RAP Lottery for Fall 2026
The RAP Lottery for Fall 2026 will open on May 19, 2026 at 9am. Stay tuned for more details!
Butterfield Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: Limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: ENG131 - Society and Literature
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (AL, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: ENG144 - World Literature in English
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (AL, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Gorman Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: Limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: FYS 191 - RAP First-Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: any first-year student in the Riccio College of Engineering
*This residence hall offers break housing.
Required course: FYS 191 - RAP First-Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: any first-year student in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences
*This residence hall offers break housing.
Learn more about the program.
Van Meter Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: Limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: Yes
Required course: ARTHIST100 - Ancient and Medieval Art
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (AT, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: COMPLIT131 - Brave New World
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (AL, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: COMPLIT141 - Good and Evil
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (AL, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Wheeler Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Elevate your business education with the Pathways in Education RAP at UMass Amherst's Isenberg School of Management. This initiative aims to promote diversity in business professions and offers a first-year Residential Academic Program for students from underrepresented populations pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
- Program Coordinators & Contacts:
- Program Advisor & Contact:
- John Aube – @email - Academics/Enrollment
- Required courses: OIM210 - Introduction to Business Information Systems and SCH-MGMT191 - Corporate Seminar and spring course.
- Course types: 4-credit core degree requirement and 1-credit seminar
- Eligible students: any first-year Isenberg School of Management students from underrepresented backgrounds
- Learn more about the program.
This is a roommate restricted program. Students must live with another student in the Pathways in Education RAP in Wheeler.
Crabtree Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Join Bio-Pioneer RAP at UMass Amherst for a focused and supportive first-year experience! This year-long program is for declared life science majors who are first-generation college students. Bio-Pioneer RAP offers a smooth transition to college life, celebrates first-generation identity, and provides academic and social support. With dedicated courses, academic advising, tutoring, and peer collaboration, students build a strong foundation in science. Engage in campus life through discussions, events, and a week-long orientation before the start of the academic year. Embark on a journey of personal and academic growth with Bio-Pioneers RAP!
- Program Coordinator & Contact: Craig McNally – [email protected]
- Required courses: BIO151 - Introductory Biology I, BIO191B: Bio-Pioneers Seminar, and a spring semester course
- Course types: 4-credit Gen Ed (BS) and 1-credit seminar
- Eligible students: First generation, first-year life science majors (animal sciences, biochemistry & molecular biology, biology, environmental sciences, microbiology, pre-veterinary science & CNS exploratory track students interested in declaring a life sciences major)
- Learn more about the program
Required course: FYS 191 - RAP First-Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: any first-year student in the College of Natural Sciences
Dwight Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: No
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: MATH131 - Calculus I and Calculus I Discussion
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (R2)
Eligible students: any first-year student in the Riccio College of Engineering
Required course: FYS 191 - RAP First-Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: any first-year student in the Riccio College of Engineering
Hamlin Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: Limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: MATH131 - Calculus I and Calculus Discussion
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (R2)
Eligible students: any first-year student in the Riccio College of Engineering
Required course: FYS191- RAP First-Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: any first-year student in the Riccio College of Engineering
Knowlton Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: Yes
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: Yes
Required course: PHIL100 - Intro to Philosophy
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (AL)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: PHIL170 - Problems in Social Thought
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Leach Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: ECE150 - Making Better Decisions by Humans and AI
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DU)
Eligible students: any first-year student in the Riccio College of Engineering
Join the Public Interest Technology RAP at UMass Amherst to live and learn among peers who care deeply about realizing socially responsible solutions to the challenges of our technology-driven world. Tailored for first-year students, this transformative experience is open to students from all majors. Become a part of the growing community of public interest technologists on campus and form lasting connections with friends and faculty who will ease your transition to college life and set you up for mentorship and success both within and beyond the classroom.
Throughout the semester, we will consider:
- What strategies we can use to promote socially responsible use of technology
- What we can do as citizens to make the tech-driven world a better and safer place
- How we can use technology to solve complicated problems facing our communities
PIT serves as a critical foundation for 21st century education, for people who create technologies, and for those who work with them, which is all of us. This RAP will not focus on coding but will focus instead on thinking analytically, broadly, and strategically about technology as a tool to solve complex societal problems.
- Program Coordinator & Contact:
- Donna Baron - @email
- Faculty
- Emily Nutwell - @email
- Required courses: CICS127 - Introduction to Public Interest Technology
- Course types: 4-credit Gen Ed (SI)
- Eligible students: any first-year student
- Learn more about the PIT RAP and the Public Interest Technology Initiative
Mary Lyon Hall
Public Elevator: No
Single Rooms: No
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: EDUC167 - Education & Film
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DU)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: EDUC101 - Schooling in the United States
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Dickinson Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: No
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: ANTHRO150 - Ancient Civilizations
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (HS, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: FYS191 - RAP First-Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: any first-year Animal Science majors
This is a roommate restricted program. Students must live with another student in the Animal Sciences RAP in Dickinson.
Required course: MATH131 - Calculus I, Calculus I Discussion
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (R2)
Eligible students: any first-year College of Natural Sciences student
Required course: SOCIOL103 - Social Problems
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DU)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Webster Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: Yes
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: Yes
FIERCE - Fostering Inclusion by Engaging in Real-World Computing Education
Program Coordinator/Contact: Erika Dawson Head @email
Required course: FYS191 - RAP First-Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: any first-year student in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences
Learn more about the program.
Required course: ANTHRO104 - Culture, Society, and People
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Fuel your passion for innovation and entrepreneurship with the Innovation & Entrepreneurship RAP at UMass Amherst! Tailored for first-year students, this transformative experience unfolds in the fall semester, featuring a course on entrepreneurship and the economy. Open to students from all majors, the program sparks creativity, hones entrepreneurial skills, and cultivates a vibrant culture of collaboration and innovation.
Engage wholeheartedly in your creative pursuits through interdisciplinary collaboration, idea sharing, and venture creation. Join a network of ingenious thinkers, inventors, and successful entrepreneurs. Access pitch and showcase events, connect with mentors, alumni, and networks in your desired disciplines, have exclusive access to the I&E Incubator Space, and utilize the brand-new MakerSpace. Participate in Bootcamps, workshops, events, and hands-on activities designed to ignite and nurture your interests. In the spring semester, continue working on your venture projects, culminating in presentations and collaborations at the end of your first year. Ignite your entrepreneurial spirit with the Innovation & Entrepreneurship RAP!
- Program Coordinator & Contact: Amy LeClair – [email protected] & Gregory Thomas – [email protected]
- Required course: RES-ECON102 - Intro to Resource Economics and a spring seminar
- Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB)
- Eligible students: any first-year student
- Learn more about the program
This is a roommate restricted program. Students must live with another student in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship RAP in Webster.
Required course: SOCIOL106 - Race, Gender, Class, and Ethnicity
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DU)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Cance Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: No
ADA Accessible Rooms: Yes
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: Yes
Required course: FYS191 - CNS RAP First-Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: any first-year students in the College of Natural Sciences
Required course: SPHHS150 - Great Challenges in Public Health and Health Sciences
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DU)
Eligible students: any first-year students
Required course: PUBHLTH129 - Health Care for All
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DU)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Emerson Hall
Public Elevator: Access with Disability Services Accommodation
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: COMM122 - Introduction to Media Industries and Institutions
Course type: 3- credit course
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: PSYCH100 - Introductory Psychology
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: NRC185 - Sustainable Living: Solutions for the 21st Century
Course type: 4- credit Gen Ed (I)
Eligible students: any first-year student
James Hall
Public Elevator: Access with Disability Services Accommodation
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: SRVCLRNG 192 - Self-Awareness, Social Justice and Service in the Fall and a spring course.
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DU)
Eligible students: any first-year student
*This residence hall offers break housing.
John Adams Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: UNIV 125T - Transfer Success Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: new incoming transfer students
Kennedy Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: Yes
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: KIN100 - Intro to Kinesiology and discussion section
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (BS)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required courses: OIM210 - Introduction to Business Information Systems and SCH-MGMT191: Business in Global Society in the fall, and SCH-MGMT192: Business in Global Society II Seminar in the spring
Course types: 4-credit core degree requirement and 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: first-year students in the Isenberg School of Management
This is a roommate restricted program. Students must live with another student in the Isenberg Fellows RAP in Kennedy Hall.
Required course: PHIL164: Medical Ethics
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Melville Hall
Public Elevator: Access with Disability Services Accommodation
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Join the thriving community of Emerging Scholars RAP at UMass Amherst—a signature Residential Academic Program in collaboration with Commonwealth Honors College. Tailored for students who are first generation, Pell-eligible, or under-represented in their field of study, this program. identifies individuals with strong academic potential. Participants can transition into the Honors College during the first year, provided they earn 12 UMass credits with a 3.4 GPA. The Emerging Scholars RAP offers intentionally limited-capacity courses for faculty interactions, critical thinking skills, and intellectual discussions applicable throughout your academic journey. Open to students of any discipline, this program requires living together for the first academic year in Melville Hall.
As an Emerging Scholar, you'll benefit from mentoring opportunities, interactions with cohorts, personalized academic advising, and connections to campus support programs, cultural centers, faculty, and staff. Engage in co-curricular events and join a network of successful alumni who have excelled in graduate schools, careers, and leadership roles. Elevate your academic experience with Emerging Scholars!
- Program Director & Contact: Dr. Ann Marie Russell – [email protected]
- Required courses: EDUC210H Social Diversity in Education. We also require two courses in the Spring: HONORS201H Ideas that Change the World (4 credits) and Honors391AH Emerging Scholars Leadership Seminar (1-credit
- Course types: 4-credit Gen Ed (DUSB), 4-credit Gen Ed (CW), and 1-credit seminar
- Eligible students: First-year, first-generation, Pell-eligible and underrepresented students interested in joining the Commonwealth Honors College after being admitted to UMass Amherst.
- Learn more about this RAP here.
This is a roommate restricted program. Students must live with another student in the Emerging Scholars RAP.
Required course: LEGAL101-2 - Introduction to Legal Studies
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DU)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Moore Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: Yes
Required course: RES-ECON107 - Hunger in a Global Economy
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required courses: OIM210 - Introduction to Business Information Systems and SCH-MGMT191: Business in Global Society in the fall, and SCH-MGMT192: Business in Global Society II Seminar in the spring
Course types: 4-credit core degree requirement and 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: first-year students in the Isenberg School of Management
This is a roommate restricted program. Students must live with another student in the Isenberg Fellows RAP in Moore Hall.
Pierpont Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: Yes
Required course: POLISCI111 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required courses: OIM210 - Introduction to Business Information Systems and SCH-MGMT191: Business in Global Society in the fall, and SCH-MGMT192: Business in Global Society II Seminar in the spring
Course types: 4-credit core degree requirement and 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: first-year students in the Isenberg School of Management
This is a roommate restricted program. Students must live with another student in the Isenberg Fellows RAP in Pierpont Hall.
Required course: POLISCI121 - World Politics
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (SB, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Thoreau Hall
Public Elevator: Access with Disability Services Accommodation
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: No
Required course: HIST155 - Atlantic World
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (HS, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: HIST120 - Latin America: The Colonial Period
Course type: Gen Ed (HS, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Required course: HIST131: Middle East History II
Course type: 4-credit Gen Ed (HS, DG)
Eligible students: any first-year student
Oak Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: Yes
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: Yes
Required course: FYS191- RAP First Year Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: first-year students in the Riccio College of Engineering and Commonwealth Honors College
The First Year Honors RAP empowers Commonwealth Honors College students to excel as they begin their UMass journey. By equipping students with resources and tools to succeed both in and out of the classroom, this program ensures a smooth transition to college life. Participants live in the CHCRC and enroll in Honors191FPH: Contemporary Topics, a one-credit course designed to introduce you to CHC’s intellectual community. You’ll explore big ideas, strengthen your academic skills, and reflect on the transition to college. The course is grounded in discussion, community-building, and deep thinking about the world around us. With 18 students per seminar, participants form lasting connections with peers and faculty, sharpen essential skills like public speaking and critical thinking, and unlock opportunities for mentorship and co-curricular success.
"The RAP allowed me to connect with classmates and professors right away, making UMass feel smaller and more welcoming." — Rebecca, Honors RAP Participant
- Program Coordinator & Contact: Alice Feldman - [email protected]
- Required course: Honors191FPH - Contemporary Topics
- Course Type: 1-credit seminar
- Eligible students: any first-year Commonwealth Honors College student
- Learn more about the program
Sycamore Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: Very limited
ADA Accessible Rooms: Yes
ADA Bathroom: Yes
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: Yes
Explore the Biological Sciences Talent Advanced Program (BioTAP) at UMass Amherst! This RAP is tailored for first-year Commonwealth Honors College students admitted as biological science majors. Limited to 48 students, BioTAP offers a unique opportunity to connect with motivated peers and faculty, fostering lasting relationships within the biology, biochemistry, microbiology, and life sciences community. Benefit from upper-class mentors providing academic and personal support, exclusive programming, and insights into the goals and opportunities within the university's biological sciences departments. Elevate your academic experience with BioTAP!
- Program Coordinator & Contact: Akiko Okusu @email or Laura Francis @email
- Required courses: BIO161H - Quant Biology of the Cell and BIO191L - BioTAP Seminar
- Course types: 4-credit Gen Ed (BS) and 1-credit seminar
- Eligible students: any first-year Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Neuroscience majors also admitted to the Commonwealth Honors College
- Learn more about the program
This is a roommate restricted program. Students must live with another student in BioTAP.
The First-Year Honors RAP empowers Commonwealth Honors College students to excel as they begin their UMass journey. By equipping students with resources and tools to succeed both in and out of the classroom, this program ensures a smooth transition to college life. Participants live in the CHCRC and enroll in HONORS 191FP: Front Page Seminar, a small, discussion-based one-credit course that explores critical topics like immigration, mental health, and climate change through engaging discussions and analysis of current events. With 18 students per seminar, participants form lasting connections with peers and faculty, sharpen essential skills like public speaking and critical thinking, and unlock opportunities for mentorship and co-curricular success.
"The RAP allowed me to connect with classmates and professors right away, making UMass feel smaller and more welcoming." — Rebecca, Honors RAP Participant
- Program Coordinator & Contact: Alice Feldman - [email protected]
- Required course: HON191FP - Front Page Seminar
- Course Type: 1-credit seminar
- Eligible students: any first-year Commonwealth Honors College student
- Learn more about the program
McNamara Hall
Public Elevator: Yes
Single Rooms: Suite style living with limited singles
ADA Accessible Rooms: No
ADA Bathroom: No
Gender Inclusive Bathroom With Shower: In gender inclusive suites, the bathroom is shared with individual locking toilet stalls and showers with changing rooms.
Required course: UNIV125T - Transfer Success Seminar
Course type: 1-credit seminar
Eligible students: new incoming transfer students
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413-545-2803