When I was applying to colleges, I remember spending the summer going into my senior year of high school working on my college applications. I already had my SAT scores (this was before UMass went test optional), my personal statement written (thanks to my wonderful AP Literature teacher), and a list of colleges I wanted to apply to. Having already gone through the process of applying to colleges, read on for my two major tips for students looking to start their college application process.

It is hard to believe that the spring 2020 semester has officially concluded. Though it's had its highs and lows, every student deserves a warm congratulations for pushing through such an unprecedented semester, especially to the graduating seniors. Here on the UMass Amherst Admissions marketing communications team, we have four seniors who are graduating today. Angela McNamara, Xenia Arinez, Jonathan Lang, and Eric Rybicki have been valuable  members of our team and have worked tirelessly to provide engaging content for prospective students. 

To celebrate our graduating team members, here is what the graduating interns here at admissions have to say about their time at UMass Amherst and their advice for the incoming class of 2024. 

As a soon to be rising senior (scary, I know!), my junior year of high school feels like a lifetime ago. Since I have been home due to COVID-19, my junior year of college has become oddly reminiscent of my junior year in high school. Being home, in my childhood bedroom, has me thinking a lot about my process of applying to colleges.

Meet Nyah Webb, a junior legal studies and sociology student here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. With aspirations to work in law enforcement, here is how UMass Amherst is helping prepare her to reach her goals.

Meet Esha, a sophomore biomedical engineering (BME) student here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. With aspirations to explore biotherapeutics and drug development, here is how UMass Amherst is helping prepare her to reach her goals.

Deciding which college to attend is not easy, especially when you have a lot of great options. So, how do I decide what university to attend? Here are four of the reasons why I decided to attend UMass Amherst.

Truthfully, I came into online learning rather skeptical. I have very little experience with Zoom, the online video platform UMass students are using to attend class, and could not imagine how this would function normally. I am so used to physically attending class. How could I possibly focus, or even have the drive, to attend class remotely? I had my doubts about how seamless this transition would be. 

Like many other college students, I have little experience with online courses, let alone taking them from my childhood home. Despite the change, I am determined to make the most out of this situation by placing a lot of focus and passion into my academics. I have been thinking a lot lately about how I will maintain my usual productivity under such different circumstances than I am normally used to. So, how do I plan to remain productive in a time of change and uncertainty? Here are the three things I am doing to stay productive and motivated.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is well known for its number one campus dining. With a mission to contribute to the campus life experience by providing a variety of healthy and flavorful meals featuring local, regional, and world cuisine in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner, UMass Dining is an integral part of the UMass experience.

Almost everything has myths, even colleges. When I first decided to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I thought I knew everything there was to know about the school. Needless to say, I found that many of my assumptions to be wrong, especially once I came to know the school on my own.

My time in college is quickly dwindling. It feels like just yesterday I was a nervous freshman frantically refreshing Google Maps in attempts to find my way around campus. Looking back, it always makes me laugh when remembering how much of a lost puppy I was. Now, I could map the campus with my eyes closed. But in a few short months, my vision of campus will only be a far off memory. 

I have a lot of fond memories here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, but I am eager to flourish into adult life. My internship experiences have given me a taste of the corporate workforce, and I have been missing it since I left. While my future is uncertain, uncertainty excites me, and so does a challenge.

The convenience of having a Peter Pan Bus stop right here on the UMass Amherst campus (located in the Haigis Mall) is a huge perk that I believe is extremely overlooked. Whether you are heading home for the weekend, traveling with friends, or just about any of your other traveling needs, the Peter Pan Bus is a great mode of transportation.

I applied to the University of Massachusetts Amherst as an English major back in 2017. Throughout the entirety of my schooling, I have always been fascinated by literature. I was a textbook book worm. I always had my nose in a book and I was constantly on the hunt for the next piece of literature I could get my hands on. When I was in high school, my love for English flourished. I took Advanced Placement Literature and the course challenged me to explore the depth of the discipline, and left me hungry for more. Back in high school I also had the most compassionate and vibrant English teacher, and her passion for the subject led in part to my decision to pursue a career in English. Despite adding a secondary major in communication, my love for English is still as strong as ever. 

As much as I love food, especially the number one campus dining offered here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I am an awful cook. I do not even think that I am capable of cooking a simple dish at the moment, that is how awful I am. Given that I am moving away on my own this summer for work, I am scrambling to learn how to cook before I starve to death or run solely on carry out. Thankfully, my wonderful friends that live off-campus treat me to their phenomenal cooking whenever I come over. Over this semester, I have been shadowing each meal preparation so that I can to finally teach myself how to cook.

Good old winter break. A much needed time of relaxation that never feels long enough to truly satisfy my need to curl up in bed with no responsibilities and watch Netflix all day. As I am writing this, I am now back at the University of Massachusetts Amherst ready to tackle this new semester. With classes starting in a few days, I have been able to take the time to reflect on what I have been up to this winter break. From getting my first tattoo, spending time with friends and family, traveling, and spending much needed time with my cat and dog, I would say that I had a very enjoyable winter break. 

Recently, I stumbled upon an old Facebook memory. On December 16, 2016, I posted about my acceptance into the University of Massachusetts Amherst. When my Facebook memories brought up the post, I could not believe that it had already been three years since I was first accepted. I sent a screenshot of the post to some of my friends here at UMass, and we all could not believe how old we felt. It was surreal to see that letter again after all these years, especially with my time here at UMass quickly coming to a close. This letter resurfacing made me stop and think about who I was then and who I have become now. While I am incredibly proud of the person I was, there is so much I wish I could go back and tell myself. With this in mind, here are four things I wish I could tell my past self before embarking on my journey here at UMass. 

For prospective college students, the process of applying to colleges can be very lengthy and time consuming. From narrowing down your applications, writing your college essay, touring colleges, and much more, your college application process can span over a period of a year or even more. Having applied to college more than three years ago, I still vividly remember how much time and effort went into my applications. I wanted everything to be perfect, and this was the only chance I had to make a good impression on these colleges. While admittedly I was pretty stressed out during the majority of the process, I still remember how freeing it was to finally hit the submit button on the Common Application.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Commonwealth’s flagship public research university, is one of the nation's top universities for research as measured by national and international rankings, academic citations, and research funding. The campus spends more than $200 million on research each year, demonstrating its contribution to the nation’s position as a technological and economic leader. Being such a large and well-resourced research university, undergraduate research is part of the UMass Amherst experience.

The UMCA, located in the Fine Arts Center here on campus, is a multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art. The museum is open and welcome to all current and prospective UMass Amherst students and is a hidden gem here on campus, a true must see spot during your time here. 

Our various UMass Facebook Groups and UMass Reddit are both great platforms to stay up to date with what is going on here at UMass Amherst. From my experience, I believe that the Facebook groups are best for individual class needs, while our Reddit is best for an overall snapshot of life at the university.

While it is completely natural to wonder what your residential experience will be like on campus, it is important to remember the support system you will have during your freshman year, right in your residence halls. Closest to your campus home, on your own floor and in your own residence hall, you can look to undergraduate Resident Assistants (RAs) for peer guidance. 

One of the best parts about living on campus here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is how extensive the residential choices are. Freshmen currently have six choices for residential halls: Central, Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community, Northeast, Orchard Hill, Southwest, and Sylvan. 

My parents were pretty hands-off when it came to my college decision journey. Ultimately, they trusted my judgment and wanted me to commit to a school on my own accord, while keeping in mind our family budget, of course.

Meet Ryan, Nilay, and Matt. Ryan, a junior operations & information management and informatics double major, Nilay, a junior computer science and statistics double major, and Matt, a senior computer science, mathematics, and economics triple major, are members of BUILD UMass. 

Meet Emma, a junior Architecture major and Building and Construction Technology minor here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Life as an architecture student here is a riveting experience packed with model building, software design, artistic expression, critical thinking, and an interactive classroom environment that prove to be great preparation for one’s career. Here is a glimpse of what life is like as an architecture student here at UMass Amherst from Emma’s perspective.