<p>Which school is better? Going to Dartmouth, I would have to pay little to nothing whereas Amherst is more expensive. I know that Amherst is a better school but would it be worth the extra money? I am going to be undecided and I was wondering which school would be best for me. I was also invited in to the honors program at Dartmouth but not at Amherst, I would really like to be apart of the honors college in Amherst. Is there anyway I can get into the honors college or would I have to wait until the next semester? I also have concerns about how big Amherst is, I hear it's a huge party school and being surrounded by that is a concern for me.</p>
<p>. UMass-Amherst has25,000 students there. If 10% party, thats 2500!! That leaves 90% who have other priorities. You will find that to be the case at any big state flagship university. There are LOTS of highly talented students at UM-A. Admission standards have toughened considerably. You can apply to the honors college after freshman year if your grades are good enough.</p>
<p>In-state, UM-D has an even bigger reputation as a party school than UM-Amherst. They also accept more less-talented students than Amherst. UM-D may have more commuters as well, so it may be more of a suitcase school.</p>
<p>If you are undecided, the flagship campus would have many more majors and minors to choose from, along with the courses available at the other 4 schools in the consortium (especially useful if you’re interested in languages).</p>
<p>If you can swing it, go with UMass-Amherst. Then again, you can’t ignore finances.</p>