@priya2015 Technically, no. The ACES citation just needs some form of “experiential learning.” Most people get an internship to fill this requirement, but you can also participate in research to fill the requirement. You don’t have to get the ACES citation within two years - you can get it at any time during your years at UMD, - so getting the experiential credit at some point shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
Yes, they include freshman! I know a ton of freshmen who have internships this summer with NG.