Why You Should Attend Fall Visit Days

Here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst we are holding Fall Visit Days, where students can learn more about the university, as well as specific majors of interest. We asked two of our student tour guides to describe why Fall Visit Days are so important, and how to make most of your experience. Here's what they had to say:

Why is it helpful for students interested in UMass Amherst to attend Fall Visit Days?

Grace, a pre-veterinary sciences major here at UMass Amherst, describes Fall Visit Days as “a chance for you to experience what it is like to be a student at UMass Amherst and get more of a feel for what the university can offer you!”

Not only are they a great way to learn more about our academic programs and opportunities, but about campus life in general. 

Danyea, an English major, agrees, adding: “Whether you’re on the fence about applying, not sure what major you want to apply for, or you’re already 100% sold on UMass Amherst, Fall Visit Days allows prospective students to learn more about the university at an event tailored just for them!”

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What is your advice for students who want to make the most of Fall Visit Days? What programming should they not miss?

“Every student at UMass Amherst belongs to a school or college, sometimes even more than one! These act as your academic home base – it’s where you’ll get all of your advising, career and internship fairs, clubs and organizations, and even some on campus employment opportunities. If you’re not sure what to major in, learning about our schools and colleges can really help narrow it down and decide which one is best for you,” explains Danyea. 

Grace emphasizes attending the Fall Visit Day student-led panels. She adds “these are definitely some of the best events you can attend, as they are pretty much completely run by students, and consist primarily of them answering your questions! The panels are driven by what you want to know more about, so you can tailor them to get exactly what you’re looking for out of the experience.” 

Who are the most important people for students to connect with at Fall Visit Days? Current students? Faculty members? Admissions counselors?

At UMass Fall Visit Days we are staffed with all three: students, faculty, and admission counselors ready to answer any questions you may have about life here at UMass Amherst. 

Danyea notes “all of the above” are equally important as “It really depends on the questions or concerns you have at the time.”  As a student tour guide herself, Grace adds “the students on staff are from a wide variety of majors and backgrounds and are involved in a ton of different things across campus, so they can certainly give you a fantastic idea of what it’s like to be a UMass student. They also know a lot about campus resources, getting involved, academics, study abroad, research opportunities, and so much more, so definitely something to take advantage of!” 

How can students continue to learn about UMass Amherst after they attend Fall Visit Days?

There are plenty of ways to stay connected and continue the conversation after attending one of our Fall Visit Days. Some other events we are holding include campus tours, which give you the opportunity to hear from current students about what life at UMass is like, as well as information sessions to talk about the application process. Our admission counselors are also hosting virtual and in person high school visits at many high schools across the country this year, check in with your school counseling or guidance office and see if we’re visiting your high school.

Danyea also encourages prospective students to follow the various UMass Amherst social media accounts. She adds “follow some clubs you’re interested in or follow the department you want to major in. Also, if there are opportunities to join email lists, I highly recommend it.” 

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What is one frequent question you answer about UMass Amherst?

As a student tour guide here at UMass Amherst, Grace reflects on her most frequently asked question: “UMass Amherst is such a big school, will I be overwhelmed?” Grace responds “it’s a question I had too while looking at schools. Even though UMass Amherst is big, I like to think that’s one of the best things about it. You can always make a big campus feel small, but you can never make a small campus feel big.” She adds “we’re intentional about creating smaller communities and the great thing about UMass’ size is all the opportunities it brings with it.” 

For Danyea, her favorite question to answer is how she chose UMass Amherst. Coming to UMass Amherst, she wasn’t 100% set on her major choice of English. She states “I knew whatever school I chose would have to have a lot of resources and opportunities for me if I changed my mind about my major – I didn’t want to transfer to find what I was looking for.” Luckily for her, she fell in love with the English major here at UMass Amherst and adds that she’s been given lots of opportunities through the program. 

How did you approach Fall Visit Days when you attended them?

Not attending Fall Visit Day when applying to UMass Amherst was one of Grace’s biggest regrets in her college decision process. She believes “it would have made it so much easier to know that UMass Amherst was the right pick for me” adding that, as a current student and tour guide who works at these Fall Visit Days, “they are very informative and really open your eyes to all that UMass Amherst can offer you.”