University of Maryland Application Requirements and Deadlines

The dates

• Early action: 1 November, decision by 1 February. Non-binding.
• Regular: 20 January, decision by 1 April.
• Enrollment confirmation: 1 May.
• Spring entry, U.S. first-year: 1 December early action, decision by mid-December.

Maryland states that applications must be complete by the deadline and encourages early action submission for priority consideration.

Why 1 November is the date that matters

Not because early action improves admission odds in any way the university has published, but because Maryland's freshman merit scholarships require the application and materials to be in by the 1 November early action deadline. A family that applies in January is still a full applicant and has given up automatic consideration for scholarship money. That is the single most consequential scheduling fact on this page.

What review considers

Maryland describes an individualized holistic process and publishes a list of factors it weighs, including high school achievement, grades in academic subjects, progression of performance, quality of coursework, written expression of ideas, extracurricular activities, demonstrated leadership, work experience, community involvement, extenuating circumstances, learning differences, family educational background and residency status, among others.