What University of Maryland looks for
- Genuine specificity over impressive-sounding answers — a weird, true detail beats a resume line.
- Intellectual curiosity that shows up off the clock, not just in your transcript.
- Range across the six prompts — don't let all six tell the same story about you.
- Voice and personality, because these are short enough that one vivid sentence carries the whole answer.
University of Maryland supplemental prompts (2026-27)
Travel
100 wordsRequired“If I could travel anywhere, I would go to...”
How to approach it. Skip the bucket-list cliche and pick a place that reveals a real interest or question you carry. The destination matters less than why your mind goes there, so spend most of your words on the reason, not the postcard.
Research Fact
100 wordsRequired“The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was...”
How to approach it. Choose a fact you actually chased down yourself, even informally, and show the moment it clicked. Maryland reads this as a curiosity signal, so let your genuine nerdiness about one specific thing come through.
Academic Interests
100 wordsRequired“In addition to my major, my academic interests include...”
How to approach it. Name interests that are real and a little unexpected next to your intended major, then connect them in one honest line. This is your chance to read as a multidimensional thinker, not a single-track applicant.
Last Monday
100 wordsRequired“My favorite thing about last Monday was...”
How to approach it. This is the low-stakes, human one — answer it literally and small. A true ordinary moment from a recent Monday lands far better than a manufactured highlight, so let your voice and humor loose here.
Something About Me
100 wordsRequired“Something you might not know about me is...”
How to approach it. Pick something not already visible elsewhere in your application — a quirk, a habit, a private skill. The point is to add a new dimension, so don't repeat your activities list or main essay.
Diversity
100 wordsRequired“We are interested in hearing about your own individual life experiences. In a few sentences, will you please describe how you have learned, grown, been inspired or developed skills through one or more components of diversity.”
How to approach it. Ground this in one concrete experience and what it taught you, rather than a definition of diversity. Focus on a specific moment of learning or growth so your answer reads as lived, not abstract.
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University of Maryland essay FAQ
- How many supplemental essays does University of Maryland require?
- Six required short-answer prompts, each capped at about 100 words.
- How long are the University of Maryland supplemental essays?
- Each of the six prompts has a roughly 100-word limit, so they're brief by design.
- How can I tell if my University of Maryland essay is strong?
- Strong Maryland answers are specific, varied across the six prompts, and reveal personality rather than achievements. Halo scores your drafts against a University of Maryland-specific rubric so you can see exactly where an answer reads generic and tighten it before submitting.
Sources & official links
- University of Maryland official website
- University of Maryland on College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education)
- Prompts and requirements are published by University of Maryland on its official application and admissions pages.
Prompts shown are from the 2026-27 cycle and reflect each school’s officially published questions. Schools release new supplements each year; we update these guides each cycle.