How to Write the University of Maryland Supplemental Essays (2025–2026)

University of Maryland Supplemental Essay Prompts

Maryland’s supplement is made up of six very short responses, each with a 650-character limit (roughly 100 words). The prompts ask about where you would travel, an interesting fact from your research, your academic interests beyond your major, a recent moment you enjoyed, something unknown about you, and your experience with diversity.

This structure is unusual. Most schools ask for one or two longer essays. Maryland asks for six short ones, and that changes the challenge significantly.

What Maryland Is Actually Asking

These prompts look simple, but they are not. Writing 100 words that feel specific, interesting, and complete is often harder than writing 650. You don’t have space for setup or general framing, so every sentence has to carry weight.

Across the six responses, Maryland is trying to build a picture of you in pieces: what you’re curious about, what you notice, what you enjoy, and how you think. No single answer needs to do everything, but taken together, they should feel coherent.

How to Approach These Short Answers

Each response should focus on one clear idea and develop it in a few concrete sentences. You don’t have space for filler or general claims, so you need to move quickly into something specific.

A common mistake is treating these casually—answering quickly and moving on. That usually leads to responses that feel thin. A stronger approach is to treat each one as a mini-essay: not creative writing, but a short, focused explanation of something real.

Prompt #1: If I could travel anywhere, I would go to…

You are not being asked to name a place, but to explain why it matters to you. Predictable answers won’t distinguish you, so the key is to connect the place to something specific you care about.

The strongest responses explain what you would actually do there and why that experience matters. You don’t need vivid description; you need a clear, personal reason.

Prompt #2: The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was…

This works best if you can point to a concrete detail from research you’ve done. You should identify a specific fact or insight, briefly explain how you encountered it, and show why it caught your attention.

The fact itself should be precise, and the explanation should reveal something about how you think. Vague statements about research being “interesting” won’t work here.

Prompt #3: In addition to my major, my academic interests include…

This is your chance to show that you are not defined by a single subject. You should mention two or three interests and give a sentence or two on each, making them feel connected rather than random.

A simple list will feel empty, but you also don’t have space to go into depth on everything. The goal is to create a coherent sense of your intellectual range.

Prompt #4: My favorite thing about last Monday was…

You should not take “last Monday” literally. The prompt is really asking for a moment from your life that feels meaningful and reveals something about your habits or priorities.

It is often more effective to choose something small and recurring rather than something dramatic. What matters is not the event itself, but why it stands out to you.

Prompt #5: Something you might not know about me is…

This is an opportunity to add a dimension that does not appear elsewhere in your application. It could be a personal interest, a habit, or something unexpected about your background.

It doesn’t need to be profound, but it does need to feel specific and real. The strongest responses here are often simple but revealing.

Prompt #6: Diversity Short Response

This prompt asks you to describe how you have learned, grown, or developed skills through some form of diversity. You can interpret this broadly, whether through your own background or your interactions with others.

Because the response is so short, you should focus on one example and develop it clearly. General statements about diversity being important won’t be effective; the impact needs to come through a specific experience.

Common Mistakes Students Make

The most common issue is treating these prompts casually. Short answers still need to feel complete, and listing without explanation will fall flat. Students also tend to choose obvious or generic topics, which makes it harder to stand out. Finally, trying to cover too much in each response usually leads to thin, unfocused answers.

Final Thought

Maryland’s supplement is less about any single response and more about the overall impression. If each answer is specific and thoughtful, the six together will create a clear and engaging picture of who you are.

You can find more supplemental essay guides here:
College Essay Supplemental Guides →

Want Help Refining These?

Short answers are easy to underestimate. The challenge is making each one feel specific and complete within a tight word limit.

If you’re unsure how to make these responses stand out without overcomplicating them, we work with students to refine each answer so the full set feels cohesive and distinct.

You can learn more about our approach here:
College Essay Coaching →