Do you have your sights set on attending the University of Maryland, College Park? Who could blame you? This moderately selective institution was recently ranked the 42nd best university in the nation by the US News & World Report, and for those seeking to receive their undergraduate education in the state of Maryland, it’s among the best schools on the table. But with this relatively prestigious reputation comes a fair degree of selectivity in the admission process. As elite college admission rates dwindle across the nation, how should prospective applicants to the proud home of the Terrapins ensure they stick out in the applicant pool?

Well, if you’ve stumbled across this Ivy Coach blog, chances are you already have somewhat of an idea how the most competitive UMaryland applicants optimize their odds of admission to this public research university: applying via the Early Action round. This non-binding Early admission round allows the most enthusiastic applicants to send in their materials well in advance of the Regular Decision students, leading to their applications being given preferential consideration. And what accounts for this extra level of consideration? The fact that EA students have demonstrated their interest in attending.

Hold up. Is this college admission blog saying that Demonstrated Interest is indeed a factor in the UMaryland admission process? Yes, we would dare to say as much, even if admission officers at this school would deny it, kicking and screaming. The fact of the matter is that the most enthusiastic applicants, A.K.A. the ones who are the most deeply knowledgeable about the schools to which they apply and who truly mean business on their applications, have avowed themselves of the Early round[s] on offer at their top choice school. College Park applicants are no exception.

What to Make of the Lack of Maryland Early Action Admission Statistics

But here’s the catch: UMaryland hasn’t been all that forthcoming regarding its Early Action admission statistics. If this data were publicly available, we have absolutely no doubt that it would reflect a significant admission boost given to EA applicants over Regular Decision (RD) applicants. But alas, there’s no such data to go off of. So it’s time Ivy Coach dusts off its famously accurate crystal ball. Our highly educated guess is that the EA acceptance rate at UMaryland, while always remaining higher than the RD acceptance rate, has grown increasingly competitive in recent years. But note we’re still advocating for those who want to attend UMaryland over all other schools to apply via EA. That will never change!

Ivy Coach’s Assistance Moving Forward for Deferred or Rejected Maryland Applicants

If you’re a student who applied in an Early Action round to University of Maryland for admission to the Class of 2030 and were deferred or rejected for admission, you might be feeling the panic set in. You might think there’s nowhere to go from here. But shake off that defeatist attitude and look on the bright side. There’s still plenty to do to turn this ship around and set yourself up for success in the Regular Decision round.

Your first move should be to contact Ivy Coach to schedule a complimentary consultation to make some lemonade out of these lemons you’ve been dealt. For deferred candidates, we offer a PostMortem application review and assistance in crafting a powerful Letter of Continued Interest. For rejected candidates, we provide a PostMortem application review. And while we do offer assistance with Regular Decision applications, understanding what went wrong with Early Action must come first. And we can only make the most out of your admission case if you act quickly and contact us without delay, as the clock is ticking!

We’ll review your application thoroughly, focusing on its strengths and weaknesses. Ivy Coach’s team of former elite college admissions officers will then equip you with a new competitive strategy that optimizes your odds of admission to Regular Decision schools, whether that’s College Park in the case of deferrals or another top school in the case of rejections.