How to get into University of Maryland-College Park

Application deadlines

• Early Action (Non-Binding)November 1, 2025Required for Honors College consideration AND Banneker/Key Scholarship consideration. The single most important deadline for top scholarship consideration.
• Regular DecisionJanuary 20, 2026Confirm current-cycle date on UMD admissions. After RD, Honors College / Banneker-Key consideration is unavailable.
• Banneker/Key Semifinalist InterviewsLate February / early March 2026Semifinalists receive interview invitations by March 1; final notification by April 1.
• FAFSA / Financial Aid PriorityJanuary 1, 2026 (confirm current cycle on UMD financial aid page)
• Reply byMay 1, 2026

Supplemental essay prompts

1. If I could travel anywhere, I would go to…Complete-the-sentence prompt — answer in ≤650 characters (roughly 100 words).
2. The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was…Complete-the-sentence prompt — answer in ≤650 characters.
3. In addition to my major, my academic interests include…Complete-the-sentence prompt — answer in ≤650 characters.
4. My favorite thing about last Monday was…Complete-the-sentence prompt — answer in ≤650 characters.
5. Something you might not know about me is…Complete-the-sentence prompt — answer in ≤650 characters.
6. Diversity prompt: how you have learned, grown, been inspired, or developed skills through one or more components of diversity.Complete-the-sentence diversity prompt — answer in ≤650 characters. Confirm current-cycle wording at admissions.umd.edu.

What makes this admissions process distinctive

• Six 'complete-the-sentence' short-answer supplement ↗

  UMD's supplement is six short fragments (≤650 characters each, roughly 100 words). No traditional essays. The fragments are the entire UMD supplement and are doing real evaluative work for both admission and merit consideration.

• Honors College admission as gate for Banneker/Key ↗

  Banneker/Key Scholarship consideration requires admission to the Honors College. Honors admission is auto-considered for all EA applicants. Honors College admits a couple thousand freshmen per year from the broader admit pool.

• Computer Science as one of UMD's most competitive majors

  CS at UMD is one of the most selective direct-admit programs in the country. CS-specific admission is meaningfully tighter than overall UMD admission. Demonstrable CS engagement and strong quantitative academic record both matter.

• Test-optional with strong-test advantage

  UMD remains test-optional for the 2025-26 cycle, but submitting strong test scores can support both admission and merit consideration. Honors/Banneker-Key applicants frequently submit scores.

Notable scholarships at University of Maryland-College Park

• Banneker/Key Scholarship (full) ↗Full tuition + mandatory fees + housing + food + book allowance for four years (entire cost of attendance)

  Auto-considered for all EA applicants admitted to the Honors College. Semifinalists invited to interview in late February / early March. Final notification by April 1. The single most generous merit award at UMD.

• Banneker/Key Scholarship (Stamps)Full Banneker/Key award + $5,000 enrichment grant for research / internship / professional meeting / study abroad

  2–3 awards per year, selected from the Banneker/Key pool. Auto-considered — no additional application materials.

• Presidential Scholarship ↗Tiered merit award

  Awarded to admitted freshmen with strong academic profiles. Automatic consideration at EA.

• President's Scholarship and other named merit awardsVaries by award tier

  Automatic consideration for all EA applicants. Confirm current-cycle award structure on the Freshman Merit Scholarships page.

What graduates actually do

Maryland's College Park flagship sends large cohorts into federal government, defense and aerospace contractors clustered along the I-95 corridor, and the DMV tech scene. The Robert H. Smith School feeds consulting and finance; the Clark engineering school feeds NASA Goddard, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed. Computer science graduates land at Amazon, Google, and Capital One. Strong pipelines into law and public policy via the Hinman CEOs and Federal Fellows programs.

Transfer pathway

Maryland has a robust transfer pipeline through the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP) with Montgomery College, Prince George's Community College, and Anne Arundel CC; students can take UMD courses while enrolled at the CC. The university also honors the ARTSYS articulation system for Maryland community colleges. Transfer admit rate typically runs 50-60%, higher than the freshman rate, but competitive majors (CS, business, engineering) require strong GPAs and prerequisite completion.