Colleges

Guides to applying to specific colleges, written from a counselor's perspective rather than a brochure's. Every factual claim is read off the institution's own pages and carries the date it was verified, because deadlines, testing policies and aid figures change from year to year.

Written by Dana Ponsky, independent college admissions counselor. Published 28 July 2026. Admissions policies change. Confirm anything time sensitive against the institution’s own published source.

University of Maryland, College Park

Requirements and deadlines
Early action strategy
Essays
What the school values
Testing policy
Who thrives here
Interviews
Aid and merit
Transfer pathway
Comparable schools
Common mistakes
Campus life and support

More schools are coming

Dana’s students have been admitted to 86 colleges and universities over the past five years. Guides for the rest are being written in the same format, one school at a time, because a page is only worth publishing when there is something specific to say about that school.

See the full list of admissions