Freshman Checklist for Applying

Submission of the application indicates a serious interest in applying to the University of Maryland. Students no longer interested in being considered for admission should send a written request to cancel their application. For priority consideration for the fall semester, the application should be submitted by November 1.

  1. Complete the application by applying online or in print by November 1 (must be postmarked by this date if mailed) for priority consideration for the fall semester. 

  2. Submit a nonrefundable application fee of $55 with your application.  We accept the following credit cards: Visa, Mastercard and Discover.  If you apply on the web you may pay online with a credit card or be billed by the University separately. Our website is protected by Verisign.  If you choose to complete the PDF application you may mail your nonrefundable application fee (payable to the University of Maryland) to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  Please include the student's name and birth date on the check.  We regret that we cannot honor debit cards or cash.

  3. Request that an official copy of your current high school transcript and completed School Counselor and Teacher recommendation forms be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

  4. Request that all official standardized test scores be sent to the University of Maryland, College Park by the Educational Testing Service (SAT I code for Maryland is 5814) or the ACT Program (ACT code for Maryland is 1746). Standardized test scores provided by the high school are not considered official.

  5. If you have completed college coursework, submit an official copy of your college transcripts. Transcripts should be sent from the previous institution directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

  6. Complete and submit two essays (from list). Each essay should be no more than 300 words.

  7. Complete each sentence in 20 words or fewer.

  8. Attach an activities and awards list or resume detailing a list of your community, arts, leadership, athletic, family involvements, work experience and other extracurricular activities and hobbies in order of interest to you.

  9. If English is not your native language, regardless of your citizenship, you must provide the university with verification of your proficiency in English. Scoring 480 or higher on the critical reading section of the SAT I exempts you from this requirement. All others should have an official report of your scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the appropriate application date.

  10. Track your status Online! After you submit your application, track your status online by using our document tracking website. This website enables you to view a listing of documents received by the admissions office in support of your application. Because of the high volume of mail we receive we cannot list documents on the day they are received. There will be periods of time, especially as deadlines approach, when documents may take several weeks to process. We thank you for your patience.

Waived Application Fees.
The university will waive the application fee for high school seniors who are National Merit, National Achievement, or National Hispanic finalist or semifinalist, and Maryland Distinguished Scholar finalist, semifinalist or honorable mention recipients. We honor fee waivers granted by The College Board, American College Testing program, College Bound and the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Please attach a copy of your fee waiver to the application. If you received any of the awards or fee waivers listed above you are not required to submit an application fee. If we are unable to verify your award or waiver you will be billed.
*Please note, the processing and review of the application will continue without receipt of payment.