Statement of the Philosophy of Undergraduate Admissions
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland is a publicly funded land grant institution and the flagship of the University System of Maryland. The University's Mission Statement commits it to achieving excellence as the State’s primary center for research and graduate education and the institution of choice for undergraduate students of exceptional ability and promise. Consistent with this Mission, the University counts the diversity of its students among its greatest strengths and as an integral component of the educational process and academic excellence.
The undergraduate admissions process, which reflects the University’s educational Mission, seeks to identify those applicants, who as individuals and as a group, will enrich and benefit from the campus learning environment, and thus benefit the entire student body. The process is structured to build entering classes of students whose varied backgrounds and experiences provide substantial evidence of their potential to:
- Meet the University’s requirements for academic success.
- Enrich the University as a heterogeneous community.
- Add new perspectives to the University’s curriculum and scholarly pursuits.
- Develop personal skills, including leadership, self-confidence, and intellectual engagement.
- Contribute to the intellectual, cultural, social and political life of the University, State, and Nation.
As the University must make fine distinctions among large numbers of highly qualified applicants, the ability to assess consistently all information presented in the application becomes increasingly important. Therefore, the University employs a rigorous review process that engages the expertise of professional educators in performing individualized and holistic evaluations of each application. Each applicant is assessed on the basis of achievements and potential in a broad range of academic categories, viewed in the context of the opportunities and challenges the applicant faced. These categories include:
- Strength of educational performance, as measured by the nature and rigor of high school curriculum and academic achievements.
- Potential for college success, as evidenced by performance on nationally normed standardized tests.
- Potential to promote beneficial educational outcomes and to make a positive contribution to campus and community life.
- Persistence, and commitment to educational excellence, as evidenced by demonstrated success in facing adversity and overcoming obstacles.
