Freshman Applicant Requirements

As prescribed by the Board of Regents, the university expects you, at a minimum, to have completed the following coursework by high school graduation:

• Four years of English,
• Four years of math, including Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II.
  
  • If you complete Algebra II prior to your final year, you must complete the four-year mathematics requirement by taking a course that utilizes non-trivial algebra. Examples of courses meeting this requirement include Algebra II, Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus (and successor courses), Statistics and College Algebra.
• Three years of history or social science,
• Three years of science in at least two different areas (with at least two lab experiences), and
• Two years of foreign language.
   

The most competitive applicants exceed these minimum requirements, earning a strong A-/B+ or better average in their high school coursework while taking several honors and/or Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and additional academic electives. Be sure to review our application checklist for a list of all required materials for a complete application.

The Admission Committee considers 26 unique factors as part of our holistic review. This process considers all aspects of each applicant’s qualifications and offers admission to the most competitive applicants in order to build a vibrant class of first-year students. When a decision is available, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will send an email to the applicant notifying them that their admission decision can be viewed online. Information on financial aid and merit scholarships will be released at a later date.

Applications are considered complete when the online application and all required documents have been submitted. All materials must be received or postmarked by the appropriate deadline for consideration. It may take up to 10 business days for documents to be matched to your application and the status of your application to be updated. It is your responsibility to confirm receipt of all application materials.

When you apply to UMD, your preferred major is not considered in whether or not you are admissible to the university. You cannot indicate double-major preferences or minors at the time of applying. However, after you are admitted, you can work with the academic advisor in your college to declare these preferences.

Certain majors are very popular and require a limit on the number of students they can accommodate. These majors are known as Limited Enrollment Programs (LEP). Admitted students who selected an LEP as their major are then reviewed by the specific program to determine admission to that major.

While the majority of students are admitted to their preferred major, some LEP applicants may not be. If you are admitted to UMD but not your preferred LEP major, you will be placed in Letters & Sciences, where you'll work with an advisor to meet the gateway requirements to earn admission to that major. If you are admitted to UMD and did not select an LEP major, you will be admitted directly to the major indicated on your application. The major you are placed in will be included in your admission decision letter.