High school seniors looking for a “rah-rah” party school should steer clear of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, President Freeman Hrabowski III says.

“Our students — particularly the freshmen — are looking for an institution that focuses on the life of the mind,” he said. “Our students aren’t looking for football.”

In its 40-year history, UMBC, located in southwest Baltimore County, has built a reputation as a strong science and technology school. The Meyerhoff Scholarship Program, which seeks to train minorities in the sciences, is nationally acclaimed, recently earning praise from the New York Times.

To be sure, one of Hrabowski’s main goals as a college president is to boost minority achievement. In 2006, about 40 percent of UMBC’s 12,000 students were minorities, making it one of the most diverse colleges in the state.

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“UMBC can proudly talk about its role in American higher education as an example of inclusiveness and excellence,” Hrabowski said.

The average SAT score for incoming freshman is about 1,200, and UMBC is still within reach of many Marylanders. The acceptance rate for Maryland undergraduates was about 73 percent in 2005, according to the University System of Maryland.

“I don’t get the feedback, ‘It’s out of reach,’ or ‘I am not going to bother,’ but we tend to have good candidates,” said Judy Klinger, supervisor of guidance for Carroll County’s public schools.

About 35 percent of UMBC’s students are transfers. “A large number of students will go away to school, then want to come home,” Hrabowski said. “Often, they will come here for a semester and realize, quite frankly, we are a lot more rigorous than they ever thought.”

Students at UMBC agree the atmosphere is serious, but they say getting involved in one of the school’s clubs and activities can make it more social.

“It’s an honors university, and I think a lot of people do treat it as such,” said UMBC engineering student Nick Demianovich, 23. “A lot of people really do try to study hard.”

mmcilroy@baltimoreexaminer.com