University of Maryland 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

University of Maryland 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 6 short answers of 650 characters each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Short Answer, Additional Information, Diversity

At the University of Maryland, we encourage our students to go beyond the classroom to engage in opportunities that further both their academic and personal growth. 

To tell us more about yourself, please complete the following prompts using only the space provided (650 characters).

• If I could travel anywhere, I would go to…*

• The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was…*

• In addition to my major, my academic interests include…*

• My favorite thing about last Monday was…*

• Something you might not know about me is…*

The key to nailing this section is brainstorming. When you see fill-in-the-blanks like these, it’s easy to assume that admissions is looking for a specific response, but (surprise!) they’re not. To avoid falling into this trap, free your mind and spend a few minutes jotting down as many answers as you can think of for each prompt. Literally set a timer and force yourself to keep your pencil moving (or fingers typing) for the entire time. No idea is too silly! The more you go with your gut, the more likely you are to come up with a unique and truly personal answer, and in the end, that’s really what admissions is looking for. Short answers like these present a great opportunity for you to show off your creativity, ingenuity, and sense of humor. When curating your brainstormed ideas, aim for breadth and variety. If you’ve always wanted to travel to Easter Island to measure the moai (🗿) and perform engineering experiments, then your interesting fact had better not be located anywhere near the Pacific Ocean. As with any other essay type, each micro-answer should tell admissions something new about you.

Because we know that diversity benefits the educational experience of all students, the University of Maryland values diversity in all of its many forms.  This includes (but is not limited to) racial, socio-economic, gender, geographical, and sexual orientation.  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.*

Although a Diversity Essay, this prompt focuses primarily on how you have changed, grown, or gained new skills thanks to diversity. Start by thinking about what makes you unique: Where do you come from? What has shaped you as a person? Narrow in on a time when you were challenged or inspired or when you challenged or inspired others based on an aspect of your identity. What you address can be reflective of larger cultural constructs or a trait specific to you and only you. For example, maybe you recently learned that part of your family is from Malta, which prompted you to start learning Maltese so you can reconnect with your distant cousins. Perhaps you grew up food insecure and started an initiative at your high school to plant a rooftop garden that earned your school LEED certification. Maybe you recently came out as transgender and, through your research into trans historical figures, discovered The Countess, about whom you are now writing a play. With only 650 characters, make sure you keep your essay concise and true to yourself.