Gabrielle
In front of the Fine Arts Center, there is a sculpture that looks like a pair of pants; before a big exam, we walk through the pants and say "PANTS!" and snap our fingers- and then we'll have good luck on the test. Same goes for rubbing the foot on the Minuteman Statue.
Margaret
Unfortunately, partying. Not really true anymore though.
Casey
People give mixed reactions to this, but the outgoing/fun loving/party atmosphere is a large part of campus life. It's there if you want it but isn't a requirement to enjoy the school or fit in socially. Depending on what part of campus you live in, you determine how much or how often you drink or party. At one point we were ranked #12 in the country for parties, I'm not sure what it is now.
Andrew
UMASS is known widely as a party school. However, given its reputation, the university isn't as wild as it's cracked up to be. There are parties, especially some wild ones, but nothing to the magnitude of say "Animal House". More than anything, UMASS has a lot of research initiatives and provide students with many opportunities in the field.
Annie
well rounded socially conscience students
Alexandra
This school is definitely best known for the parties. It is considered a huge party school. The nursing program and business school are high acknowledged as wel.
Matthew
UMass-Amherst is unfortunately known as a party school, a byproduct of it's large size and the ease at which it is to find a party among twenty thousand students. The riots don't help, but this is Red Sox country. It should be known better as being a high quality, top tier public university where a student can meet diverse people and figure out what they want to do with themselves. There is no "typical UMass student." It's big enough that there's all kinds of people.
Christopher
It's knickname is Zoomass. Enough said.
Erika
In a word, Umass Amherst is known as 'Zoomass.' To the dismay of administrators, it's known as quite the party-school. However, Umass is also known for it's very open community. We have many international students, various ethnic groups, religious orginizations, and professors from around the world. We have a very proactive LBGT alliance and our school also strives to be very eco-friendly. I believe it's also known for having private-school quality education and facilities for a great state-price.
Richard
The school I am transferring from, Austin Community College, is known for having eight campuses around town for easy access to those who want to continue thier education. The price per class is relatively cheap if one lives nearby one of the campuses. It is also known for the strict regulations for a teachers credentials, insuring the education one expects from any college.