I get it but at the end of the day I really believe all these kids will land right where they fit best. On paper I’m sure there are lots of kids who deserve a shot at top programs but you just don’t ever know how it will pan out. My friend’s daughter was a 3 sport athlete, valedictorian, perfect math SAT score and other crazy good stats and didn’t get into a top school she wanted. She got into another though, and is very happy.
I’m britlass’ daughter, 22 a college senior, and I need to say some things. First off, the CHC and UMASS are public institutions. As public institutions they work for us. We have every right to know why they made those decisions regarding enrollment and invitations. If someone who is qualified, meets and exceeds requirements for entry is denied we should be concerned. It’s not about helicopter parenting, it’s about getting answers when we’re confused.
I am very happy for this girl. We know her well. No special hooks to get in. I think we as parents should be helping our kids navigate this process. And of course we would have the conversation that sometimes that’s life and you don’t get what you expect. However, this is a discussion forum and those of us who are new to the process may be trying to understand why we are seeing CHC acceptances and merit aid given to kids who’s stats are below our own. I think that if there was a clear understanding of the criteria and your kid didn’t meet it we would all be fine with it. It’s not meant to take away anything from the kids who were lucky enough to get in and get money.
If people are posting their stats and their decision info how can we not compare them it’s only natural. And I myself am on this forum to gain insight.
will more decisions be released this week
ACT 33
Weighted GPA 4.3
Top 5% in school
4 yr sport
CHC and Business School
Thrilled
With a strong freshman first semester performance, one can apply to be moved into the CHC.
@Lerxst do u know if more decisions will be released this week? (the office appears to be closed the week of the 26th-2nd)
While not completely pertinent to the conversation, are you all aware of the Common Data Set? It’s a standard form that most schools publish about the school, its curriculum, student population, etc. Its good for comparing schools. Section C7 lists the criteria that the school considers for admission. https://www.umass.edu/oir/sites/default/files/publications/cds/common_data_set.pdf, or just search for “UMass Amherst CDS”.
@tagreen348 Unfortunately, that’s a question for the Admission Office, not for the armchair quarterbacks here. I’m only a dad of a current junior.
@blackhawk-mom Some people don’t post all their stats, some make things up. We don’t really know. I just glance at them for a general reference. They don’t tell the whole picture. But I appreciate your position and questions. This is my second child to go through this ( diff. schools, though). Lots of times things don’t make sense and it can be frustrating trying to figure out why one kid gets in some place but another doesn’t.
@tagreen348 I’m counting on UMass releasing more decisions this week! It would be crazy to only release them on Friday. I don’t like this process. I wish they could just release them all at once.
@Lerxst. That as an interesting document. So many kids get into UMass but not so many actually attend!
That’s what happens with a process like the common app which makes it so easy to apply to lots of schools. I’m guessing that it also makes it such a challenge for schools to attempt to predict, based on the application, ECs, scores and FAFSA, which students might accept admission or decline in order to create a freshman class with the characteristics they are targeting. Big data analytics?
Unless one becomes a member of the admissions department, one will never know the exact criteria that leads to a specific admission decision, public school or not.
My son was accepted to Isenberg. 12k merit, out of state. 1480 out of 1600 SAT. Lots of EC’s, leadership, etc. UMASS was a last minute addition so we haven’t actually visited. Looking forward to seeing soon.
From UMass Admissions Twitter: Disclaimer: Not ALL decisions will be released on Fri.; that is just when we’ll begin releasing decisions. We will continue through mid-Jan.
The most competitive umassprograms receive top candidates but the whole honors college cannot be made up of people from one major, they develop the honors acceptance to be reflective of the entire school and all majors. So there will be top candidates that do not get in, like all schools they say it is a holistic approach.
They also likely keep the instate/oos ratio and other demographics in mind. Also most schools we have talked to that offer early action have received record number of applications. Schools simply cannot fill their entire honors program or any programs for that matter when they will receive thousands more applications by January.
unfortunately I think college admissions and financial aid can be boiled down to one sentence-sometimes life isn’t fair- tough lesson but everyone will deal with it in this process
The Admissions FB page said they are reviewing “over 17,500” early action applications. Wow!
Anyone know if they just release decisions in patches or if it is consistently through out the week?
If I can add anything to the whole CHC discussion, at the info session they did say that Honors College Students are not based solely on grades. They assess college application essays and other content to find special characteristics which they think will add to the honors community. Yes, most honors students have good grades, but it’s not the only deciding factor, or else all of the kids in CHC would be from the competitive programs.
@Lerxst. Where does it say that? I don’t see any mention of it on their FB page.
It’s a post back on November 29th.