convincing daughter about UMass

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Massachusetts - Amherst
1

<p>My daughter is a junior at a top public HS and seems to be only interested in "name-brand" colleges (many of these are certainly no better than UMass) for no other reason than what other classmates say. We are trying to get her interested in UMass Amherst but she is dead set against it - again, for no specifc reason (other than saying it is ugly). She's a good solid B student, but probably not good enough to get substantial tuition breaks at more expensive schools. She is refusing to even consider attending if she is accepted. We are quite certain much of this is due to the fact that many of her peers at school look down at UMass Amherst and view it as last resort, which is ridiculous.</p>

<p>We find this to be very frustrating because (1) our finances will likely require attendance there, and (2) UMass Amherst is an excellent school in an excellent college town - nearly everyone we know who attends loves it there.</p>

<p>Any advice on how to handle this other than making the decision for her?</p>

2

<p>I went and looked at it recently, and i thought i would hate it. Academically i sound similar to your daughter. i am really not a big school person, but it was actually really nice. I don't know what subject your daughter is interested in, but the labs were amazing, all the equipment was brand new and high quality. It seemed like there was a lot to do there, and the dorms were very nice. the main selling point for me, aside from the labs was the program they run with the other 5 schools in the area. I originally went to visit Hampshire and i hated it, it really wasn't for me, but they had a specific program in genetics that was hard to find anywhere else. I loved Amherst but it is very competitive and VERY expensive, however i think i will apply to both UMass and Amherst because i can take classes at UMass, Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, and one other, i can't remember its name. This is really special because i can use all their resources.
as far as convincing your daughter all i can say is don't push it too much. I'm going through the same thing with my mom and a school in my area. The more she pushes it, the less i like it; however i know it is really a good school. I would say go visit it, but try to see the specifics of department that shes interested in, that really helped me!</p>

3

<p>Agree with you about UMA--a quality education--and lots to do there too. It is much tamer than the old days, when it earned a name Zoo-Mass. It is a large school, and any big place will have its challenges--but I have found it to be better managed, and academically focused. They have been attracting a higher quality student as well. Amherst is a great place to go to school. Take her up on a nice fall day.</p>

4

<p>I hate it when you write long replies and then the site logs you out when you go to post it.</p>

<p>....
Okay, from what I remember:</p>

<p>I was just like your daughter a few years ago. Part of this was due the fact that I was told my whole life that I was going to Harvard or Yale. I knew the people who said this were joking, but I knew I was good enough to get into Ivy League, and was dead set on it. However, my Dad was very worried about the finances, and so I decided to at least take a tour of the campus.
I was actually so impressed that the college jumped up to my top choice--over Columbia University. </p>

<p>I'd recommend bringing these points to your daughter's attention:</p>

<p>Umass is a great deal financially. Your daughter doesn't want to be spending the next fifteen years paying off student debt to a college that was supposed to get her money in the first place, was she? And with the five-college consortium, which allows her to take classes at Amherst College, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Smith (all top-tier, if she doesn't know--Amherst College IS the top liberal school in the country), she can get Ivy-league education at a public school price. </p>

<p>Umass itself is a pretty amazing feat. It has somewhere near 70 majors, the option to create your own major if you don't like any that are offered, over 200 registered student organizations, 4 student-run businesses, study abroad opportunities, plenty of sports, and it lives in a semi-perfect college town. </p>

<p>If your daughter is still worried about the name, this is good to keep in mind: these days, more and more people are getting graduate degrees. To an employer, only the name of your highest level of study really counts. So after getting an undergrad, your high school doesn't matter, and after getting a graduate, your undergrad doesn't matter. I'd suggest that your daughter saves her money and applies to one of the "name-brand" colleges after she gets her bachelor's. </p>

<p>I don't know why she's complaining that the school is "ugly". I found Umass to be one of the cleanest, most open, accommodating colleges of all the colleges I looked at. They even have residence dorms made to simulate city life, good ol' New England, suite life, and random recluses off in the middle of nowhere. Many of the bigger name universities are in the city, which are a lot less cleaner than Umass, IMO. And all in all, the lawn doesn't make the school. </p>

<p>If nothing works, I'd just recommend telling her that I was in her exact same position a few years ago, maybe even better off academically, and I decided to go to Umass. I'm very happy that I listened to my Dad now. It's truly the best fit for me.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

5

<p>I just graduated from a great pub. hs in mass and know many kids who's parents won't even let them apply to UMass A. I find it pathetic. </p>

<p>UMass A is half the price and just as great an education. I will be going there in the fall for art. The new studio art building is very pretty and the gardens, grass, and view from the 20th floor of the tallest academic library in the world.... make umass very appealing to me. </p>

<p>You should ask her what is keeping her from it other than its looks. It can't be the great food or the new buildings poping up everywhere or the hundreds of choices for everything....
I think she isn't fully accepting the fact that she won't be sticking around with her best friends for much longer. You need to be realistic with her now about your situation. Umass offers soo much money to students along with work study.
Tell her that if she won't even consider UMass or cheaper alternatives and safety schools, then she can pay for her own education.</p>

<p>also, many of my teachers went there and were impressed with my decision.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the great responses. Regarding parents in my town, they certainly contribute to the image these kids have of UMass Amherst. Here are some good ones I have heard - "you better do well on your finals or you will end up at UMass". How about this one after I mentioned that we are strongly considering UMass Amherst for our daughter - "oh, I would never send (child's name) there, he's worked too hard in high school for that". When I tell some of these pathetic parents that the average GPA of entering freshman at UMass Amherst is around 3.5, they look at me as if I just landed from outer space. The most disturbing of all is the number of parents who are perfectly willing to empty out their 401Ks and home equity just to send their kids to the private colleges of their choice. Many of these places are mediocre at best and not even as good as UMass Amherst. I've been finding that many of these kids do not really know one university from another and they are basing their choices on very superficial factors.</p>

7

<p>Unfortunately, UMass gets a bad rap. My husband calls it ZooMass.
My daughter and I visited the school in the fall and though a safe school for her, she likes it very much. We've completed our college search and she does have her top two choices (UMass is not one of them), but if in a pinch, she would consider going there.</p>

<p>I think UMass is slowly gaining ground as a reputable school.</p>