<p>does anyone have the email for bioTAP/ can post it? I printed out the application but accidentally deleted the email. Thanks in advanced!</p>
<p>also does anyone know what is on the math placement test (geometry?algebra?calculus?)?</p>
<p>Dear Prospective UMass Student,</p>
<p>Congratulations on your admission to the University of Massachusetts Amherst.</p>
<p>I would like to invite you to submit an application to join the Biological Sciences Talent Advancement Program (BIOTAP). I am the faculty coordinator of the BIOTAP program, and I know from past experience that BIOTAP students are among the most academically gifted science students on campus. So it really is an honor to receive an invitation to apply to BIOTAP, and you can be proud to have earned the honor.</p>
<p>BIOTAP has two main purposes, one social and one academic. On the social side of the ledger, BIOTAP helps new students adjust to life at college. A large, research-oriented university like UMass offers incredible advantages and opportunities to science students, but the large size of the institution also means that coming here from high school can be a little bit scary and overwhelming. BIOTAP will help you make the transition. All BIOTAP students live on the same dormitory floor, so from the minute you arrive at UMass, you’ll be part of a group. You’ll be able to go to dinner with friends on your very first night away from home, and you’ll see those same friends in class on the first day of school. Many of the people you meet on day 1 will remain as your friends for the next four years. (Believe me; we’ve seen it over and over again). We also have many planned activities to help you get to know your fellow BIOTAPers, and we have two “mentors” (upper-level students) who live on the BIOTAP floors and are there to help you out and answer your questions. BIOTAP really does create a small college within a large university, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>Academically, our focus is threefold. First, we want to introduce you to the huge array and wide range of life science activity and opportunity on campus. Second, we want to give you the opportunity to meet faculty members “up close and personal,” because getting to know faculty is probably the single most important thing you can do to make your education truly excellent. To accomplish these first two goals, we host a weekly seminar series. Every Monday evening a different faculty member or outside professional joins us to share his or her knowledge and experience. These visits provide BIOTAPers with an opportunity for close faculty contact that is not easily available to other first-year students, and give you a big head start on finding out about the kinds of research taking place on campus. It’s incredibly valuable, as we’ve heard repeatedly from former BIOTAP students.</p>
<p>The final prong of our academic program involves shared classes. All BIOTAP participants take honors introductory Biology and College Writing courses (unless exempt from the writing course) that are open only to BIOTAP students, and many students will share other courses as well. This shared course schedule enhances the social component of the program, but it also has academic value. You can discuss coursework with your peers, study together in your dorm, and feel comfortable knowing that your neighbors won’t think you’re weird if you want to talk about biology or chemistry or have a quiet night the day before a big exam. The resulting environment enhances academic performance and sharpens your focus (without cutting into your fun!)</p>
<p>I will be hosting BIOTAP information sessions on campus on April 8th and April 22nd, in conjunction with the Admissions Open House. On each of those dates, the info session will be at 2:45 PM. If you would like to attend a session, please RSVP for the appropriate Open House as soon as possible at the Spring Open House web page ([UMass</a> Amherst: Undergraduate Admissions - Spring Open Houses](<a href=“http://www.umass.edu/admissions/springreceptions]UMass”>http://www.umass.edu/admissions/springreceptions)), as space at each Open House is limited.</p>
<p>If you would like to participate in BIOTAP, please complete the application attached to this message and return it to me by March 30. Please note that you may apply even if you have not yet decided whether to attend UMass. Your application indicates only that you would like participate in BIOTAP in the event that you enroll in the University.</p>
<p>There are 48 spots in BIOTAP. If you are admitted to the program, we will notify you of your acceptance and let you know how to confirm your participation.</p>
<p>BIOTAP is entering its eighteenth year, and it has evolved into a program that I’m very proud of. BIOTAP students have fun, make friends, get involved in research, and succeed academically. I hope that you will attend UMass and become part of the BIOTAP tradition.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Bruce Byers
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst
<a href=“mailto:bbyers@bio.umass.edu”>bbyers@bio.umass.edu</a>, 413-545-1236</p>
<p>I sent in my application around March 12. Hopefully we’ll both get in. The math placement test is apparently pretty easy, probably just the subjects covered on the SAT like trigonometry and algebra II.</p>
<p>Thanks so much! I really hope we both get in too! :)</p>
<p>waitlisted…:(</p>
<p>@backtobasics I am sorry you got waitlisted. I’m sure people will choose not to go to umass so there might be more open spots</p>
<p>I have not received an email yet…</p>
<p>Hang on, I know someone accepted that is not going. So there is hope</p>