University of Massachusetts-Amherst Top Questions

tour as many schools as you can and go to the school you want to. worry about financing after you get a real job and find your career of choice

- visit all different types of schools, large, small, liberal...you never know where you may instantly feel at home -don't be afriad to try to new things - clubs, sports, different types of people, everything! - dont give up - if you don't love it the first week you're there its ok, give it some time until you get to know people and the school better and then make a decision - get involved in campus activities -GO GREEK! i love it! - make friends with your RA -get to know professors

Go to the school that feels most right to you. Do not go by what other people have to say about it. Visit the campus, get a feel for the atmosphere and judge it for yourself. If the School feels right to you, it probably is. Follow your instincts.

Mainly look at class size, and how well recieved the professors are in general. Some classes at UMass are hit or miss; some dpartments are better than others. Do some research on how easy the administration is to navigate. You don't want to end up at a school that cannot accomidate your specific needs. A large school will have a wider spectrum of things to get involved in, but some smaller schools are more active about more specific things. If you can talk, one-on-one,with someone who goes to the school you are looking at it would help alot.

Make sure you as a student actually visit the school during the school year to really get a feel of how campus life there will be. You have to make sure it is the right campus for you, that you will be able to focus if you are the type to be easily swayed by too much social activity around you, and that it has all the majors, classes, and criteria that suites you.

The advice I would give to anyone trying to find the right college is think about why they would want to go to that particular college. One must make sure they are not going for the wrong reasons because they would only end up suffering in the end. Running away from the ones family is not a reason to pick a college half way across the country. You can still get away from the family by going to a school across the state. Doing this also gets better price relieving your troubles later on. For a thirty-thousand dollar bill is better then a one hundred twenty thousand dollar bill. Relax and have fun because no matter what they say in high school about college they can not prepare you for what actually happens for you make your experiences unique to you. And as always remember to stay safe and study.

Every student's experience will be different, so the best advice I can give is to choose the school which you can most easily invision yourself at. I have, and to be perfectly honest, my experience has been almost 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} what I expected it to be. While there are some things good and some things bad that I would like to change about my experience at UMass, overall, I have greatly enjoyed my time at this particular university.

In picking the "perfect" college, I've always gone with my gut 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time. If when you set foot on the campus of your choice, it feels right, it probably is the one for you. You want a sense of comfort, security and tranquility all in one, and you want to know that all your accomodations will be met no matter what. You want to know that you're getting your money's worth every day that you'll be spending there. Don't allow anyone to limit you, especially when it comes to academics. You want there to be a plethora of resources off and on campus. Living situations should meet all your requirements first and foremost because that will be your home away from home, and if it doesn't feel like one, it's not right for you. And lastly, don't do "brand name shopping," in other words, don't go to Harvard for the sake of telling people that you go to Harvard. Go to Harvard because it's a good school and it met your requirements. Go to another school and build your sense of school spirit and pride.

Choose a college that has many on-campus resources, a strong focus on research [because you never know if you will change your major to a field that requires undergraduate experience in research to go on to graduate school], and a strong school spirit. It makes college so rewarding when your school is so full of life. My honest advice is to NOT turn down a college because it is too expensive - provided that you or your child can afford to take out loans, it will be worth it in the end if you/he/she has a useful degree from a great school. If my parents had forbidden me to attend UMass for financial reasons [which almost happened], I wouldn't have half the awesome experiences and knowledge that I've acquired over the past 3 years. =]

In finding the school with the right fit for you, your son, or your daughter, it is important to look at all aspects of higher education. It is not all about money, and it is certainly not all about prestige. Do not rule out a school without taking the time to educate yourself about it. Often, people ask me if I feel my school is "too big". There are 18,000 undergraduate students and we have our own zip code -- it's big, but I don't find it TOO big. Do not be afraid to get lost! I see the people, the space, and the majors as ample opportunity. I entered my freshman year undeclared, without a clue of what I wanted to major in. Through my extracurricular activities and the large number of classes I had to choose from, I was able to select a major within the year and start networking. Try anything once and remain open-minded. College brings together people from all the walks of life and it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Make a well-educated decision when choosing a school and then enjoy every minute of it!