UMass Amherst vs. BU vs. WPI

College Majors Engineering Majors
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<p>Hey all, I am a senior in high school who has been accepted into the three schools mentioned above, and I'm having a tough time deciding which one I want to go to. I plan on doing something in either physics or engineering, and was considering a major in engineering (mechanical probably, though this is up in the air) and minor in physics. </p>

<p>Out of the three I definitely prefer the city atmosphere of BU. I live in a small town right now and its very boring, so I feel the surround area of BU would be perfect for me. Aside from visits, I don't really know anyone who goes to BU, so I suppose I can't make this broad of a statement, but I've heard a lot of "snobby" people go to BU. I am a very nice individual, but if there is one type of person I despise it would be snobs. </p>

<p>I have heard the area surrounding UMass is exactly like the area I live in now (a boring small town), which is not necessarily bad, and with the size of UMass I'm sure I'd find something to do. I don't really like the area of WPI all that much, and (not to offend any students there) I've heard the student body is somewhat....nerdy. Not that theres anything wrong with that, I consider myself to be a bit of a nerd, but I don't know if I want to go to college with one type of person (science majors). </p>

<p>The other thing about WPI is that while it is very well respected for its engineering department, the lesser range of courses at WPI than at UMass or BU does not really appeal to me because I am not 100% sure on what I want to do. I have an inclination towards math and physics, and I know all three of these schools have respected departments. </p>

<p>It should be noted that I did not get in to the Honors Program (Commonwealth College) at UMass Amherst, but I am sure if I try I can get the 3.20 GPA needed to transfer there. I've been doing a lot of research and found some threads on this forum, but I haven't been able to find a conclusive answer on how the Honors Program at UMass compares to BU and WPI in terms of engineering and physics. </p>

<p>While money is not an issue, I have also heard that the educations at UMass and BU are very comparable, with the latter costing significantly more. I am a Massachusetts resident so tuition at UMass would be very cheap for me, and I imagine the money saved on my education would come in handy later. However my parents can afford both, so I do not need to choose a school based on how cheap it is. </p>

<p>Sorry for this huge wall of text, there are just a lot of things I have been considering while I make this decision. I am going to visit the three schools again during the upcoming weeks to help me make my decision, and I guess I am the only one who can decide based on how I like the schools. However, in terms of prestige and academics, which do you think would be the best choice for me? I am planning on going to grad school, if that helps. </p>

<p>Thanks, and if you need me to be more specific about something let me know.</p>

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<p>bump10char</p>

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<p>Seems like you have weeded out WPI to me… So I am just going to compare BU and UMass Well - even though you wouldn’t need to base your decision on money - you should definitely look into the cost difference. If BU is $100,000 more in four years - i would say its not worth it. However, if BU is maybe $10,0000- $20,000 in four years, than maybe money can be put aside.</p>

<p>You are totally right - the education at BU and UMass aren’t really that difference. It is the environment and amount of resources that differ. I go to BU currently and I take many summer courses at my own state college and the main difference is not the academics, but rather the environment and amount of resources that I can get. I am also an engineering student (so more fitted to your questions about BU) and I am able to take greater amounts of resources for myself i.e. tutors, nice study spaces, access to great community dinners/events/ info sessions, as well as great internship opportunities - off campus even as Boston is obviously accessible. </p>

<p>Personally my decision was like yours public school vs. private school. In the end I chose private school and I am ok with my decision. I have met tons of interesting people from all over the place - including MANY internationals. I have been challenged and grown as an individual while having fun in Boston. I wouldn’t have had the diversity or access to any better resources had I gone to my state college.</p>

<p>Email me if you have any questions!</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>