, writing, or education.

In addition to these specific features and achievements, our philosophy also differs from many competitors. In short, we take the long view with our students and work backward. Through developing a sense of what future happiness and career success look like to a given individual, we can help develop an undergraduate plan of attack designed to get them on a successful and realistic path toward that vision.

Finally, we work with all our students 100% virtually in a model that we have honed relentlessly over the past decade. We deeply understand that building trust in a remote environment requires responsiveness, a value that is at the core of our counseling and essay coaching services. Accordingly, our efficient and effective counseling and essay coaching model makes it possible for students to receive expert, personalized support on a flexible schedule. This model also enables students to dedicate the bulk of their time to what matters most: schoolwork, activities, test prep, essays, and actual applications.

Best College Admissions Consultants (Continued)

College transitions clients’ recent acceptances, class of 2023.

Representing 36 states, 11 countries, and 126 different high schools, the College Transitions Class of 2023 was our largest, most diverse, and most accomplished yet. With support from our team of counselors, CT students earned admission offers from more than 200 colleges and universities. We have included a sampling of our most popular schools below. Institutions listed in  bold  accepted five or more of our students.

We have plans for high school students of all grade levels:

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Grades 9 and 10.

Provide guidance for all essential college planning tasks during the first half of high school, including:

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Grades 11 & 12, and Transfers

Offer support throughout the entire college search and application process, including for the following tasks:

• College list development
• Preliminary review, assessment of chances, and strategic positioning
• Course selection
• Essay coaching (for personal statements and supplemental essays)
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• College decision guidance and college transition support

We sincerely believe that you will find the Best College Admissions Consultants for your needs right here at College Transitions. Again, we invite you to get to know us more through our website and/or by filling out a Consultation Request .

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Loyola University Maryland’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Common app personal essay.

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?