VA Tech vs UMass Amherst

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC wants to work on NYC after graduation. Business major. Which school would be the best feed to NYC?

My gut says UMass but I don’t have data to back that up

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The best students in Massachusetts do not go to UMass. It is nothing like the dynamic that UVA has with Virgnia, UNC with North Carolina, etc.

You mention that casually as if Massachusetts doesn't have two of the Top 5 private universities in the country, doesn't have 4 - 5 of the Top 25 private universities in the country, and the surrounding New England region doesn't have probably 50% of the country's Top 25 private universities within 250 miles.

OF COURSE most of the top students in Massachusetts aspire to attend one or more of the Harvard, MIT, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Tufts, BC, BU, etc. - all right in their backyard. For the top students in Virginia, what are the alternatives to UVA that can compete with that list? A couple of borderline Top 10 privates (Duke and JHU), a Top 20 private (Vandy) and a Top 25 public (UNC) - what else can complete with UVA? Not quite the same options.

Please don't act like students from MA turn up their nose at UMass for any reason other than the fact that they live within the largest concentration of top university alternatives in the entire country. But for that fact, UMass would likely be considered on par with the top campuses in the UC system, Michigan, UT Austin, UNC, etc.

But for the fact...that's a big but? eh?
21% of BU students are from Mass.
23% of NEU students are from Mass.
22% of Tufts students are from Mass.
25% of BC students are from Mass.
29% of Brandeis students are from Mass.
13% of Wellesley students are from Mass.
15% of Harvard students are from Mass.

73% of UMass students are from Mass. UMass has a yield of 19%.

How does this change the fact that the best and brightest students are not choosing UMass? This isn't a slight to UMass. It is a fact. After the top selectives cherry pick the top Massachusetts students, UMass gets the rest. They are the safety for most strong students in Massachusetts.

This!!! One of the most intelligent analyses I’ve ever seen on DCUM. I think that says it all.

Meanwhile, VT is ~ 65% from Virginia

😂😭

Which is in-state you might recall so stop the laughing

Also, I imagine OP’s kid would rather go to VT with 65% instate Virginians and friends from high school (at an in-state price) than a bunch of Massachusetts students who couldn’t get in anywhere else in Mass.

"anywhere else" being Harvard, MIT, and the other highly ranked institutions of higher ed in Massachusetts.

OP here - she actually counted 7 other students she ran into that she knows at the Hokie Focus event- and she wasn’t happy about it. Assume just as many at the other two events this weekend and you can imagine how many students from her HS alone will be there. I suspect she feels like a “clean start” where she knows no one is nice, but then 73% of UMass students are from MA and she has expressed concerns about that too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid also has this two options (among others), and we toured both campuses. She liked both campuses and food in UMass is indeed better!! She spent the night with VT ROTC cadets and really liked it and thought she fits in very happily in UMass too. So, OP, I understand your struggle. One thing that differentiate the two is that for UMass she will be the few NOVA OOS kids while for VT, she will be among the tons of NOVA kids. Does your kid like to be the special OOS kid or the in-state kid? For my kid, among her other options, she has UIUC and Pitt. Right now she is inclining to pick UIUC because of ranking even though she does not like the campus. She may change her mind ...

OP again - Mine got accepted to UIUC too but no merit so it’s off the table. She got a lot of merit at UConn but doesn’t like how isolated it is.

[Anonymous]

VT, no brainer. Geez.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally, I think it is important for kids to spend some time farther away from home than in state. Even though our area has people from everywhere, it isn't the same as living somewhere else for while. Each region really does have its own lifestyle and vibe, and that helps a person grow. Add a semester abroad to that and you've got the start of some life experience.

OP here. I do see a lot of benefit to this. I have lived in the DMV my entire life and occasionally fantasize about moving elsewhere. I just can’t imagine New England as a desirable place!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally, I think it is important for kids to spend some time farther away from home than in state. Even though our area has people from everywhere, it isn't the same as living somewhere else for while. Each region really does have its own lifestyle and vibe, and that helps a person grow. Add a semester abroad to that and you've got the start of some life experience.

OP here. I do see a lot of benefit to this. I have lived in the DMV my entire life and occasionally fantasize about moving elsewhere. I just can’t imagine New England as a desirable place!

My son is at UMass and is very happy there!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The best students in Massachusetts do not go to UMass. It is nothing like the dynamic that UVA has with Virgnia, UNC with North Carolina, etc.

You mention that casually as if Massachusetts doesn't have two of the Top 5 private universities in the country, doesn't have 4 - 5 of the Top 25 private universities in the country, and the surrounding New England region doesn't have probably 50% of the country's Top 25 private universities within 250 miles.

OF COURSE most of the top students in Massachusetts aspire to attend one or more of the Harvard, MIT, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Tufts, BC, BU, etc. - all right in their backyard. For the top students in Virginia, what are the alternatives to UVA that can compete with that list? A couple of borderline Top 10 privates (Duke and JHU), a Top 20 private (Vandy) and a Top 25 public (UNC) - what else can complete with UVA? Not quite the same options.

Please don't act like students from MA turn up their nose at UMass for any reason other than the fact that they live within the largest concentration of top university alternatives in the entire country. But for that fact, UMass would likely be considered on par with the top campuses in the UC system, Michigan, UT Austin, UNC, etc.

But for the fact...that's a big but? eh?
21% of BU students are from Mass.
23% of NEU students are from Mass.
22% of Tufts students are from Mass.
25% of BC students are from Mass.
29% of Brandeis students are from Mass.
13% of Wellesley students are from Mass.
15% of Harvard students are from Mass.

73% of UMass students are from Mass. UMass has a yield of 19%.

How does this change the fact that the best and brightest students are not choosing UMass? This isn't a slight to UMass. It is a fact. After the top selectives cherry pick the top Massachusetts students, UMass gets the rest. They are the safety for most strong students in Massachusetts.

This!!! One of the most intelligent analyses I’ve ever seen on DCUM. I think that says it all.

Meanwhile, VT is ~ 65% from Virginia

😂😭

Which is in-state you might recall so stop the laughing

Also, I imagine OP’s kid would rather go to VT with 65% instate Virginians and friends from high school (at an in-state price) than a bunch of Massachusetts students who couldn’t get in anywhere else in Mass.

"anywhere else" being Harvard, MIT, and the other highly ranked institutions of higher ed in Massachusetts.

OP here - she actually counted 7 other students she ran into that she knows at the Hokie Focus event- and she wasn’t happy about it. Assume just as many at the other two events this weekend and you can imagine how many students from her HS alone will be there. I suspect she feels like a “clean start” where she knows no one is nice, but then 73% of UMass students are from MA and she has expressed concerns about that too

OP you should probably report this post of yours and request that it be removed - there may identifiable info about your daughter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid also has this two options (among others), and we toured both campuses. She liked both campuses and food in UMass is indeed better!! She spent the night with VT ROTC cadets and really liked it and thought she fits in very happily in UMass too. So, OP, I understand your struggle. One thing that differentiate the two is that for UMass she will be the few NOVA OOS kids while for VT, she will be among the tons of NOVA kids. Does your kid like to be the special OOS kid or the in-state kid? For my kid, among her other options, she has UIUC and Pitt. Right now she is inclining to pick UIUC because of ranking even though she does not like the campus. She may change her mind ...

OP again - Mine got accepted to UIUC too but no merit so it’s off the table. She got a lot of merit at UConn but doesn’t like how isolated it is.

I thought UIUC has yet to release merit scholarships information due to the FAFSA delay?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Back after Hokie Focus this weekend. I think it opened her eyes to the possibility of VT. I was very impressed by the school and the honors college.

She says VT feels like the safe choice, but UMass is the one she wants. With a roughly $40K difference in total price tag, while we have the money to cover it, I have a hard time stomaching that much more when from my perspective, VT is offering a better experience. The cost differential basically means she either drains her 529 completely (UMass) or has $40K left over for grad school/retirement (VT).

I'm trying to come to terms with this ending with UMass. I know it would be a great fit for her in so many ways. I just choke at spending that kind of cash unnecessarily (probably a result of my upbringing where I couldn't even go away to college for the first two years bc we couldn't afford it, and paid for most of my school with loans).

I'd love any perspective on this anyone can share.

My perspective is that I completely agree with you. You said it all. If we were in your shoes, it would definitely be VT - UMass is just not worth the extra $40,000.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The best students in Massachusetts do not go to UMass. It is nothing like the dynamic that UVA has with Virgnia, UNC with North Carolina, etc.

You mention that casually as if Massachusetts doesn't have two of the Top 5 private universities in the country, doesn't have 4 - 5 of the Top 25 private universities in the country, and the surrounding New England region doesn't have probably 50% of the country's Top 25 private universities within 250 miles.

OF COURSE most of the top students in Massachusetts aspire to attend one or more of the Harvard, MIT, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Tufts, BC, BU, etc. - all right in their backyard. For the top students in Virginia, what are the alternatives to UVA that can compete with that list? A couple of borderline Top 10 privates (Duke and JHU), a Top 20 private (Vandy) and a Top 25 public (UNC) - what else can complete with UVA? Not quite the same options.

Please don't act like students from MA turn up their nose at UMass for any reason other than the fact that they live within the largest concentration of top university alternatives in the entire country. But for that fact, UMass would likely be considered on par with the top campuses in the UC system, Michigan, UT Austin, UNC, etc.

But for the fact...that's a big but? eh?
21% of BU students are from Mass.
23% of NEU students are from Mass.
22% of Tufts students are from Mass.
25% of BC students are from Mass.
29% of Brandeis students are from Mass.
13% of Wellesley students are from Mass.
15% of Harvard students are from Mass.

73% of UMass students are from Mass. UMass has a yield of 19%.

How does this change the fact that the best and brightest students are not choosing UMass? This isn't a slight to UMass. It is a fact. After the top selectives cherry pick the top Massachusetts students, UMass gets the rest. They are the safety for most strong students in Massachusetts.

This!!! One of the most intelligent analyses I’ve ever seen on DCUM. I think that says it all.

Meanwhile, VT is ~ 65% from Virginia

😂😭

Which is in-state you might recall so stop the laughing

Also, I imagine OP’s kid would rather go to VT with 65% instate Virginians and friends from high school (at an in-state price) than a bunch of Massachusetts students who couldn’t get in anywhere else in Mass.

"anywhere else" being Harvard, MIT, and the other highly ranked institutions of higher ed in Massachusetts.

OP here - she actually counted 7 other students she ran into that she knows at the Hokie Focus event- and she wasn’t happy about it. Assume just as many at the other two events this weekend and you can imagine how many students from her HS alone will be there. I suspect she feels like a “clean start” where she knows no one is nice, but then 73% of UMass students are from MA and she has expressed concerns about that too

DP. My daughter goes to VT and I can assure you, she never, ever sees anyone from high school. Your daughter probably did because she was at a special event for admitted students, so naturally the pool of kids would be smaller than a typical day on campus with all the other students. The school is large enough that she would have to make a point to meet up with someone from high school. My daughter has friends from VA, NY, NC, CA, FL, TX, PA, and other states. Being at VT is actually a great way to get a fresh start and leave high school behind.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The best students in Massachusetts do not go to UMass. It is nothing like the dynamic that UVA has with Virgnia, UNC with North Carolina, etc.

You mention that casually as if Massachusetts doesn't have two of the Top 5 private universities in the country, doesn't have 4 - 5 of the Top 25 private universities in the country, and the surrounding New England region doesn't have probably 50% of the country's Top 25 private universities within 250 miles.

OF COURSE most of the top students in Massachusetts aspire to attend one or more of the Harvard, MIT, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Tufts, BC, BU, etc. - all right in their backyard. For the top students in Virginia, what are the alternatives to UVA that can compete with that list? A couple of borderline Top 10 privates (Duke and JHU), a Top 20 private (Vandy) and a Top 25 public (UNC) - what else can complete with UVA? Not quite the same options.

Please don't act like students from MA turn up their nose at UMass for any reason other than the fact that they live within the largest concentration of top university alternatives in the entire country. But for that fact, UMass would likely be considered on par with the top campuses in the UC system, Michigan, UT Austin, UNC, etc.

But for the fact...that's a big but? eh?
21% of BU students are from Mass.
23% of NEU students are from Mass.
22% of Tufts students are from Mass.
25% of BC students are from Mass.
29% of Brandeis students are from Mass.
13% of Wellesley students are from Mass.
15% of Harvard students are from Mass.

73% of UMass students are from Mass. UMass has a yield of 19%.

How does this change the fact that the best and brightest students are not choosing UMass? This isn't a slight to UMass. It is a fact. After the top selectives cherry pick the top Massachusetts students, UMass gets the rest. They are the safety for most strong students in Massachusetts.

This!!! One of the most intelligent analyses I’ve ever seen on DCUM. I think that says it all.

Meanwhile, VT is ~ 65% from Virginia

😂😭

Which is in-state you might recall so stop the laughing

Also, I imagine OP’s kid would rather go to VT with 65% instate Virginians and friends from high school (at an in-state price) than a bunch of Massachusetts students who couldn’t get in anywhere else in Mass.

"anywhere else" being Harvard, MIT, and the other highly ranked institutions of higher ed in Massachusetts.

OP here - she actually counted 7 other students she ran into that she knows at the Hokie Focus event- and she wasn’t happy about it. Assume just as many at the other two events this weekend and you can imagine how many students from her HS alone will be there. I suspect she feels like a “clean start” where she knows no one is nice, but then 73% of UMass students are from MA and she has expressed concerns about that too

OP you should probably report this post of yours and request that it be removed - there may identifiable info about your daughter.

How on earth is this post “identifiable”?
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC was accepted into the Honors College at VT, and has a $16k merit aid package at UMass. We are instate for VT and from what I can tell we are looking at roughly $36k per year for Tech and $41k per year after merit aid at UMass. It’s not a big enough difference for us to say no to UMass.

They are undeclared or a likely a humanities /psych major at either school.

US News rankings are better for Tech but wondering if there is something else to consider post-graduation. DC has visited UMass but is resisting visiting Tech.

Thoughts?

Why would you major in that ? Major in stem or just go work at Starbucks now

[Anonymous]

UMass. Great college town

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’ve got a similar situation with our senior. They’ve been accepted into the honors program at Tech in-state, and honors at UMass Amherst. DC offered a similar amount of merit at UMass. DC hasn’t visited Tech yet, but will soon.

Don’t merit decisions come out a little later for Tech? DC wrote that 5-part essay for Honors College $$, and I don’t think has heard anything about that yet. I don’t want to be presumptuous, but I think it’s fair to think that a kid being offered that much merit at UMass might also be offered something at Tech.

In my kid’s situation, the travel to and from UMass from the DMV is likely a deal-breaker. DC was trying to go to an accepted students event this spring, and there just wasn’t a practical way to get them there (I’ve already been to campus with DC multiple times).

What? This is a terrible reason to turn down a school. I have a kid in the DMV heading to a different college in the pioneer valley. Sure it’s not convenient to travel there, but it can be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve got a similar situation with our senior. They’ve been accepted into the honors program at Tech in-state, and honors at UMass Amherst. DC offered a similar amount of merit at UMass. DC hasn’t visited Tech yet, but will soon.

Don’t merit decisions come out a little later for Tech? DC wrote that 5-part essay for Honors College $$, and I don’t think has heard anything about that yet. I don’t want to be presumptuous, but I think it’s fair to think that a kid being offered that much merit at UMass might also be offered something at Tech.

In my kid’s situation, the travel to and from UMass from the DMV is likely a deal-breaker. DC was trying to go to an accepted students event this spring, and there just wasn’t a practical way to get them there (I’ve already been to campus with DC multiple times).

What? This is a terrible reason to turn down a school. I have a kid in the DMV heading to a different college in the pioneer valley. Sure it’s not convenient to travel there, but it can be done.

Having been to both - flying to BDL for UMass or driving down 81 to VT, I can say neither is a great trip.