Frequently Asked Questions About the University of Maryland
This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by University of Maryland Admissions in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.
What’s Covered:
The University of Maryland is Maryland’s flagship public research university. This article will answer frequently asked questions about UMD’s majors, programs, admissions process, and application.
Majors and Programs
Are UMD students guaranteed to get into their major of choice after freshman year? And is this the case for students who apply as undecided?
Though some majors are more competitive to get into than others, as an applicant to the school, all majors are open to accepted students. This means that there is a chance that you might not matriculate into UMD with your first choice major, but after freshman year you can change your major through a non-competitive process. You are guaranteed a spot in the new major program so long as you meet the minimum requirements — the decision will never come down to space.
Lastly, one thing to note is that the Limited Enrollment Program has separate requirements you will need to complete before you can enroll.
Can you tell me about the Animal Science program at UMD?
UMD’s Animal Science major is a very popular major, and it is part of the College of Agriculture. The university was originally founded as a Maryland agricultural college, so Animal Science holds a special place at UMD.
UMD even has a barn on campus! There are horses, cows, sheep, and chickens on the university grounds, so there are tons of resources for you to learn outside the classroom by working with animals.
The Animal Science program has a couple different concentrations, so there are many directions you can pursue within the major so long as you complete all prerequisites. For example, you can specialize in equine studies and sign up for a class where you help monitor mares, or pregnant horses. If anything happens, you actually get to run out and help the mare. And of course, supportive professors are available to answer your questions in the classroom and during office hours.
Admissions and the Application Process
Are admissions chances for UMD dependent upon the applicant’s choice of major, or is there only one general acceptance rate?
UMD admissions is major blind, which means that your major will have no impact on your admissions decision. The reason why UMD asks for your intended major is so that you can be placed with the appropriate academic advisor starting your first semester of freshman year.
How much weight does UMD put on standardized test scores when reviewing an application?
Not too much. It’s something that UMD definitely considers, but it’s reviewed as just one part of your entire application. For example, if you have straight A’s and you’ve taken all honors and AP courses, a perfect SAT or ACT score will not make too much of a difference on your application. At that point, you’ve already demonstrated that you are a strong student. That being said, a strong SAT or ACT score can make up for a few B’s or even C’s on your transcript.
How are homeschool applicants evaluated? Does UMD request any specific information from them?
UMD does not request too much more from homeschool students compared to non-homeschool students. One of the main differences is that UMD greatly appreciates letters of recommendation from external mentors and teachers. Since your counselor and teachers might be your parents, another recommender will be able to provide a different perspective on you as a person and student.
How important is demonstrated interest and how do you track it?
While UMD tracks who visits campus during official tours, we do not track demonstrated interest and it is not considered in the admissions process. Legacy status is also not taken into account when evaluating applicants. Instead, UMD bases its admissions decisions on 26 review factors.
If you’re ready to apply, check out our guide on applying to the University of Maryland!
