@waf107 admissions to Umass is based primarily on GPA (which they reweight and scores). It’s not all that holistic. I think you’d find that many people are qualified to review these apps and don’t need to be admissions counselors.
@collegemom9 Honors college admission claims to be holistic. But if the temp is reviewing them to be passed on for holistic review, that is a temp making the initial decision. And the merit scholarships are clearly not based on numbers alone as my son did not receive one but friends with lower SAT scores and GPA did. Also my sophomore daughter at umass in honors, had lower SAT and same UMAss weighted GPA as her brother and she recieved trustee scholarship
@ChunkyCat I applied for financial aid too… I’m just very confused because I had gone to a presentation w a UMass admissions counselor and she said merit scholarships are just by test scores and GPA… I am in the top for both… I am very grateful for my acceptance but no CHC or scholarships stings
@waf107 yes the honors college is holistic and is most definitely not just based on scores and GPA’s but nowhere in that ad does it say that temps are reviewing applicants for the honors college. My guess is that is a completely different department.
@colllegefreak100 the only merit that in state students are eligible for is the 2k that’s attached to admission to the honors college. Is you don’t get in to CHC, no merit.
@collegemom9 in state merit is provided to non chc students. According to the CDS UMass Amherst provided non need based aid to 1,373 freshman last year, there are about 600 honors students that are in a freshman class. Honors acceptance is determined by the admissions department, including any temp help they might hire. The temp readers are part of the process in determining honors and merit scholarships although hopefully are not the final say. They may have perfectly fine credentials but they definitely don’t have the same vested interest in the success of the school that an employee would have.
I don’t know any in state students who have received more than the 2k that they get for being in the CHC. My friend’s daughter had a 36 ACT and zero merit. If there are 700 kids out of all the applicants that revived merit who aren’t in the CHC that is a minescule amount. I would think anyone with the minimum grades for CHC gets referred to their AO’s. The honors college admittance goes far beyond that though as you know. I don’t think temps are making that decision.
The 1300 that received non need based aid are enrolled freshman students, they do not report how many they offered merit. Of the enrolled students not eligible for need based about half received scholarships. Almost 30% of the enrolled freshman class received some level of non need based aid. The criteria for both honors and merit should be more transparent at public universities that are funded in part by taxes, especially if 30% are receiving merit. If a student’s stats put them in the 75th percentile and 30% receive non need based aid that student should be getting merit $
But the majority of that 30% are out of state. I’m sorry but UMass is just not good with instate merit. My son has stats that put him far above the 75th percentile. No merit. You need to know this going in and weigh your options.
The fee for the CHC is $600 so if a 2K merit is given to CHC students that covers the fee and leaves $1400 to apply towards tuition and fees. That’s it.
My son that just got accepted to Umass (4.0 uw, 1400 sat, AP’s, Honors, NHS, class officer, varsity sports, lots of community service, band, etc. didn’t get any scholarships and no CHC. However, we’re seeing lower stats getting merit scholarships and CHC. It is confusing. Although I have another one there in CHC already, I’m going to urge him to apply to a few more private colleges that have been contacting him.
I have a student in chc at umass so I’m well aware that instate merit is not significant and is certainly not enough to change a decision on attending. My point is that the determination of merit should be clear cut on stats- students with a 1300 SAT score and 3.5 GPA shouldn’t be getting merit or honors over students with 1500 and 4.0s. My son stats and ECs are identical to the first(actually slightly better SAT) but with a different outcome.
I think if you’re looking for guarantees you are better off looking at different schools ie Univeristy of Alabama.
I’m not looking for guarantees just criteria consistently applied.
If I still not heard back, do I really get a chance? My stats is 1360 SAT, 4.1 Weighted GPA, both NHS and French NHS, lots of ec. I applied to Nursing
The wait is definitely making me nervous too, I saw someone say earlier in the comments that they tend to release bad decisions later (SAT:1190, Gpa: 3.35 unweighted, applying undecided fine arts and humanities track)
@SharpChedder hang in there! My son was accepted this week undecided fine arts and humanities track with a 3.3 GPA and 1220 SAT.
Our daughter was accepted yesterday (December 26) to the College of Engineering. We are Out of State. Weighted GPA 4.25, 30 ACT, lots of APs and good extra curriculars. She got Chancellor’s Scholarship of $14,000 per year. No Honors College.
My daughter was accepted yesterday to the Isenberg without anything(honor, scholarships). She has GPA4.6 and SAT1550. Frustrating!