First-Year Admissions

Apply to UMD

Submit a complete undergraduate application by the early action deadline of November 1. All who apply by this date will automatically be considered for invitation to the Honors College and for merit scholarships.

Receive Honors College invitation

If invited to the Honors College, your invitation will be included in your UMD acceptance letter. Admissions letters go out by February 1.

Submit your living-learning program preferencing form

Completing the form ensures that you will be a part of the Honors College, should you decide to attend UMD, by placing you into one of our eight LLPs. This form does not confirm your enrollment to the University of Maryland or confirm your on-campus housing. Preferencing forms are due in mid-February. View our Programs at a Glance chart to help you decide which LLPs are best for you.

Receive your living-learning program placement letter

You will receive notification of your placement into an LLP in mid-March.

Confirm your enrollment at UMD

Respond to your admission offer to confirm your enrollment at UMD by May 1. If you wish to live on campus, you must also apply for housing and dining at this stage, even if you have been placed in an Honors LLP.

Register for orientation

Register for orientation in the summer to meet with an academic advisor, connect with other new Terps, register for classes and more! We encourage you to attend an Honors Orientation date if possible, but the most important thing is to register for a date listed for your academic major.

First-year applicants to UMD are automatically considered for invitation to the Honors College when they submit a complete undergraduate application by the early action deadline of November 1 and are admitted to UMD. There is no separate application for the Honors College.

Invitations to the Honors College are extended to new first-year students who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and promise. Students’ applications are carefully evaluated on the basis of academic achievement in high school, rigor of high school program, application essays, letters of recommendation, participation in extracurricular activities and standardized test scores. Please note, UMD is currently test-optional. Applicants have the option of choosing whether to submit an SAT/ACT score and whether those scores will be considered in the review of their application for admission. If students choose not to submit test scores, they will still be fully evaluated for admission, invitation to Honors and considered for all merit scholarships. Please see the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website for further information.

After students are invited to the Honors College, they are asked which living-learning programs capture their interest. The available living-learning programs are: