Hey everyone,
I just got accepted to Umass Amherst, but I wasn’t put into the honors program or given any scholarship. This came as a surprise because I exceed their requirements for this program. I have close to an A gpa and a 31 superscored act (I’m pretty sure they superscore). Even if they didn’t I have a 29 regular composite, and most people with this score get in anyways because they are right on the border. I called the school and they said an application reviewer would call me back but I haven’t heard from them. Someone said the spots may have been filled, but that doesn’t seem right to me. Does anyone have any idea why I didn’t get in? I’m nervous because this makes me doubt my chances to my reach schools.
Thanks!
From the UMASS website:
“Note that the number and quality of applications for freshman admission affect the selectivity of the Commonwealth Honors College review process, which means that meeting the minimum criteria is not a guarantee of admission.”
It appears that they are getting more selective each year, according to this article:
“The number of students entering Commonwealth Honors College is also up, from 623 in 2013 to 710 in 2014, with average SAT scores of 1359, up from 1356, and the grade point average increased to 4.24 from 4.21.”
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/08/umass_in_coming_class_has_bett.html
Your stats look great, but this might explain why you didn’t get in.
I have seen a few similar situations on here, it seems the honors college has been bombarded lately. Likely since the new Honors College complex was completed and that in general the school has made several large jumps in the rankings. Also, the average ACT last year for the honors college was a 31, this year it may end up being a 32, so it’s possible you may have been a little behind the other students ACT wise so I wouldn’t worry too much about the other schools. Also I am still unsure what your weighted GPA is specifically. Like the poster above said the average student had a 4.25 weighted GPA last year. (standard student had a 3.8)
Best of luck.
@peaches24 I think part of the problem is that Umass Amherst is one of the primary safety schools of elite students from MA (and, in my humble opinion, MA is one of the best, most competitive states for education…although I may be a bit biased 
). 65 students from a class of 180 applied there this year from my school alone, and only 15-20 are actually considering going. To get into the honors college, you would be competing with applicants with 3.9 UW GPAs and SAT scores in the 2200’s, many of whom are applying just to be sure they’ll have somewhere to go to college next year. It’s unfortunate that you have to compete against students like that, but it’s how the system works.
My daughter had a 1360 reading and math score and close to a 4.0 gpa with half honors but no APs until senior year (taking 5 APs senior year). She did not get an invitation to the honors college, which in addition to the high OOS cost (even with chancellor scholarship) are the reasons she decided not to go there. I called admissions before Christmas break and the person I spoke with said most of the invitees had combined SAT math and reading scores at the 1400 level with very high gpa in mostly honors and with several AP courses through junior year. From what ive been reading on CC the competition was tougher this year than ever before as the desirability of the commonwealth honors college and the new Commonwealth honors college dorms/residential living has attracted more top applicants.
Thank you all very much. I heard back from an admissions person and they said my gpa was just a little low (around a 4.2). It’s aggravating because I know my school is a lot harder than other schools nearby but whatever.
Does anyone know what percent of applicants get into the honors college? Is it super selective or not so much? I got in with a 32 ACT and a 4.1 weighted GPA. I’m surprised peaches24 didn’t get in.