<p>Deciding between UMass Amherst's Commonwealth College honors program and Smith College!</p>
<p>THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Academics: Smith has more attractive majors and quality of classes/teachers, and I'm having trouble figuring out just how much of a difference Commonwealth makes in terms of quality of a UMass education.</p>
<p>Size/social: UMass: huge (17,000) and sort of impersonal but tons of social life; Smith: smaller (5,000) and all-girls with less but not zero social life...also UMass is right down the road if I want to party.</p>
<p>Price: Smith is about $50,000/year and UMass is about $20,000/year.</p>
<p>So if anyone has anything to say in favor of Smith or UMass (specifically information about Commonwealth would be so helpful) pleeeeeeeasseee let me know.</p>
<p>ALSO, anyone who picked a cheaper school over a more prestigious one and has been happy or unhappy with their decision...advice on that would be wicked helpful, too.</p>
<p>If you have parents akin to "Rich Daddy Warbuck," take Smith. For most other families, take UMASS and save at least $30,000 per year! Even better, try to get a partial scholarship from UMASS.</p>
<p>We are in the midst of the same circumstances. I have agreed to let D decide since she got some money from the small LAC. However, the more I think about it, the more I think State U. Honors Program makes the most sense. Financially, the points are obvious, but even academically there are a lot of benefits and resources dedicated to students in the Honors Program that make a compelling case. </p>
<p>Unless you need a brand name and some hand holding, I'd really take a hard look at State U. You can go after a nice brand name for grad school where it counts more, and where the money you save in undergrad will come in handy.</p>
<p>If I went to Smith and continued to get no financial aid, I'd probably have somewhere between $50-80,000 in loans by the time I graduated. With UMass I'd have no loans because my parents can already afford four years there.</p>
<p>Thanks for your advice. Can anyone else offer anything useful about Commonwealth, Smith, or choosing a big state U over a small LAC?</p>
<p>$80,000 in loans is pretty horrendous. With that big a burden, I'm surprised that Smith did not offer more FA. You might want to approach them to appeal FA. If your parents can afford it, however, Smith is an incredible experience.</p>
<p>My D has decided to go to the University at Buffalo (SUNY) Honors College with a full tuition scholarship. Totally took H and me by surprise, especially since her acceptances included a couple of Ivies, and we were prepared to do some belt-tightening to make things work. She chose based on what she felt she could get from the Honors College within the larger State U environment, and the financial options she was giving herself (and her parents!) with this choice. She's planning to save the "brand name" experience for grad school.</p>
<p>You can't reasonably take on that kind of debt yourself. If you have to pay that off through money you earn yourself, it could take decades to pay off, limiting your life choices and opportunities severely.</p>