International First-Year Applicants

Additional languages spoken: Taiwanese and Mandarin

Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan

Major: Computer Science

Additional Language Spoken:  Urdu and Punjabi

Activities/Involvement: Pakistani Student Organization, Muslim Students Association, UMass Outing Club, Intramural Soccer, New Student Orientations and Transitions & Residence Hall Association 

Why UMass? Attending UMass Amherst has been a dream come true. I love learning about different cultures as well as having new experiences and here at UMass, at this large campus, I found myself immersed in a diverse yet inclusive community. At UMass we’re told to “Be Revolutionary” and that’s something I find that aligns with my own aspirations and core values.

UMass Hidden Gem: The Durfee Conservatory near Franklin Dinning Commons. I find it very relaxing to be around all the greenery and just enjoy the humid atmosphere especially in the cold winters of Amherst.

Hometown: Arequipa, Peru

Major: Biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) and applied math

Additional Language Spoken:  Spanish and French

Activities/ Involvement: Fashion Club (Make-up Committee), Biochemistry Club, Women in STEM Club, Women in Math Club, Undergraduate Math Club, Latinos Unidos, and Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP).

Why UMass? I chose UMass for its great undergraduate research opportunities. I also wanted to be in a smaller town to feel safer and in a big school to be able to bond with students from multiple diverse backgrounds. Coming from a city that has desert-like weather, I am also a great fan of the western Massachusetts weather.

Favorite UMass activities: My favorite UMass activity is going to the games. Even though I had never seen a football or hockey game before coming to the states, it is one of the ways I started to bond with my new friends. There is an intense sense of community in those games. There is nothing better than chanting: “Go UMass!” at the hockey games with a plate of fried chicken and French fries. 

UMass always surprises me with all its quirks. There are so many things to do on and off campus and the nature in this area is amazing! One of the best things so far has been doing undergraduate research and tutoring; it has helped me decide to become a college professor and give back to society. 
 

Hometown: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

Major: Marketing BBA 

Minor: Studio Art and Business Analytics Certificate

Additional Language Spoken: Vietnamese and elementary Korean

Activities/ Involvement: K-Pop Dancing Club (Media Team and Performer), UMass Fashion Organization 

Why UMass? To be honest, UMass Amherst is very generous with giving tuition scholarships to international students, considering it is a public university. After receiving the scholarship, it was more affordable for me to come. And later, I found out that UMass has an amazing dining program, which my mom was very happy with (my diet was always a concern for her since I live so far away from home). The last reason why I chose UMass is because of the diversity of the student population; I’m glad that I get to meet people from different backgrounds and nationalities, which will fulfill my wish to learn more about the world. 

Favorite Dining Hall: Hampshire, especially their Bun Bo Hue, which I’m obsessed with. I live off campus, but I come all the way to Hamp just for it. I also attended the Princeton Preview 2022 held at Hampshire in competition with four other college dining halls. I would say UMass has the best food. 
 

Hometown: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Major: Nursing

Additional Language Spoken: Vietnamese

Activities and Involvement: Commonwealth Honors College

Why UMass? I decided to attend UMass since I wanted to live in an environment where my dorm and classes are proximal to each other. At UMass, there are various residential areas with different accommodations for students to choose from. Furthermore, most buildings for lectures are in the central area of the campus, making it fairly easy to come to classes regardless of where you live. UMass also offers four dining halls around campus, so you can quickly grab some food during breaks between your classes.

Coming to UMass was not an easy decision for me. Something that worried me was how I could adjust to the unfamiliar environment while keeping up with studying. However, UMass offers a great setting to help newcomers learn about their new place. There are various student support services for academics and research opportunities. Student organizations also organize many events throughout the semester, in which you get to engage with other people of similar interests. With those opportunities, I am having a better experience at UMass than I had expected. I have a supportive network of friends to share about our everyday life, and I feel more confident about my studies thanks to the available resources at UMass. 

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea

Major: Physics and math double major

Additional Language Spoken: Korean

Activities and Involvement: Undergraduate Research in Soft Matter Physics

Why UMass? UMass has a great research environment with amazing faculty who always support the students. As part of the undergraduate researchers, I feel very supported and cared for by the professors and fellow students, which always motivates me academically.

Favorite Place in UMass: My favorite place on campus is the bench next to the library. It is one of the places where I can sit down and relax looking at the campus pond, especially when I’m stressed from schoolwork. 
 

Hometown: Gujarat, India

Major: Psychology (BS)

Additional Language Spoken:  Hindi and Gujarati

Activities/Involvement: Research assistant for War and Peace laboratory, teaching assistant for the first-year seminar for international students, SPACE peer mentoring program.

Why UMass? I chose UMass because it has a fantastic psychology department and a lot of opportunities in the career path I want to pursue, along with research opportunities! The ideals of UMass represent me and my ideologies and the beauty of the campus still surprises me!

My favorite part about UMass: I love how diverse UMass is. I am constantly meeting people from all over the world, and I get to learn so much about diverse cultures through them! It is uniquely beautiful how UMass makes people from everywhere feel very welcome!

Studying in the U.S. has always been a dream for me, and I am glad that I chose a place like UMass to pursue my education. UMass has offered me many opportunities to grow and succeed in my career and go after what I am passionate about!

Hometown: Taichung, Taiwan

Major: Operations and Information Management

Additional Language Spoken: Mandarin and Taiwanese

Activities and Involvement: National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, Isenberg Women in Business, Protect Our Breasts

Why UMass? Coming to UMass was one of the best decisions I have made because I got to meet many awesome people. As an international student from Taiwan, UMass makes me feel at home. We also have a very diverse community, so we can get to know people from all over the world. Furthermore, I can’t describe how good UMass dining is. 

Hometown: Tokyo, Japan; Cohasset, Massachusetts

Major: Marketing and Informatics

Additional Language Spoken: Japanese and Mandarin (conversational)

Activities/Involvement: Taiwanese and Chinese Students’ Association (TCSA), UMass AdLab, UMass Design, Isenberg Freshmen Transitions Teaching Assistant, Commonwealth Honors College

Why UMass? The main reason I chose UMass was because of their wide selection of majors and organizations and the cost of attendance. UMass isn’t too far or too close to my home, which made it a great choice for me since I wanted to be more independent but also still be able to visit family over breaks. It is a large university, so I was intimidated at first, but being part of student organizations helped me build strong connections.

Favorite part about UMass: I’ve especially enjoyed working with the TCSA e-board, studying at the Student Union, eating at Blue Wall (I love Tamales!), and attending amazing cultural events where my friends and I cheered for unbelievably skilled guest artists and student dance teams.