VA Tech vs UMass Amherst

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

UMass is a flagship school at least.

DP. What on earth does "flagship" have to do with anything? Are you the same triggered poster who's been spamming this thread recently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

UMass is a flagship school at least.

DP. What on earth does "flagship" have to do with anything? Are you the same triggered poster who's been spamming this thread recently?

DP. Your reaction to the PP seems triggered, tbh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

UMass is a flagship school at least.

DP. What on earth does "flagship" have to do with anything? Are you the same triggered poster who's been spamming this thread recently?

DP. Your reaction to the PP seems triggered, tbh.

How so? Still wondering what "flagship" has to do with this discussion. The universities of North Dakota, Maine, and New Mexico are all "flagships" too...

[Anonymous]

Haven't read through the thread but UMass has some great psych professors.

[Anonymous]

UMass would be a (mentally) healthier psychology environment than Virginia Tech.

[Anonymous]

How about comparing biology/premed major in these two schools? I am not the OP, but my kid also have these good options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMass would be a (mentally) healthier psychology environment than Virginia Tech.

Why do you say that? VT students are known to be happy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMass would be a (mentally) healthier psychology environment than Virginia Tech.

Why do you say that? VT students are known to be happy!

+1
The PP is obviously trolling. I’ve never met any alumni or current VT students who didn’t love the school.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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 ...

[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.

I am from Massachusetts and I love UMass, and I will defend it against snobbish elitists who don’t see the value of state schools. However, I don’t see the sense of traveling hundreds of miles, which is an expense itself, and paying 40k more for similar education, prestige and experience. I’d try to explain that they would be depleting a fund that could be used later for their own benefit. They might be looking at a smaller allowance while in school, and cheaper Christmas gifts family vacations. . If, knowing this, your kid insists, I’d just try to accept it in a loving way. I think I would follow through on money-saving strategies to preserve capital for eduction in the future.
At that point, it’s their choice.

[Anonymous]

My feeling is if you have the money and she clearly feels a stronger fit at UMass I'd let her go with her gut.

Definitely should consider the value of the $40k for after college and also her post-college aspirations. Does she ultimately want to live in New England? UMass will likely have recruiting more focused there. VT recruiting tends to be more DC-focused. Of course you have the potential to go anywhere from either school.

I can understand the wanting to get out of VA. One of my kids is very happy at VT but the other wanted to go someplace nobody else from her HS was going to. She's overall happy there but did comment on how many students are from the state she's now in. Um, yeah, you knew the stats going in that 2/3 were from that state. Knowing that fact vs. living the reality surprised her. Also, in looking for summer jobs she found the career center was very focused on opportunities in-state. They were helpful with resumes and coaching on job search but ultimately she found summer jobs on her own (although that was the same with my VT kid!).

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.