My junior is interested in UMass Amherst. Do Freshman get to pick where they live?
Sorry to not respond earlier.
The answer is mostly yes.
Each dorm area has designated freshman dorms (except North and Sylvan). Only Honors students can live in the Honors college dorms. Also, because Southwest is a popular area to live in, getting a space there can be competitive.
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My son is deciding between UMass and UConn. He intends to major in education and is focused on special ed. Do you have any thoughts about the UMass Ed School?
Hello there, I wonder if you could share your thoughts on the theater department at UMass Amherst for a student with a lot of background in theater? Did you take any directing classes? Was the community friendly?
Thank you!
Hi!
So, I only got a minor in Theater, and I won’t say I was the most involved person there was. I did not take any directing classes. But I enjoyed it, and I think it was overall a good department. All majors have to take classes in three tracks (acting, dramaturgy, and production), and minors can pick two tracks. I was mostly interested in costumes, and the costume department is great. All the faculty I met were very friendly and inviting. UMass really tries hard to be inclusive, especially with including theater about people of color and LGBT people. They only have a BA, not a BFA, so you don’t need to audition to become a major, which I think makes for a more diverse set of students (although most majors I met were very dedicated and spent a lot of time in the summers working on productions elsewhere). Since they have a graduate program, and they allow advanced undergrads to take classes at the graduate level, there is a lot of room to grow and learn even for someone who already has a strong background.
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Thank you, MaryHildegard,
This is helpful info! I appreciate it.
If you want to share a little more about the costume design classes, I would be interested.
Thanks, again!
How much of a party school is UMass? My daughter is not into the party scene and I’m worried about the size of the school (she’s more of an introvert). She was accepted with the chancellor’s award, but we were hoping for honors college so she could live there. When we visited the school the high rise dorms struck me as party central. How difficult is it to get into the classes you want? How accessible are the professors? My older student goes to a similar size school and I worry about my younger daughter being able to navigate some of the issues my older child has.
I heard that too. Big Party school. What do u think?
Umass seems to have more party reputation than it probably should these days. The administration has cracked down quite a bit in the past decade. It’s nothing like the wild atmosphere of the 90’s. Just like most schools you can find the parties but there are tons of entertainment options that are not parties. Not speaking for the OP but wanted to share.
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My S22 is a quite kid. Just wonder if he fits in the all the parties around school.
My daughter is a senior there. Like many at UMass Amherst, she is very studious and academically focused. She is also fairly quiet and not a big partier. She says the school is so large and diverse she never experienced big pressures to attend parties. She found her people and attends events for her clubs and works off campus as well. She absolutely loves UMass fwiw.
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Thank you very much for your information. It is helpful. S22 got 16k scholarships in honor college. Hopefully we can go there to have a school tour. I heard it is big school.
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How was the dorm?
Hi Mary, thanks for creating this thread. How was the dorm?
Mary, does student need a car? Will there be a bus at school since it is so big?
It is 1 hours 40 minutes to Boston from UMass campus . How frequent is the bus in UMass Amherst to Boston?
@MaryHildegard My daughter is trying to decide between URI and UMASS and also plans to minor in theater. Would love to get your perspective on theater at UMASS and the strengths/weaknesses of the program.
Hi! Did your son decide to go to Umass?
My son is also not into the crazy party scene. He got into the Honors College at Umass with merit $.
He’s deciding between Umass and UConn.
Undecided