International Student Freshman Admission Requirements

You are considered a freshman applicant if you have completed fewer than 12 semester hours of university-level credit past secondary school at the time you plan to enter the University of Maryland.

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.

The following information is required to apply to the University of Maryland:

  1. Complete the application by applying online by November 1 for consideration for the fall semester.  You can also find the PDF version of the application online and can download these forms and send them in if you choose to (must be postmarked by November 1 date if mailed). 

  2. Submit a nonrefundable application fee of $55 with your completed 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 paper 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. Submit official secondary school transcripts. All applicants who have (or will) complete secondary school outside of the United States must provide an official secondary school transcript directly from all schools attended and, where appropriate, official results and certificates of completion from a national secondary school examination. All applicants with non-U.S. academic transcripts and certificates must provide official copies of those credentials in the native language with a certified English translation.

  4. Submit external Examination Results or Certificates. Where appropriate, external examination results and certificates must be received by the deadline for condsideration. These include official results and certificates of completion from national secondary school examinations such as GCSE/GCE, CBSE national and regional, CXC/CSEC and WAEC.

  5. Submit all SAT I or ACT official scores (this is a requirement of all Freshman applicants including all International students). Scores must be sent directly from the testing agency. When requesting scores to be sent to the University of Maryland please use institution code 5814 for the SAT I and the institution code 1746 for the ACT.  

    Applicants from countries where neither the SAT nor the ACT is available, a request for a waiver of this requirement should be submitted in writing with your application.  Letters requesting a waiver of SAT/ACT are reviewed on a case by case basis.  Where appropriate, we will waive this requirement.  Note that standardized testing is one of the many important components in our application review process.  Applicants who are not submitting some form of official standardized testing may be at a competitive disadvantage.

  6. Request that your school counselor and a teacher complete the recommendation forms. Your counselor should send these completed forms with your transcript directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

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

  8. Short Answers: Complete each sentence in 20 words or fewer.

  9. Include an activities and awards sheet or resume detailing a list of your community, arts, leadership, athletic, family involvement; work experience and other and other extracurricular activities and hobbies in order of interest to you.

  10. If you have completed college coursework, please submit all official university or college transcripts in native language with certified English translations. Transcripts should be sent from the previous institutions directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

  11. Provide proof of English Proficiency. 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 verbal section of the SAT I will exempt you from this requirement. All others should have an official report of their scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the appropriate application deadline.

  12. Complete the Certification of Finances, including supporting documents such as a bank statement, that demonstrate support of U.S. $41,997 per year.

  13. Submit a photocopy of I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, visa stamp, and current I-20 or DS2019 form. (For current F-1 and J-1 visa holders only and current other non-immigrant visa holders only)

International Application Guidelines

Please be sure to click here to see tips on submitting your international application.