The University of Maryland, College Park has released its supplemental essay prompts for the Class of 2031. Students applying to the University of Maryland must submit short responses to six individual prompts, each with a 650-character limit, typically around 120 words, although this can, of course, vary. How should students who want to become bona fide Terrapins strategically respond to these short response prompts to optimize the odds of UMD admission? 

2026-2027 University of Maryland Supplemental Essay Prompts

The following six short responses each have a limit of 650 characters:

1. If I could travel anywhere, I would go to…

Get creative here. No, the Maldives isn’t a creative choice. In fact, any sincere response about where you’d like to take your next vacation will miss the mark. Instead, take this response as an opportunity to teach something to the admissions officers reading your application. Perhaps you’d like to travel back in time to a historical moment associated with your singular hook (which is the pursuit you’ve devoted the most time to in high school, the one that forms the thematic throughline between your Common App activities section and your Personal Statement). Or, maybe you’d like to travel to a remote part of the planet to witness a physical phenomenon that drives home the specific STEM-related topic that forms the basis of your singular hook. You get the picture. 

Whatever you do, don’t give a straightforward account of where you’d next like to touch down during your actual travels. Instead, use your limited character count to paint a compelling picture of a site where you can stretch your intellect and witness something that will inspire you to keep pursuing your hook.

2. The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was…

Here, of course, is your ticket to expound upon a detail or aspect of your singular hook that you just can’t get enough of. If you’re a mathematics whiz, write about the theory in your field that first awakened your love of the discipline (in layperson’s terms, that is). If you’re a budding art historian, write something surprising about the work of art that first sparked your curiosity. Really nerd out with it!

3. In addition to my major, my academic interests include…

Write about something adjacent to, but not redundant with, your singular hook. UMD admissions officers want to see you have more than one facet when it comes to your academic chops. So surprise them with a compelling side of your intellect that hasn’t gotten its proper due anywhere else in your application (that is, that you don’t already bring up in your Personal Statement or elsewhere in this supplement).

4. My favorite thing about last Tuesday was…

Of all the supplemental essay prompts we at Ivy Coach have seen through the years, this is certainly one of the most unique. While there is no clear-cut way to skin this cat, take this prompt as an opportunity to flex those creative writing skills and present a compelling anecdote that depicts a day in your life in its most polished form, one in which you highlight your capacity for all the qualities UMD seeks in students, including empathy, a willingness to learn from others, a huge curiosity, and a deeply held affection for your community.

5. Something you might not know about me is…

You should inject some levity into your application by sharing a fun fact here that will surprise your reader and put a smile on their face. And for the love of your reader, don’t repeat yourself. If your intended major is economics, we suspect writing about your passion for economics here might not go over well.

6. 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.

This prompt is a clear invocation of the Roberts Loophole, the exception carved out of the 2023 SCOTUS ruling outlawing the use of race-based affirmative action, which allows applicants to write about the lived experience of difference or an underrepresented identity in the written components of college applications. As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion striking down Affirmative Action:

At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.

If you’re an underrepresented minority student, or really have had any lived experience that was shaped by difference, adversity, or belonging to a specific community, write about it here. And remember, if you can’t think of any form of diversity you’ve been exposed to, the particularities of your local community are always a great place to start.

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