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

University of Maryland Freshman Supplement Essays (Short Answer Questions)
University of Maryland Transfer Supplement Essays
- Please describe your past academic experiences and your reasons for wishing to enroll at UMD at this point in your academic career.

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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…

Uh oh!

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?

Nope!

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.

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