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How to strengthen your Loyola Maryland application

Maryland · 75.5% acceptance · private · Tier 5

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What Loyola Maryland weights most

Loyola values applicants who show intellectual curiosity and a clear fit with its Jesuit, service-oriented mission, especially students drawn to small-class discussion, community engagement, and applied programs like Sellinger Business, psychology research, or communications internships. They favor applicants with strong extracurricular depth in service, leadership, or community projects rather than long lists of superficial activities, and they are a bit more forgiving of non-elite rigor in senior-year schedules if the applicant demonstrates consistent academic growth and genuine campus-fit interests.

Supplemental essay strategy

Tie your response to specific Loyola offerings: reference Sellinger School internships or cohort programs, the Baltimore field-placement connections, small seminar-style courses, or the universitys Jesuit values and community service initiatives. Be concrete about how a named professor, program, or Baltimore opportunity will shape your academic or career plan, and if applying to business or communications, include a short portfolio example or practical experience to show youll contribute immediately.

Recommended competitions

USACO
Programming. Reach Gold or Platinum for a real signal at top CS programs.
AMC 10/12 → AIME → USAMO
Math olympiad track. AIME qualification (top ~5% of AMC) starts mattering at top STEM programs.
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Most prestigious HS science research competition. 300 scholars, 40 finalists, $250K top prize.
ISEF (Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair)
World's largest pre-college science fair. Qualify through regional/state fairs first.
USA Olympiads (Bio, Chem, Physics, CS, Math, Linguistics)
Olympiad track for each subject. Reaching the national camp = HYPSM-tier signal.
Junior Science & Humanities Symposium (JSHS)
Research presentations + scholarships ($2K-$12K). Solid mid-tier research signal.

Where to focus next

If you only have time for one thing this month, do this:

  1. Read 2 admitted-student essays from Loyola Maryland (search official admissions site or Reddit r/loyolamd). Notice the level of specificity — that's the bar.
  2. Write the ‘why this school’ supplement first, before anything else. If you can't fill 250 words with school-specific reasons, pick a different school.
  3. Find one current student to ask about their experience — admissions offices often connect prospective applicants with current students. The follow-up email becomes specific essay material.

General improve guide

made by a high school junior. found a bug? something looks wrong? email me at jasperthelazzer19@gmail.com. free chances calculator. Candor Premium is $3/month for the strategy on top.
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Admissions odds are estimates, not guarantees. Candor is independent and not affiliated with any college.