Category Archives: Applying

Zeemee: A new way to make connections and find your people

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A New Way to Make Connections & Find Your People

Meeting other students attending UMass Lowell just became MUCH easier. During my time applying to UMass Lowell, there wasn’t a convenient way to reach out to fellow students and build relationships until I was on campus. That’s why UMass Lowell is making my experience a thing of the past and partnering with ZeeMee!

What is ZeeMee?

To put it simply, ZeeMee is a social media app dedicated to helping prospective students build relationships with peers before setting foot on campus. However, there is so much more to this app that makes it an invaluable tool for aspiring college students.

After downloading the ZeeMee app, make sure to join the University of Massachusetts Lowell community in the “Chats” tab. In our community, you will find a lot of cool features:

  • General Chat: This section is limited to prospective students and it is just a big group chat where you can talk about anything from college to current events. Whatever you want to talk about, this is the place for it!
  • Ask a Current Student: This is the section where you can ask a current student (which happens to be me!) whatever questions you have about college life. I’m happy to answer just about any question, so don’t be shy!
  • Find a Roommate: Make sure to take the quick ZeeMee roommate matching quiz that will determine how compatible your living habits are with other students that have also taken the quiz. You can talk with people that have a similar lifestyle as you and determine if you would like to be roommates.
  • Ask a Counselor: If you have any questions for an admissions counselor, drop them in this section and they will get back to you ASAP.
  • Class of ____: There are group chats dedicated to each class, so if you would like to just talk to students in your year, this is the place!

Before you get to meeting new people, make sure to create your own profile! You can upload a profile picture, type up a quick bio about yourself, add up to 20 of your interests, your hometown, your major, and your social media handles. There is also the option to answer “Fun Fact” type questions and post photos or videos to your feed.

UMass Lowell partnering with ZeeMee will really benefit future students. Meeting new people and finding a roommate can be tough, but the UMass Lowell community on ZeeMee is going to make meeting other future River Hawks as easy as ever!

Now’s the perfect time to visit campus

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now's the perfect time to visit campus!

We could tell you all about class sizes, dorms and the activities available to our students in an email, but it wouldn’t be the same as seeing these things in-person for yourself.

So, let’s take this offline.

Our admissions team is available and eager to connect with you and your family to help you imagine yourself here. This summer, you can visit campus in-person most days of the week (even on Saturdays!). 

We can’t wait to see you!

*Anyone who visits campus must review the Massachusetts Travel Order and register as a UMass Lowell visitor.

Check this out: Virtual tour, but make it personal

What does the switch to rolling admissions mean for you?

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It’s been a challenging year, and you shouldn’t be penalized for needing more time to think about your next steps. That’s why, for students applying for fall 2021, we’ve shifted to rolling admissions for all of our majors (except nursing). With everything going on in the world, we want you to know it’s ok if you need a little more time.

To help you better understand what this means for you, I sat down with Ed Seero, my colleague from Admissions, to lay out all the things the Office of Admissions wanted you to know.

Q: Why did UMass Lowell make this shift to rolling admissions?

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Are you ready for college?

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Ever since the world at large began social distancing and locking down, we’ve been working hard to understand how the pandemic impacted your high school experience. And we realized something.

We’re hearing that many high school students, like you, feel less prepared for college because of their remote and hybrid learning situations. And it’s no wonder—it’s been a tumultuous year. This is no one’s fault—not yours, not your teachers’ and not your counselors’. Missing out on in-person interactions in classrooms, hallways and during breaks is challenging. We know you and your teachers are working hard.

We hear your concerns, and we want you to know that our faculty and staff are working hard to find ways to support you and help bridge the gaps in your education.

It’s not just on you to catch yourself up. It’s on us, too. We’re acknowledging that there may be gaps in your education because of the pandemic. We are committed to making sure that you and your fellow students feel supported and able to understand your UMass Lowell coursework fully once you enroll.  The state of the world is beyond your control—we know this and it’s not your fault if you are a little behind academically.  We will help you get caught up.

We’ll say it again for the people in the back: It’s not your responsibility to cram hundreds of hours’ worth of studying and worry about this unnecessarily. It’s on the UMass Lowell admins, faculty and staff to create environments and supports that help you bridge these gaps.

How we’ll support you

Pandemic or not, our faculty and academic support staff are here for you from day one through graduation day. Here are some ways we’ll help you once you’re enrolled at the university:

  • The Launch! Summer Program lets students ease into college courses and build confidence in the classroom
  • The Centers for Learning, Advising and Student Success offers academic advising and tutoring for students worried about falling behind
  • All students are assigned a faculty and professional advisor—you’ll find support in your academics and your future aspirations

As always, we’re here to guide you on the next stage of your education. Have questions? We’re a quick email away.

Check this out: Let’s talk about test scores

Let’s talk about test scores

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Way back in 2015, UMass Lowell became the first public university in New England to offer a No Test Option for applicants. Lowering the barriers to education for students who have the ability to succeed in college is something we pride ourselves in. That’s why, this year, we’re also giving you the chance to self-report your SAT and ACT scores.

let's talk test scores at umass lowell

No Test Option

We know that test center closings and cancellations are a cause of concern. The good news is that we’ve offered a No Test Option to applicants for years. At this point, it’s a long established and totally acceptable way to apply to UMass Lowell. If you’re thinking of applying with the No Test Option, know that you can apply to all majors and you’re eligible for scholarships.

Learn more about the No Test Option.

Self-Reported Test Scores

Since you have a limited number of schools you can send test scores to free of charge, we want to remove the financial burden of sending your scores to us, too. You will only need to submit official test scores if you are admitted to UMass Lowell and choose to enroll.

Learn more about self-reporting your SAT and ACT scores.

Have questions?

We’re a quick email away and are happy to answer any questions you have!

Check this out: What happens to your application after you click “submit”?

What happens to your application after you click “submit?”

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There are a lot of things I don’t know. I don’t know where you are in the application process. I don’t know how many applications you’ve submitted. I don’t know what decision the UML admissions committee will make about your application.

One thing I do know: What happens to your application after you click “submit.”

what happens with you application after you hit submit

While I have ~absolutely zero power~ when it comes making admissions decisions, I hope that giving you a look behind the curtain at the admissions process will make waiting for a decision a little more bearable.

I spent some time with our admissions counselors to learn exactly what happens from the time you click submit to the time you receive a decision. Here are some of the most important steps:

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Tricks to help manage stress and stay positive

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Ticks to help manage stress and stay positive

This blog post is part of a series that will help you as you apply to colleges. Today, I’m going over tips to help you manage your stress and stay positive throughout the college application process.

Are you late to the party and want to know what’s going on? Start here.

First thing’s first. This post is relevant to you at all stages of the college application process—it doesn’t matter if it’s the summer before your junior year or the fall of your senior year.

Alleviating our students’ stress and staying positive is something that we take seriously at UML. Let’s go over some ways you can manage your stress as you work through the college admissions process.

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Don’t write a college essay…

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writing a college essay

…tell a story. Or, if telling stories isn’t your thing, use your college essay to lay out a case for why you should be admitted.

This blog post is part of a series that will help you as you apply to colleges. Today, I’m giving you some pointers on how to write a college essay that wows.

Are you late to the party and want to know what’s going on? Start here.

This post is relevant to you if it is the summer before your senior year or if you are currently in your senior year of high school. I don’t recommend that juniors worry about their college essay yet, but if you’re a junior and want to get a head start, this will help with self-reflection and get you in the right mindset to complete this essay.

Let’s write this college essay.

The trick to doing that is to reframe how you think about the college essay. Get in the mindset that this isn’t the usual five-paragraph-essay you write in class. It’ll be easier to write if you think of it as you telling a story or making a case for yourself instead.

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Seniors! Some reminders as you apply to colleges

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seniors! some reminders as you apply to colleges

This blog post is part of a series that will help you as you apply to colleges. Today, I’m covering some things you should double check before you click the submit button on your college applications.

You’re in the final stretch, and you’ve done the bulk of the college application process work in your junior year. So, while it might be stressful, your to-do list shouldn’t be as long as it was before.

Are you late to the party and want to know what’s going on? Start here.

This post is relevant to you if it is the summer before your senior year or if you are currently in your senior year of high school.

college admissions lingo: if it is the summer before your senior year, you are a "rising senior"

Let’s break down what you need to be aware of early on.

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