<p>Ok, I currently attend UMass, and while we like to joke around that we attend “Zoomass” it’s definitely not any more wild than another large state university. (Especially if you compare UMass to schools that have a much larger sports scene) Admission standards are sharply increasing every year, leaving out the extreme partiers from getting accepeted. The only people I hear who constantly make fun of UMass are parents and some kids from Eastern Mass. who are surrounded by the amount of prestigious universities and colleges around them. I am friends with so many people who live in New York (Especially Long Island) and they all came here because of the academics and the fact that Amherst is an amazing little college town as well. </p>
<p>But anyway, UMass has one of the top sport management programs in the nation and hockey is the biggest sport here. Also check out American International College in Springfield, MA. They have a Division 1 hockey program as well. While not in New England, Bowling Green in Ohio has a Division 1 hockey program as well and a really good sport management program too. </p>
<p>I can’t believe the posts about UMass. My kids are at Ivies but would have been happy to have gone to UMass Amherst honors. For financial reasons, our son almost did, and our daughter could not go because the music dept. does not accept her instrument. Almost all of the high-middle achieving kids in our small town go to Umass, and love it. My son’s friends have now graduated and are all doing interesting things.</p>
<p>People at private schools and at high stress high achieving public schools may look down their noses at it, but some of the best teaching I have experienced has been in the UMass system. My husband went to grad school at both Harvard and UMass and much preferred the latter: more academic freedom, more contact with professors, more diverse classes. </p>
<p>I’m sure there are kids who party at UMass, lots of them. From what I hear about the dorms at the Ivies where my kids go, it’s not too different there. They work hard, and they party hard.</p>
<p>For anyone who is coming on CC and reading this, please give UMass a chance, or at least some respect. Many kids do not have the money for private colleges.</p>
<p>Portland is a great place to live, but USM is very much a commuter school, which could be a problem for someone from OOS. I think that their music school is their strongest feature, and the Muskie School of public policy does some great work.</p>
<p>I’d try for U Maine Orono for hockey, but it may be one of those places where you have to be recruited to play.</p>
<p>Kids seem to like St. Michaels. Don’t know anything about their hockey program, though.</p>
<p>Thanks to all…guess I started a little fire over UMass! I’m a UConn alum so I know that all schools have their party element (the drinking age was 18 when I was there). </p>
<p>We will be visiting a few of the schools this summer and I am wondering if anyone has a clear idea of whether or not he has a shot at UNH? It looks like his ACT score is okay but the UNH website says they want a “B+” average. Is there any consideration of a lower average if coming from out of state? As for the hockey, he is not at a D1 level but I’m thinking that schools with rinks and an emphasis on hockey will have club and intramural (not to knock his dream but…)</p>
<p>We visited Western New England, nice but he was not thrilled.</p>
<p>I’d say to check out UMaine at Orono. Good size, not too big or small, and a lot of school spirit with sports, like football, and hockey is huge. They must have club hockey, although I can’t say for sure. It has a nice campus, and good academics.</p>
<p>Kids now don’t understand what the name meant back in the 1970’s. Then it meant a not-very-serious school with a lot of drinking, pot and parties. A number of schools back then were loosely run party schools but you don’t find that much anywhere today: time have changed, school is expensive, there are more career pressures. ZooMass is now a nickname but it doesn’t describe the school in the same way.</p>
<p>Agree, I would caution anyone not to “write off” a school based on a 70s perception. Think about UCSB - still considered a party school but no means the bottom of the UC heap, or Arizona, or San Diego that turns down many who wish to attend, or many of the Colorado schools…the urban myth might live on but the reality is many of these schools can give a fine education to students.</p>
<p>UNH - Back in my day, (the 70’s) getting into UNH from OOS was very difficult. A lot of Mass kids went there and still do.<br>
Being from Va may help. From what I hear it’s still pretty competitive for OOS but I can’t say for sure.</p>
<p>Also - I remember UMass being ZooMass! I don’t think anyone should have any preconceived notions about colleges today compared to the 70’s. Goodness they have all changed so much. UNH also had a reputation as a party school and even make the infamous Princeton review list a few years ago.<br>
They brought in a new and terrific President who got them back on track.</p>
<p>Looking at a 3.0 and 25 ACT, cross out Babson immediately. Also Northeastern, BC & BU, they are looking for considerably higher stats. (Unless your son is a major hockey star, because all of these schools have big-time Divison 1 hockey). I wouldn’t count on UMass Amherst either. Average incoming GPA is now upwards of 3.5 (weighted). </p>
<p>I think your idea of the smaller state colleges is a good one. Most of the schools in NE do have hockey. Westfield State is worth checking out, its the most residential of the MA state colleges (excluding the UMass system) and it definitely has hockey. Among private schools, maybe Roger Williams, Assumption or St Anselm? A lot of kids from our hs go to Westfield and Assumption.</p>