Anonymous
02/20/2024 20:47
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
I wouldn’t avoid one or the other based on liberal/ conservative bc they’re both so big.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 20:44
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
Anonymous wrote:UMass Amherst is in a great town with plenty of nearby restaurants and shopping including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, LL Bean, etc. Also, UMass is known for their good food.
Be sure to visit Northampton, where Smith is. Free bus service and students hang out there all the time. Take a look at events coming up at Amherst College, right in the town of Amherst. There’s a lot to do.
Look at things like electives at UMass, more variety than VT.
If you take a class at another college, you can also have a meal there if you have a meal plan at UMass. Try to get into the libraries at each college, they are all great (other than Hampshire) with different views, interiors and study spaces.
Both UMass Fine Arts Center and VT Moss Arts Center bring in surprisingly high quality professional performances with tickets free or heavily subsidized for students. Look in the UMass student union for the bike repair co-op, craft shop, car repair shop types of things. Also check out the clubs ( outing club, skiing, faith based etc). VT also has a wide variety of clubs and intramural sports.
In the past, UMass leaned more liberal and Tech more conservative, but there’s a wide range of students at both.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 20:05
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The best students in Mass don't go to UMass. The kids from Wellesley, Newton, Dedham, Weston, etc. if they want in state or local (and Harvard isn't an option) will go to BU, Tufts, NEU, BC, etc. over UMass. There is just a different mentality in how the flagship is perceived.
Of course there are middle class families that can't afford $90k a year, just like DMV.
This is also outdated information. Plenty of upper middle class Massachusetts families not thinking that the cost difference between BU and UMass — or any of these schools — is worth it. The same reasoning that is making Maryland rise is making UMass rise. The point that Virginians are missing is that UMass is the best public option in Massachusetts. As this trend continues in favor of publics nationwide (and it will), top public universities in each state will rise faster than, say, the third best public universities in each state.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 19:11
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
Anonymous wrote:The best students in Mass don't go to UMass. The kids from Wellesley, Newton, Dedham, Weston, etc. if they want in state or local (and Harvard isn't an option) will go to BU, Tufts, NEU, BC, etc. over UMass. There is just a different mentality in how the flagship is perceived.
Of course there are middle class families that can't afford $90k a year, just like DMV.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 18:41
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst is in a great town with plenty of nearby restaurants and shopping including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, LL Bean, etc. Also, UMass is known for their good food.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 18:36
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
Anonymous wrote:The vibe of UMass is very different than VT. It matters. The student knows they have a preference, probably a strong preference.
Please say more on this!
Anonymous
02/20/2024 17:25
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
Where does your kid want to go? If they’re resisting visiting VT maybe that tells you something!
Anonymous
02/20/2024 17:13
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
TY all. OP here. We are headed to Amherst this weekend for another look, and I'm hoping to nudge DC on Tech. We'll see.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 14:34
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
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.
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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!
Anonymous
02/20/2024 13:24
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
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.
NP. Oh wow. Someone is so triggered that now they’re making things up.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 13:16
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
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.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 12:43
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
The vibe of UMass is very different than VT. It matters. The student knows they have a preference, probably a strong preference.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 12:30
Subject: VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
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.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 12:14
Subject: Re:VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:IAnonymous 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.
Umass is a perfectly fine school but on a good day Boston is about 90 minutes to 2 hours from UMass. Do not go there if you really want to be in Boston.
When we visited U Mass Amherst, we were surprised by how it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. Nice campus and the students we met seemed to love it, but it's definitely not near Boston or with easy daily access to Boston.
It's not that a college student at U Mass Amherst is going to be hanging out in Boston. But that recruiting will tend to be more regional and so if you (after college) want to work in Boston, will likely have a larger network/recruiting from U Mass than VT will. And, if you want to work in DC, VT will have the better network/recruiting.
Anonymous
02/20/2024 12:07
Subject: Re:VA Tech vs UMass Amherst
My kid wanted get out of VA to a more urban setting, and now in Boston.
Amherst is not it if that's one of the purposes.
Amherst is not it if that's one of the purposes.