Freshman Admission

The Amherst campus provides students with two options to apply for admission.

Early Action: This option is designed for fall freshman applicants with strong academic records who wish to apply early to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students submit applications by the November 1 deadline and may receive an early offer of admission. Students who apply for Early Action and are not given an early offer of admission will then become part of the Regular Decision process.

Regular Decision: This process allows students the maximum amount of time in which to decide that the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the right choice. Students must submit their admission application by January 15 and their matriculation deposit by May 1.

Application Process
Fall applications for freshmen may be submitted after September 1 of the senior year. There is a nonrefundable application fee of $40 for Massachusetts residents, $50 for other U.S. citizens, and $60 for international applicants. Upon acceptance a nonrefundable enrollment fee of $400, including housing deposit, is required to confirm a place in the entering class.

Applications must be received and complete (including SATs or ACTs, fee, essay, transcript, and related documents) not later than November 1 (Early Action) or January 15 (Regular Decision) for fall semester and October 1 for spring semester.

Students not currently in high school must assume the responsibility for ensuring that all necessary documents are submitted by stated deadlines.

International students are eligible for fall admission only and their applications are due by January 15. They must also submit TOEFL scores, a sponsor statement, and a bank statement.

Required/Optional Tests
Freshman applicants are required to submit results of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I) administered by the College Entrance Examination Board or the ACT (American College Test) administered by the American College Testing Program. Fall semester applicants must take the SAT or ACT on or before the January test date unless they wish to be considered on the basis of their junior year test scores. SAT II tests are not required but can be used for placement.

Test results must be sent directly to the University from the College Board Test Center or directly from the high school guidance office. The University’s Amherst campus College Board number is 3917.
Advanced placement and graduation credits will be awarded by most departments to candidates who obtain scores of 4 and 5 on the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement Tests; scores of 3 are given credit on a more limited basis. Candidates seeking advanced placement and graduation credit in foreign languages may also take the SAT II language tests.

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) enables students to earn college credit by examination. Fall semester applicants planning to take CLEP exams should do so no later than April of the year of entrance.

Admission Standards and Decision-MakingProcess
About 23,500 freshman applications are expected for September 2008 enrollment for approximately 4,000 vacancies. The most important criterion in the admission decision is the high school academic record as measured by the quality of courses, grade point average, class rank, and grade trends. Standardized test scores (SAT I or ACT), an essay, and recommendations are also considered. Decisions are made on a rolling basis beginning in Febuary for fall semester and in November for spring semester. Applicants receive a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and are able to monitor their application review process online. Early Action applicants will be notified in December.

Candidates’ Reply Date
The University participates in the Candidates’ Reply Date option which permits an accepted applicant to delay notification of intention to enroll until May 1. Details are sent to accepted applicants. However, some special scholarship awards may require an earlier reply.

Board of Higher Education Requirements
Massachusetts public universities must consider minimum eligibility for admission in accordance with the published standards established by the Board of Higher Education:

For exemption details, contact your Guidance Office.

Commonwealth Honors College

The honors college is a campuswide program; students from all majors in every college may earn their way into Commonwealth College. However, each year, a limited number of academically talented students are admitted to the College based upon their high school performance.

Entering freshmen with minimum combined SAT I scores of 1300, high school rank within the top 10 percent, and a grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale will be given the highest consideration for admission to Commonwealth College. Those admitted to the honors college are expected to participate in a special orientation program.