UMD College Park is one of the colleges I'd really like to attend, but I hear their admissions process is quite rigorous. Can anyone drop some advice on making the admissions process a bit smoother at UMD College Park?
Sure, I'd be happy to provide some tips.
1. Academics: UMD College Park values high academic performance. Aim for a GPA that's strong compared to the average admitted student. Additionally, the University of Maryland does not require the SAT or ACT.
2. Understand Holistic Review: UMD uses a holistic review process, meaning they look at more than just your numbers. They consider your extracurricular activities, leadership positions, and letters of recommendation.
3. Extracurricular Activities: Having a few solid extracurriculars where you've demonstrated leadership, commitment, or unique achievement can help differentiate your application. UMD would prefer seeing depth and commitment in a few activities where you show a strong "spike" in a specialized area, versus a superficial participation in many.
4. Letters of Recommendation: Letters should ideally come from teachers who can speak to your performance and potential in your desired major. Make sure to give your recommenders enough time to write a thoughtful letter.
5. Essays: UMD requires responses to two essay prompts. These essays are a chance to show the admissions officers a part of you that they cannot see from your grades or test scores. Be authentic, specific, and introspective. Remember to proofread!
6. Expressing Interest: Demonstrated interest doesn't strongly impact admissions decisions at UMD College Park. Nonetheless, attending virtual or in-person college fairs or UMD-specific information sessions can give you a deeper understanding about the school—which you can reflect on in your college essays.
7. Applying Early Action: UMD has an Early Action option which is non-binding, but can give you a slight edge as you show eagerness in attending the university. Decisions for the Early Action program are usually given in mid-February.
Remember that every student's profile is unique and these are general tips. The most important aspect to the admissions process is being yourself—rankings and statistics can only tell you so much about a college. Best of luck with your application to UMD College Park!
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