I am in the process of choosing my college for next year and have narrowed down my options to Providence College and UMass Amherst. I will be going in as an accounting major with a possible minor in Spanish. I have been leaning towards PC for a while now, and my parents support me on it, but I also know UMass’ Isenberg School of Business is an excellent program and may even be better than that of PC. What would be the best option for an accounting major?
Also, since I live in MA, I would be getting in state tuition plus the Abigail Adams Scholarship with reduces the cost of UMass to about $20,000 per year. PC, on the other hand, is about $46,000 per year for me after scholarships. My biggest problem is the size and possible negative reputation of UMass Amherst. While it is a great school, it tends to have a poor reputation as a party school. In the long run I would come out of UMass with money to spare and PC with about $20,000 in debt.
I guess what my true point is if PC is worth the extra money for the personalized college experience. Between the small campus and personal feel, I love being on PC and really feel at home. I have only been at UMass one time for a short period of time, but did not enjoy it as much as PC. My other problem is with UMass’ location because I want a school in a city setting. I am just so conflicted and do not know what to do. Should I go with my gut and go to PC for the personalized education, or should I go for the cheaper and slightly more prestigious UMass? My parents went to PC and UMass, so it’s impossible for them to give me unbiased opinions on the schools. Please help.
Are you going to the Isenberg Open House on Saturday (the 11th)? that will give you more time on the UMass campus to see how you feel. Also give you more info about Isenberg.
I am, and I hope I can make a decision from that. After posting this I think I really have to reconsider UMass again because of all the opportunities the school has to offer. Between clubs and greek life UMass really has it all at a great price.
Normally, I would say debt is never a good thing for you or your parents. Debt is debt regardless of who is paying. However… I am sensitive to the “fit” of a school and I think your feelings on that subject are important. Have you approached PC and asked for more $$ - maybe matching the scholarship (not much, I know)? Have you thought about a work on campus option? Have you thought about taking some summer classes at a local CC - approved by PC of course, that might reduce your tuition?
For what it’s worth - I have heard nothing but praise for the business school at UMass. That could open doors for you in the future. Also, I would think beyond the party school image. UMass has become very selective. Many of those budding partiers that gave UMass a bad rap in the past are now weeded out beforehand. Students are waking up to the reality that to get a decent job they have to work hard at college. Times have changed.
One more thought by attending UMass Amherst - with that extra saved money - you might be able to consider a semester abroad, etc. - options that might not be available to you at the more expensive PC.
^^ all reasons my daughter eventually chose to go to UMass this fall. She will come out with no loans so this afford her the chance to do study abroad, maybe take an unpaid internship in her field (Finance and Econ) instead of sweating over getting a paid summer position, etc. She had to get over her image of Umass as being the school that “everyone” gets into. This is not true anymore (and especially for Isenberg, Engineering and Computer Science).Also she decided she would rather be at a school where jobs and internship opportunities may be more Boston focused, since she assumes she will want to stay in the area after graduating. She was looking at smaller schools (Villanova, BC and Lehigh, etc) but also decided she would prefer the opportunities that a larger school can give.
Weather sounds good for Saturday. Looking forward to seeing the campus without all the snow that was there in February when we last visited!
Thanks for the input! I’ve been losing sleep lately thinking about the two schools. I am very excited to visit the school on Saturday because the more I have been thinking about it, the more UMass makes sense. Isenberg is ranked higher than PC and more selective, and also there are more opportunities for me at UMass. I went into senior year thinking I was pretty set on PC, but the more I researched and talked to people, the better UMass sounds. It also helps that people know UMass, whereas with PC I have found people who have not heard of the school. I’m sure I will change my mind a million more times before I actually make a decision, but as of today I think UMass is a great choice for me.
In the fall my daughter was also looking at PC, Syracuse, UDel, etc. but once she got into UMass in December she decided to drop those schools from her list. Since Isenberg is more highly rated than those schools she figured why to go to a lower rated school for more money (per their NPCs).
The more I try and pick a school it seems the more frustrated I become. While UMass is a great program and at a low cost, my dad went to PC for accounting and has talked to his old professor who still teachers there. According to her, PC may be ranked lower but there are many factors that contribute to that. She said PC mostly competes with other small private, Catholic schools such as Fairfield and Villanova. I think PC offers a great Development of Western Civilization course requirement that creates well-rounded students no matter their major. I’m just not sure what to do anymore because UMass also has great name recognition while many do not know PC very well. Also, UMass has a larger variety of clubs and activities on campus that PC may not offer such as greek life.
Is it tough to make these decisions. That class at PC sounds wonderful. Just remember that even if UMass doesn’t have a similar requirement, they may very well have a similar course. You can always take courses that you want to take not just those that are required!
Did you go on Saturday? What did you think?
@newenglander367 - you are getting some great advice here - and it’s all free! 
Seriously, did you visit PC last weekend? Have you have a chance to compare campus visits? I would also recommend a pro/con list, and maybe ranking them too. Does your father favor one school over the other? As a parent, it is very hard NOT to weigh in, especially if we are bearing the burden of the cost.
Finally, considering how selective UMass has become I would rule out the “party image”. If you do stumble upon the remaining few who still managed to get in, you can give them a wide berth. Just as you would in HS.