UMD Supplemental Essays 2026–27: Prompts & Tips

The University of Maryland requires applicants to write six short-answer essays, totaling about 648 words across the entire set. While University of Maryland, College Park may ask for additional writing samples if you are applying to specific limited-enrollment programs, this guide covers the six prompts every single first-year applicant must answer.

Each response is strictly capped at 650 characters (including spaces), which translates to a maximum of roughly 90 to 110 words. This rapid-fire format demands extreme brevity. You have absolutely no room for introductory filler or throat-clearing sentences. You must jump directly into the substance of your answer, providing a highly specific detail and brief context before the character limit cuts you off.

The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was... (650 characters)

What this prompt is really asking: Admissions officers want to see what lights up your intellectual curiosity when you are left to your own devices. "Research" does not have to mean wearing a white coat in a laboratory; it can mean a Wikipedia rabbit hole, a documentary deep dive, or a hobby you investigated obsessively.

A strong approach:

• Redefine the laboratory: Treat the concept of research broadly. An investigation into the history of your favorite sneakers or the aerodynamics of a paper airplane is often more memorable than a generic biology fact.
• Focus on the "why": Stating the fact itself should only take one sentence. Spend your remaining characters explaining why this specific piece of information altered your perspective or sparked a new passion.
• Connect it back to you: The best facts serve as a mirror. If you learned about mycelial networks in forests, use that observation to explain your own fascination with community building or urban planning.

Most common mistakes:

• Sounding like a textbook: Dryly quoting a statistic without any personal reflection completely wastes the character limit.
• Forcing a major connection: If you are a computer science applicant, you do not have to write about coding here. Authenticity beats strategic alignment every time.

If I could travel anywhere, I would go to... (650 characters)

What this prompt is really asking: This is a classic personality test disguised as a geography question. Readers use this to gauge what you value, what you seek out in unfamiliar situations, and how you imagine the world beyond your current bubble.

A strong approach:

• Skip the tourist traps: Instead of choosing Paris just to see the Eiffel Tower, choose a highly specific destination like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault or the exact street where your grandfather grew up.
• Identify a clear mission: Give yourself a reason for the trip. Tell the reader if you are traveling to solve a mystery, taste a specific regional dish, or witness a rare astronomical event.
• Think across time: The prompt does not restrict you to the present day. Traveling to the 1927 Solvay Conference or a future Mars colony shows immense creativity and intellectual playfulness.

Most common mistakes:

• Generic wanderlust: Citing a broad desire to "experience new cultures" or "try the food" tells the reader absolutely nothing unique about your personality.
• Focusing purely on aesthetics: Picking a location just because the beaches are beautiful misses a prime opportunity to showcase your emotional depth.

Something you might not know about me is... (650 characters)

What this prompt is really asking: This is your catch-all space to share a quirk, a hidden talent, or a minor obsession that did not fit neatly into your activities list or your primary personal statement.

A strong approach:

• Audit your application: Look closely at what you have already submitted. If your file is heavily STEM-focused, use this space to reveal your obsession with 1980s romantic comedies or competitive baking.
• Embrace the mundane: You do not need a profound revelation. A weird phobia, a hyper-specific morning routine, or a bizarre collection makes for highly engaging reading.
• Keep the stakes low: This prompt thrives on lightheartedness. A highly serious or heavy confession might feel out of place in a 100-word box.

Most common mistakes:

• Repeating your resume: Summarizing a club leadership role you already detailed in your activities section completely defeats the purpose of the prompt.
• Bragging in disguise: Pretending a massive academic accomplishment is just a casual fun fact often comes across as insincere.

In addition to my major, my academic interests include... (650 characters)

What this prompt is really asking: UMD wants to admit multidimensional students who will cross-pollinate ideas across different departments. They are looking for intellectual breadth and a willingness to step outside your primary academic lane.

A strong approach:

• Highlight the pivot: If you are an engineering major, discussing a genuine interest in Renaissance poetry or moral philosophy highlights a well-rounded, flexible brain.
• Show the intersection: Explain how this secondary interest feeds back into your main path. Perhaps your love of psychology makes you a better data scientist by helping you understand human user behavior.
• Name specific subfields: Instead of saying you like "history", specify an interest in the economic impact of the Silk Road. Specificity proves genuine curiosity.

Most common mistakes:

• Listing highly related majors: A biology major citing a secondary interest in chemistry shows zero academic breadth.
• Dropping a list of subjects: Naming five different disciplines without explaining your personal connection to any of them reads like a course catalog.

My favorite thing about last Tuesday was... (650 characters)

What this prompt is really asking: This question tests your powers of observation and your capacity for joy in everyday moments. Admissions officers want to know if you can find meaning in the ordinary rhythm of a mundane weekday.

A strong approach:

• Zoom all the way in: Focus on a micro-moment. The smell of rain on the pavement, a perfectly timed joke with a sibling, or finally solving a tricky math equation are perfect subjects.
• Showcase your environment: Let the reader see your daily life. Mentioning the specific radio station your dad plays on the commute adds rich texture to a very short space.
• Ignore the literal calendar: No one is checking what you actually did on that specific date. Pick any ordinary day that perfectly illustrates your personality and frame it around this prompt.

Most common mistakes:

• Inventing a blockbuster day: Pretending last Tuesday was the day you won a national championship ruins the intended everyday charm of the question.
• Over-philosophizing: Trying to extract a massive life lesson from a simple dinner conversation often feels forced. Let the small moment speak for itself.
  

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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… (650 characters)

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.

What this prompt is really asking: This is UMD's opportunity to understand your background, your worldview, and how you will interact with classmates who live differently than you do. The definition of diversity here is intentionally expansive.

A strong approach:

• Define your specific lens: Diversity can mean growing up in a bilingual home, navigating a neurodivergent learning style, or being the only rural student at an urban summer camp.
• Focus on the impact: The prompt explicitly asks how you have learned, grown, or been inspired. Spend the bulk of your characters describing a specific moment your perspective shifted.
• Highlight your collaborative side: Show the reader how this component of diversity makes you a better teammate, listener, or roommate on a diverse campus.

Most common mistakes:

• Speaking in platitudes: Stating that diversity is the spice of life wastes precious words. Stick entirely to your own lived experience.
• Trying to cover everything: You only have about 100 words. Pick one specific component of your identity or one transformative interaction, rather than summarizing your entire family history.
  

  See 6 example essays for University of Maryland, College Park

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