Is Stanford generally harder to get into than the University of Maryland?

Yes. Stanford is substantially harder to get into than the University of Maryland for undergraduate admission overall. Stanford receives an enormous pool of applicants with exceptional grades, rigorous coursework, activities, and recommendations, yet has space for only a very small entering class. Admission is highly unpredictable even for students with near-perfect academic credentials.

Stanford tends to fit applicants who want to take a high-risk reach: students with outstanding academic preparation plus unusually distinctive impact, intellectual depth, creative work, research, leadership, or other accomplishments that help them stand out in an exceptionally competitive national and international pool. Strong grades and test scores alone do not make Stanford admission likely.

The University of Maryland is selective, but it is accessible to a much broader range of well-qualified students. It makes sense for students seeking a large public research university, substantial program variety, and a more realistic admissions target or reach depending on their residency and academic profile.

For a junior building a college list, Stanford should be treated as an extreme reach regardless of strong qualifications. UMD’s difficulty depends more meaningfully on factors such as Maryland residency, academic record, course rigor, and intended program, so it can occupy a different and often more attainable place on the list.