The University of Maryland ran a strict program this year when it came to admitting students who live in the state of Maryland. Approximately 10,412 out of 18,487 applicantants got rejected from their own state school including those who qualified for getting admitted and met the standard that the school expected.
Although 8,075 students got rejected, students could argue that they just did not qualify academically for the school. The school is highly competitive and provides outstanding academics, which raises the standard. Additionally, out-of-state students bring more money to the school, which can help support additional educational materials as well as speeding up the construction process – especially since the Metro is a new addition to the school and construction is all around the campus.
However, the number of students who got rejected is unfair. The acceptance rate for the school has dropped to 33% last year, showing a decrease in acceptances and a harder competition compared to 2023, which consisted of an acceptance rate of 44.9% to 47.16%. Additionally, students living in the state of Maryland are eligible for in-state tuition, which is important when considering the high cost of college today, which averages $12,008 for in-state and $42,436 for out-of-state.
General inflation has also caused college tuition to rise. In 2020, we experienced a high amount of inflation due to the pandemic and elections. Because of this, UMD tuition has risen over 12% since then. Students should be able to have their in-state school as an easier and more affordable option to help their families financially. “UMD would have provided me many benefits financially unlike my other options which exceed $40,000,” senior Siena McCarthy said.
Not only is an in-state option more affordable, but it can also give you more of what applicants value, academically and personally. People may prefer to be closer to home on top of receiving a good education, whether that is because they get home sick and want to maintain their close relationships with their families, or because they are near their hometown doctors, dentists, salons and favorite stores. They might miss their mom’s cooking or would rather do a load of laundry at home since that is what they are used to. Not being able to attend college close to home takes away these advantages. Senior Bryson Filbert said, “It would’ve been nice to be close to home as it has its benefits; however, I don’t have that opportunity anymore because he didn’t get into the school.”
In addition to the financial issues and the personal aspects, students with unique extracurriculars and a high GPA did not get admitted into the school. A senior at Walt Whitman High School Achilles Adamantiades said, “I believe that I had an admissible GPA and extracurriculars that separated me from many others. I competed in Greek dance competitions, built houses for homeless people for three years in a row on my church mission trips, and played many sports including basketball and golf; however, all of these accomplishments were not good enough for the school.”
To solve this problem, Maryland should have a state law that allows a certain number of accepted applicants to be from in-state. For instance, the state of Texas implemented a law that says that at least 90% of the students that are accepted must be in-state applicants and UMD should mimic that law. After all, residents in Maryland pay in-state taxes and can’t even benefit from them, which is why UMD should accept a higher percentage of in-state students.
