So, what's the pecking order for Boston schools

[Anonymous]

I think BC's reputation is inflated here. I would consider it a step below Tufts, equivalent to Brandeis.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:NP just got me curious- for all of Boston and MA's reputation being full of good schools and colleges, why is its only state flagship UMass ranked so low? Did it used to be better in the past or was is always a mediocre??

UMB is far from the flagship campus. It is supposed to provide access to “real college” to working people.From am elitist pov it’s the weakest UMass campus but it has a mission of its own. UMass Amherst the flagshiip. It is a research university in the center of Massachusetts.

UMass Amherst is THREE Hours from Boston. It is located in Western Massachusetts. The Googled answers here (the majority) are obvious, but you didn't even bother to Google on this one.

NP--Um, you're the one getting it wrong. It is, as they said, in central MA, and is under 2 hours from Boston.

Who is they? The voices in your head?

MA native who went to HS 10 minutes from UMass Amherst. It is located, indisputably, in western massachusetts.
Look at a map. Visit sometime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think BC's reputation is inflated here. I would consider it a step below Tufts, equivalent to Brandeis.

Well, now we know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think BC's reputation is inflated here. I would consider it a step below Tufts, equivalent to Brandeis.

Maybe people are accounting for its long time ranking around 35 by USWR and countless others.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]I think BC's reputation is inflated here. I would consider it a step below Tufts, equivalent to Brandeis.[/quote]

I have never met anyone who went to Tufts because it was their dream school or #1 choice, except for tufts dental school. I have met plenty of BC diehards and multigenerational BC families and super proud alumni.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:You people are funny with your little "contests". Very interesting to witness.

People posting factually incorrect information shouldn’t be corrected?

Proclaiming 'School A is better than B' is factual?

No, but proclaiming UMass-Amherst is 3 hours from Boston (Logan Airport to the Mullens Center is 98 miles), or that UMass-Boston has D1 athletics is definitely incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP just got me curious- for all of Boston and MA's reputation being full of good schools and colleges, why is its only state flagship UMass ranked so low? Did it used to be better in the past or was is always a mediocre??

UMB is far from the flagship campus. It is supposed to provide access to “real college” to working people.From am elitist pov it’s the weakest UMass campus but it has a mission of its own. UMass Amherst the flagshiip. It is a research university in the center of Massachusetts.

UMass Amherst is THREE Hours from Boston. It is located in Western Massachusetts. The Googled answers here (the majority) are obvious, but you didn't even bother to Google on this one.

NP--Um, you're the one getting it wrong. It is, as they said, in central MA, and is under 2 hours from Boston.

Who is they? The voices in your head?

Look at a map. Visit sometime.

Don't blame everybody else! Mea Culpa! I am the person who said:
1- UMass Amherst is "about 200 miles west of Boston." By the by, I have driven this route many times and barring a catastrophe it took about two hours in my car. (Though I did have an old beater almost as slow as yours once, LOL!)
2 - I did also say UMass Amherst is "in the middle of Massachusetts." Your point is well taken. It is in the Connecticut River Valley, which is 2/3 of the way between Boston and the Western border of the state, not exactly equidistant. You got me. In my own defense, however, I thought this was detailed enough for folks from OOS who care about Boston, and don't give a hoot about Amherst.

[Anonymous]

**100 miles **

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think BC's reputation is inflated here. I would consider it a step below Tufts, equivalent to Brandeis.[/quote]

I have never met anyone who went to Tufts because it was their dream school or #1 choice, except for tufts dental school. I have met plenty of BC diehards and multigenerational BC families and super proud alumni. [/quote]

I disagree with the first point but I take the second-- and for a long time BC had a good alumni network in the Boston area (30 years ago in some lines of work you were better off with a BC degree than one from Harvard). But I don't think school loyalty actually makes the school "better" -- Notre Dame isn't a better school just because some people venerate it (and BC wasn't better than Harvard just because the alumni network was strong).

I guess I'd say you get a better education at Tufts but a BC degree might be more useful if you stay in the Boston area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP just got me curious- for all of Boston and MA's reputation being full of good schools and colleges, why is its only state flagship UMass ranked so low? Did it used to be better in the past or was is always a mediocre??

UMB is far from the flagship campus. It is supposed to provide access to “real college” to working people.From am elitist pov it’s the weakest UMass campus but it has a mission of its own. UMass Amherst the flagshiip. It is a research university in the center of Massachusetts.

UMass Amherst is THREE Hours from Boston. It is located in Western Massachusetts. The Googled answers here (the majority) are obvious, but you didn't even bother to Google on this one.

NP--Um, you're the one getting it wrong. It is, as they said, in central MA, and is under 2 hours from Boston.

Who is they? The voices in your head?

Look at a map. Visit sometime.

Buh-bye, troll..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP just got me curious- for all of Boston and MA's reputation being full of good schools and colleges, why is its only state flagship UMass ranked so low? Did it used to be better in the past or was is always a mediocre??

UMB is far from the flagship campus. It is supposed to provide access to “real college” to working people.From am elitist pov it’s the weakest UMass campus but it has a mission of its own. UMass Amherst the flagshiip. It is a research university in the center of Massachusetts.

UMASS Dartmouth actually has the reputation for weakest state school (outside of the “states” like Worcester State and Fitchburg State, etc). UMASS Boston draws a lot of good students these days who want to be in the city but can’t afford or get into one of the “elites”.

Dartmouth is still seen as an unserious party school. Lowell is STEM and the “states” are more technical or specific program oriented. If you want to be a cop, go to Fitchburg State. Teacher? Salem State. And so forth.

Interested in the experience of the kids who are serious students at UMASS Boston. Programs and course offerings seem extensive. There is an honors program. But is it hard to make friends/find your people and have a social community?

It’s a commuter school through and through. I wouldn’t expect any sort of community or peer group to come from the program. If your child is serious about attending, maybe they can live in Savin Hill or Southie where there are tons of young 20 something people.

Nope. It draws a lot of good students from local suburbs. Brand new dorms and D1 sports. I’m not sure of the personal experience there but we’ve had several kids from our well-regarded public go there te last few years and they are still there from what I know. so it can’t be purely non-traditional and commuter students.

UMB is D3. Anything else you say can’t be trusted if you can’t get that right.


https://www.umb.edu/athletics/about#:~:text=UMass%20Boston%20is%20a%20Division,the%20National%20Collegiate%20Athletic%20Association.

Hey, you're right on that. I confused UMASS Boston and Stonehill with regards to their sports division. It happens. But, believe me, the other information I provided is correct. Just because you don't want to believe that it's an up and coming, well-regarded school within MA doesn't mean that it's not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP just got me curious- for all of Boston and MA's reputation being full of good schools and colleges, why is its only state flagship UMass ranked so low? Did it used to be better in the past or was is always a mediocre??

UMB is far from the flagship campus. It is supposed to provide access to “real college” to working people.From am elitist pov it’s the weakest UMass campus but it has a mission of its own. UMass Amherst the flagshiip. It is a research university in the center of Massachusetts.

UMASS Dartmouth actually has the reputation for weakest state school (outside of the “states” like Worcester State and Fitchburg State, etc). UMASS Boston draws a lot of good students these days who want to be in the city but can’t afford or get into one of the “elites”.

Dartmouth is still seen as an unserious party school. Lowell is STEM and the “states” are more technical or specific program oriented. If you want to be a cop, go to Fitchburg State. Teacher? Salem State. And so forth.

Interested in the experience of the kids who are serious students at UMASS Boston. Programs and course offerings seem extensive. There is an honors program. But is it hard to make friends/find your people and have a social community?

It’s a commuter school through and through. I wouldn’t expect any sort of community or peer group to come from the program. If your child is serious about attending, maybe they can live in Savin Hill or Southie where there are tons of young 20 something people.

Nope. It draws a lot of good students from local suburbs. Brand new dorms and D1 sports. I’m not sure of the personal experience there but we’ve had several kids from our well-regarded public go there te last few years and they are still there from what I know. so it can’t be purely non-traditional and commuter students.

UMB is D3. Anything else you say can’t be trusted if you can’t get that right.


https://www.umb.edu/athletics/about#:~:text=UMass%20Boston%20is%20a%20Division,the%20National%20Collegiate%20Athletic%20Association.

Hey, you're right on that. I confused UMASS Boston and Stonehill with regards to their sports division. It happens. But, believe me, the other information I provided is correct. Just because you don't want to believe that it's an up and coming, well-regarded school within MA doesn't mean that it's not true.

And, btw, I'm not the same poster who said that Amherst was 200 miles from Boston. Amherst has become a haven for OOS students. UMASS Boston is becoming a new and affordable choice for in-state kids. I don't know if I'd choose to go there from OOS but, again, it is a solid school. Much better than Endicott, which is basically the Rollins of MA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tufts
Harvard/MIT
Wellesley
BC/Northeastern
Clown College
Canine Obedience School
BU

Things are shaking up in Boston. Most people who haven't been living here don't realize it.

I agree with the first two, but what about Tufts? And why are BC and Northeastern in the same tier...I lived in Boston for a hot minute about a decade ago and Northeastern was not thought of as on par with BC.

a lot has happened in ten years....

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think BC's reputation is inflated here. I would consider it a step below Tufts, equivalent to Brandeis.[/quote]

I have never met anyone who went to Tufts because it was their dream school or #1 choice, except for tufts dental school. I have met plenty of BC diehards and multigenerational BC families and super proud alumni. [/quote]

I disagree with the first point but I take the second-- and for a long time BC had a good alumni network in the Boston area (30 years ago in some lines of work you were better off with a BC degree than one from Harvard). But I don't think school loyalty actually makes the school "better" -- Notre Dame isn't a better school just because some people venerate it (and BC wasn't better than Harvard just because the alumni network was strong).

I guess I'd say you get a better education at Tufts but a BC degree might be more useful if you stay in the Boston area.[/quote]

BC alumni reach goes beyond Boston. Any interview I've ever had with BC alum on staff, connected us. I've gotten offers whenever that happens. Being able to make those connections makes it easier for them to get to know me (whether they like me as a person beyond the qualifications) and makes it easier for me to assess whether I'd like to work there.

Much stronger than Tufts (which I think is a great school - but very different culture).

I think generally Tufts is considered "better" than BC but if you have a kid choosing between the two - pick the culture you like better. I do think the long term benefit of BC is higher, but you have to want to go there in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is local, here is how things tier out in my mind (each row is its own tier, not ranked within each tier) - also, didn't include state schools or schools outside of the metro Boston area:

Harvard/MIT
BC/BU/Tufts/Wellesley/Babson
Northeastern/Bentley/Brandeis
(Deliberate space here)
Anything else you've barely heard of - Suffolk, Merrimack, Curry, Simmons, Lesley, Stonehill, Endicott

* Emerson, Berklee, Wentworth, MCPHS are specialized in my mind so I didn't rank them. I never know where to put Wheaton.

This is about right. I moved away after grad school.

Harvard
MIT
Tufts
Wellesley
Boston College
Babson/Olin
Berklee
Boston University
Brandeis
Northeastern
Wentworth

I agree with this list. But on the Tufts/Wellesley/BC choice - visit and see which school community you like best. These are very different cultures and there's not enough difference in school quality to overcome whether you feel like the school is the right place for you. BC and Wellesley have much better (short and long term) alumni connections. And for grad school, doing very well at any of these schools places you in the same pile of qualified applicants. BC is by far the friendliest, fun culture of the three.