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[quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

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.

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I think you would have to grow up in New England to understand.  I grew up in Massachusetts in the 1970s and 1980s.  At that time, UMass was looked down upon by the better students.  And historically UMass and the other state universities in New England were underfunded and neglected, relative to other states (like Virginia) where most people think of a public university first, and not last.  New England was the last part of the country to invest in public universities.  UMass and UConn are much better now than they were 30 years ago so maybe the situation has changed somewhat.  It wasn't until I left Massachusetts that I realized that in other parts of the country most people go to a state university.  UMass is good.  No way it can be compared to Cal Berkeley or Michigan.  Or to UNC or UVA.  My son went to Virginia Tech for engineering.  I would rank Virginia Tech as equal or better than UMass outside of engineering and better in engineering.  Tech has a beautiful campus and great school spirit.  Go Hokies![/quote]

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