University of Maryland Enlists Mascot, Marching Band To Deliver Acceptance Letters
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The University of Maryland, College Park is notifying a few new students with an impressive gesture, as they're delivering acceptance letters with a huge welcome crew.
The "Now A Terp Tour" welcomed four University of Maryland students in a very unique way.
A grand welcome for the class of 2022.
"I had no idea this was going to happen," said Will Ford, who was accepted to UMD. "Honestly, I'm really happy right now."
The University of Maryland marching band and mascot celebrated the big announcement
"I didn't know all these people would be coming, so it was a huge surprise, and I started crying immediately and shaking," Will's mother, Nancy, said.
Will Ford's parents had to keep for two weeks.
"Actually, like a week ago, he was like, 'Mom, we still haven't heard from the University of Maryland. I want to know that I'll be able to go there,' I said, 'You'll hear, you'll hear something,'" Nancy said.
"I was really happy we wanted him to go there, and the hardest part of the whole thing I was worried the last night he was not coming down here because he would be on the video game, he always plays the video games, and it's hard to get him off the games," Will's father, Albert, said.
A unique opportunity for the admissions team as well.
"It's always exciting to see how excited students are," Shannon Gundy, UMD admissions director said. "First, he was really shocked, but then he's happy and that's what we work for, and we seldom get to see it so it's an opportunity for us and him."
The school only selected four new students to surprise -- applicants who stood out above the rest.
"We want them to know they are a part of the Maryland family from the very beginning, and we hope this lets them know that," Gundy said.
The University of Maryland will be notifying their other applicants in February.
The university will be accepting about 4,000 students for the fall 2018 semester.
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