Undergraduate Admissions - University of Maryland

Admission Review Factors

The University of Maryland admission review process is guided by the principles outlined in the Statement of the Philosophy of Undergraduate Admissions.  In keeping with this philosophy, admission review factors have been identified that will allow the Admission Committee 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 undergraduate admissions process is rigorous and individualized.  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 holistic review process that engages the expertise of professional educators whose judgments--based upon consideration of each applicant’s credentials measured by all admissions criteria--build an entering class that will best complement the existing student body and meet the University's mission objectives. 

In this context, academic merit is assessed on the basis of each applicant’s achievements and potential in a broad range of academic categories, as influenced by the opportunities and challenges faced by the applicant. These categories include:

• Educational Performance
• Potential for College Success
• Potential to Promote Beneficial Educational Outcomes and to Contribute to Campus and Community Life 
• Students’ Persistence and Commitment to Educational Success. 

Each category is assessed by a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors.  These factors are flexibly applied, so the listing does not reflect order of importance.