University of Maryland - College Park is home to many entrepreneurs and successful journalists we hear about on a daily basis. If you don’t know who I’m referring to, you’re in for a big surprise with these 10 fun facts about UMD!
1. The music video for “Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie and the Blowfish was partly filmed at the Reckord Armory on the University of Maryland, College Park campus.
2. Co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin, attended UMD and graduated with a BS in Computer Science in 1993.
Bonus fun fact: Sergey’s father was also a math professor there!
3. Three-time Olympic gymnast, Dominique Dawes, attended UMD and graduated in 2002 after winning the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
4. Jim Henson, founder of Muppets, graduated UMD with a degree in Home Economics. His initial projects in puppet-making (puppeteering?) started during his freshman year in college, where he created Sam and Friends.
5. UMD has produced Two Nobel Laureates: Raymond Davis Jr., who won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physics, and Herbert Hauptman, who won the 1985 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
6. TV personality, Gulliana Rancic, and Seinfeld co-writer, Larry David, also attended UMD. Pretty, pretty, pretty cool, huh?
7. The University of Maryland has produced 18 Pulitzer Prize Winners, most notably Carl Bernstein, who was one of the reporters who broke the Watergate scandal.
8. UMD seems to nurture a lot of entrepreneurs. Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour, is also a UMD alumnus.
9. The 1974 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament championship is widely considered to be the greatest ACC game in history. UMD lost 103-100 in overtime to NC State.
10. But, hey, there’s no shame in the loss. UMD’s basketball program has produced 40 NBA players, including Steve Blake, Alex Len, and Greivis Vasquez!
Are you looking to apply to UMD? Make sure to search through profiles of students accepted to see essays, stats, and advice. See how they got in, and how you can too!
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