VA Tech vs UMass Amherst

[Anonymous]

In-state Honors College at VT is great so congrats! They need to go down to Blacksburg for an accepted student visit.

[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?

I wonder why he is resisting visiting Tech. Sounds like he favors UMass. Would at least visit VT to see the campus. He might change his mind. - OOS VT parent

[Anonymous]

You say the money difference is not significant to you -- so, student chooses. They can choose for any reason, or no particular reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the kid have any strong inclination of where they want to be after college? If Boston area, go to UMass. If DC go to VT.

But also, be sure you are comparing costs apples-to-apples. VT is not really $36k. Tuition, fees, room & board comes out to $30k (and we definitely spend less than that now that our son lives off campus). Their published "cost of attendance" includes books, transportation, personal expenses, loan fees. All more IME than we/DS pays.

OP here - thanks. My estimates were based solely on NPC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the kid have any strong inclination of where they want to be after college? If Boston area, go to UMass. If DC go to VT.

But also, be sure you are comparing costs apples-to-apples. VT is not really $36k. Tuition, fees, room & board comes out to $30k (and we definitely spend less than that now that our son lives off campus). Their published "cost of attendance" includes books, transportation, personal expenses, loan fees. All more IME than we/DS pays.

Wow. Well this changes the game a little for me if it’s true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the kid have any strong inclination of where they want to be after college? If Boston area, go to UMass. If DC go to VT.

But also, be sure you are comparing costs apples-to-apples. VT is not really $36k. Tuition, fees, room & board comes out to $30k (and we definitely spend less than that now that our son lives off campus). Their published "cost of attendance" includes books, transportation, personal expenses, loan fees. All more IME than we/DS pays.

Wow. Well this changes the game a little for me if it’s true!

It’s true of all schools. They build in travel costs, thousands for books etc that you don’t really spend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VT has such an amazing alumni support - especially if your kid is considering staying in VA post grad.

+1
They also have alumni groups all over the country and world:

https://www.alumni.vt.edu/chapters/chapter_list.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I don’t understand the Virginia Tech homers here. UMass is a far superior school for humanities.

How so? My kid is getting a fabulous humanities education at VT. I'm sure UMass is good too - but "far superior"? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the kid have any strong inclination of where they want to be after college? If Boston area, go to UMass. If DC go to VT.

But also, be sure you are comparing costs apples-to-apples. VT is not really $36k. Tuition, fees, room & board comes out to $30k (and we definitely spend less than that now that our son lives off campus). Their published "cost of attendance" includes books, transportation, personal expenses, loan fees. All more IME than we/DS pays.

Wow. Well this changes the game a little for me if it’s true!

It’s true of all schools. They build in travel costs, thousands for books etc that you don’t really spend.

So then, presumably the price tag at UMass is also less? My initial NPC cost came back at $57k. With $16k merit - that comes to $41. So it would be less? Obv we will have travel expense…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I don’t understand the Virginia Tech homers here. UMass is a far superior school for humanities.

Maybe for humanities, but I don't think for psych.

“Maybe” for humanities? That’s an understatement.

Can’t speak to psychology specifically, but social sciences in general is also better at UMass. Not to mention all the social sciences and humanities courses that can be taken at the other 4 colleges...

Tech is just not a great fit for this kind of student. OP should be thrilled UMass is a viable alternative financially.

DP. Any links to support these claims? You are aware that VT has an excellent College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences?

https://liberalarts.vt.edu/academics/majors-and-minors.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the kid have any strong inclination of where they want to be after college? If Boston area, go to UMass. If DC go to VT.

But also, be sure you are comparing costs apples-to-apples. VT is not really $36k. Tuition, fees, room & board comes out to $30k (and we definitely spend less than that now that our son lives off campus). Their published "cost of attendance" includes books, transportation, personal expenses, loan fees. All more IME than we/DS pays.

Wow. Well this changes the game a little for me if it’s true!

It’s true of all schools. They build in travel costs, thousands for books etc that you don’t really spend.

So then, presumably the price tag at UMass is also less? My initial NPC cost came back at $57k. With $16k merit - that comes to $41. So it would be less? Obv we will have travel expense…

U Mass cost of attendance is here
https://www.umass.edu/financialaid/undergraduate/undergraduate-costs

Direct cost (tuition, fees, room & board) is shown as $57k. So, yes, with $16k merit it's $41k vs the $30k at VT

VT cost info here https://finaid.vt.edu/undergraduate/coa.html

[Anonymous]

UMASS football is embarrassing and like it or not, that affects the national impression of the university to the negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the kid have any strong inclination of where they want to be after college? If Boston area, go to UMass. If DC go to VT.

But also, be sure you are comparing costs apples-to-apples. VT is not really $36k. Tuition, fees, room & board comes out to $30k (and we definitely spend less than that now that our son lives off campus). Their published "cost of attendance" includes books, transportation, personal expenses, loan fees. All more IME than we/DS pays.

Wow. Well this changes the game a little for me if it’s true!

It’s true of all schools. They build in travel costs, thousands for books etc that you don’t really spend.

So then, presumably the price tag at UMass is also less? My initial NPC cost came back at $57k. With $16k merit - that comes to $41. So it would be less? Obv we will have travel expense…

U Mass cost of attendance is here
https://www.umass.edu/financialaid/undergraduate/undergraduate-costs

Direct cost (tuition, fees, room & board) is shown as $57k. So, yes, with $16k merit it's $41k vs the $30k at VT

VT cost info here https://finaid.vt.edu/undergraduate/coa.html

What are the stipulations for the merit aid? Is it renewable? Is there a GPA to maintain? Can you afford UMASS without the merit aid? Also take into consideration the cost of transportation, home for thanksgiving, winter break and spring break freshman year are likely. I would have my student visit admitted students day at both schools. I would also have them think about what their freshman year experience would be like at both - the dorms they would be assigned to, the course they would take and if there are any organizations they are interested in. This can help to set the schools apart for a a student.

[Anonymous]

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).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the kid have any strong inclination of where they want to be after college? If Boston area, go to UMass. If DC go to VT.

But also, be sure you are comparing costs apples-to-apples. VT is not really $36k. Tuition, fees, room & board comes out to $30k (and we definitely spend less than that now that our son lives off campus). Their published "cost of attendance" includes books, transportation, personal expenses, loan fees. All more IME than we/DS pays.

Wow. Well this changes the game a little for me if it’s true!

It’s true of all schools. They build in travel costs, thousands for books etc that you don’t really spend.

So then, presumably the price tag at UMass is also less? My initial NPC cost came back at $57k. With $16k merit - that comes to $41. So it would be less? Obv we will have travel expense…

DP. To keep this comparison simple, just compare Tuition+Fees-Merit Aid across both schools. The rest of it will end up being the same anyways (we estimate $20K). A kid going to Tech will end up visiting home more often than a kid going to UMass so the transportation costs will even out in the end.