Terp Young Scholars

Domestic Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be at least 13 years old
• Be a rising high school sophomore, junior, senior, or graduating senior; and
• Have an unweighted academic average of 3.0 or better.
  • If extenuating circumstances have negatively impacted an applicant’s GPA, they may still be considered by submitting a GPA Exception Appeal form before applying to the Terp Young Scholars program.
  • The form must include a:
    • High school transcript
    • Letter of support from a teacher or administrator
    • Statement explaining the extenuating circumstances and how the applicant plans to succeed in the program

Select Campus or Online Option

Applicants must choose either the campus or online option.

• Applicants who select a course offered through the campus option must commute to and from campus every weekday during the program.
  • Note: Terp Young Scholars does not offer a residential option.
• Applicants who select a course offered through the online option do not come to campus and do not have use of physical campus resources

Review the Policies on Grade, Credits, and Attendance

See Grade, Credits, and Attendance Policy.

Student Information

• Information collected in the application system is used to create the University of Maryland student account. Be sure to enter the student’s information (SSN, name, date of birth, etc.) accurately. Once an application is submitted, errors can only be corrected with a copy of the birth certificate or social security card.
• Applicants are encouraged to use their SSN. Not using the SSN will have implications on confirming program admission and affect any future applications to UMD. Applicants planning to utilize the University of Maryland System Tuition Remission benefit must use their SSN. 

Application Fee and Program Deposit

• New Applicant: A $75 application fee and $250 program deposit are required. The program deposit will be credited towards a student’s total bill within one week of charges posting. The application fee and program deposit are not waived unless the applicant is a returning student.
• Returning Student: May request an application fee waiver code.
  • Contact program staff at tys@umd.edu, noting that you are a returning student. Staff will verify prior participation and provide a waiver code.
  • Returning students must complete the application as outlined below.
  • Students dismissed from the program in previous years are not eligible to return.

Required Information and Documentation (in PDF, JPG, or PNG format)

To complete the Terp Young Scholars Application, ensure the following items are available (in PDF, JPG, or PNG format):

• Health Insurance Card
• High School Transcript/Report Card
  • A transcript (report card) of applicant's academic record must include courses currently in progress, grades, and cumulative GPA for all high school work completed. An unofficial transcript is acceptable.
  • Home-schooled applicants must provide an academic overview that includes course descriptions, books used, methods of evaluation, and the grades received (credit contracts). Home-schooled applicants submit this information directly to the TerpEngage-EXST Forms Portal.
• Electronic Payment Method (Credit/Debit Card)
  • Application Fee and Program Deposit must be submitted with the application.

Instructions

Note: The Terp Young Scholars 2025 application is now closed.

Need Help?

Information is posted on the TerpEngage webpage.

• Applications are reviewed and admission offers are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Reminder notices regarding missing items are sent to the email address provided on the application; check your spam folder.
• To inquire about the status of your application, contact program staff at tys@umd.edu.