As each admission cycle goes on, it seems that the University of Maryland College Park has become more selective. Over 65,000 students applied early action to UMD this year, including 306 applicants from this school. Out of those 306 students, 122 were accepted and 184 were rejected. Comparing this admission cycle to the class of 2028’s cycle, this year had a 10% drop in acceptances.
The University of Maryland system encompasses the state schools for students living in Maryland. UMD College Park is a public university in College Park,, founded in 1856. College Park is the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland. UMCP is the largest university in the state and the Washington metropolitan area. Students accepted into Maryland have broad internship opportunities since D.C. is about 30 minutes from the campus.
This can seem like the perfect college experience for high school seniors applying to college. But this dream has been crushed for students who opened a rejection letter this past January.
Rejected students are confused about how they or their friends, who have maintained high GPA’s, taken AP classes, and filled their schedules with extracurricular activities, were rejected. “A lot of my peers who I look up to academically didn’t get in, which surprised me. I think UMD is maybe becoming more picky, which isn’t good for in-state students,” senior Cayla Schwartz said.
It is becoming harder for in-state students to get into the school each year. Even though the state of Maryland has options such as Towson, Salisbury, UMBC and St. Marys, UMD’s student life, academics and location make it a student favorite. Senior Jamie Allen said, “Eventually I believe that UMD can be on the same level as University of Michigan or University of Florida. It’s unfortunate for a lot of in-state students, especially in MCPS, who won’t be prioritized over out-of-state students.”
Among the accepted students, it is common to see them accepted into the university through some sort of specialized program. Only 37 of the 122 accepted applicants got in without having to participate in a Living Learning program. Programs include the Summer Transitional Program (STP), Freshman Connections, FIRE, College Park Scholars, and the Carillon Communities. Some of these programs are by invitation only, and can be declined in favor of a normal admission, but some of them are required if you accept the offer to be a student.
Students have felt a rollercoaster of emotions while waiting to receive their UMD decision and reflecting on their results afterward. Senior Salwa Moumneh said, “I think it’s so cool that our state school is making its way to being a public ivy. UMD absolutely deserves its public ivy status. It has top-tier academics, strong research partnerships and good areas for specific majors. It’s a school that offers a lot but is claimed as a public university.”
As the admission cycle ends for the class of 2029, it will start soon for the class of 2030, current high school juniors. UMD admissions are expected to become even more rigorous as the years go on, ultimately cementing its place as the newest public ivy.
