The McDaniel Commitment

Climb Higher. See Farther.

We call our campus the Hill.

It’s a place where you’re constantly climbing. The higher you climb, the clearer your view: of yourself, your passions, and all you can become. McDaniel College is home to a community with a fierce commitment to your educational journey. Whatever you choose to study, you’ll gain the knowledge, confidence, and tenacity to conquer any challenge like a Green Terror (our one-of-a-kind mascot). Ready to take the first step? Let’s go.

The First Year Experience office is the hub of this ongoing support and is responsible for overseeing orientation programs, peer leader support programs, and additional first year programming in support of the McDaniel Commitment.

First Year Experience

Your Place

Your life on the Hill starts with a crash course in everything McDaniel, where you’ll learn about all the ways you can get involved around campus and in downtown Westminster. With over 90 student clubs, organizations, sports, and activities, our community always has something going on. No matter what your passions and interests might be, you’ll explore them, hone them, and discover new ones that you never dreamed of (but can’t believe you ever lived without).

My Place: Your Life on The Hill

Your Design

At McDaniel, you can truly make your education your own. With so many majors to choose from, and countless ways to enhance them outside of the classroom, a lot of students double or triple up in their areas of study. Guided by a team of faculty, peers, and alumni, you’ll develop a personalized, purposeful plan that will build a foundation for your next four years here—and far beyond that.

My Design: Make Your Education Your Own

Your Experience

Your McDaniel experience is exactly that: an experience. On and off the Hill, you’ll find opportunities to make your education more dynamic and engaging by applying what you’ve learned to the real world. You might do research with your professors, take an internship in your field, or study on another continent. At McDaniel, you’ll have no constraints on what, where, or how you learn.

My Experience: Your Opportunities, Your Education

Your Career

With the one-on-one guidance of your faculty mentors and advisors, you’ll focus on the practical knowledge and career skills that will prepare you to succeed in a professional environment. And as you build your step-by-step plan for life after the Hill, you’ll have everything you need to become who you’ve always wanted to be.

My Career: Where Will The Hill Lead You?

A student holds a paintbrush and leans over a painting on a table.

It comes together with a plan. The McDaniel Plan

After you commit, you begin building your McDaniel Plan: the foundation of your education, which gives you the power to learn what you want and how you want, with countless ways to customize your experience. Build your education around your interests, talents, and passions in a way that’s truly all your own.

McDaniel College has adopted a block transfer policy. If you enter McDaniel with an Associate of Arts (A.A.), an Associate of Science (A.S.), or an Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.), you will have met all McDaniel general education requirements (our McDaniel Plan). You'll be able to jump right into your major program requirements!

The McDaniel Plan

Become your best self.

It starts with your McDaniel Commitment and your McDaniel Plan. It continues day by day and month by month, where every step leads you to the moment when you’re ready to take the next step. After four years of climbing, you’ll have gained the skills and mindset to take on the world. From the top of the Hill, you’ll be able to see the life and career you’ve always wanted. You’ll be the person you always sensed you could be.

The Hill is just the beginning.

Four students—Mariah Ligas, Ema Barnes, Maggie Myers, and Jaime Calderon—received Fulbright awards for English teaching assistantships. Three took what they learned on the Hill abroad to Romania, South Korea, and Andorra, to educate children on the English language and culture, while Ema chose to accept a competitive internship at a New York publishing house instead.

Become Family

Ben Stapleton started out playing football at a Division I school, but something was missing. When he transferred to McDaniel College, he found family on and off the football field.

There's only one question that remains: Who will you become?

What sets us apart from other colleges is our dedication to you and your future. With each step you climb, you are closer to becoming who you were meant to be. Your journey doesn't end when you leave the Hill. It starts here and stays with you for life.