<p>Alright, so I have been accepted to both UMass and WVU, but Im torn on deciding where to go.</p>
<p>Cons of UMass:
-Budget cuts, 527 million dollar endowment for a college with 25,000 students
-Some ugly buildings
-Lackluster greek life
-Cops cracking down on parties in recent years
-Lack of school spirit</p>
<p>The pros of WVU are nearly the opposite:
-Beautiful campus
-Decent greek life
-Excellent social life
-Tons of school spirit</p>
<p>As you can tell, I would really like a school that will give me the traditional college experience with tons of school spirit and fun However, Im sure most would agree that UMass is a more reputable school, which is exactly why Im torn. Anyone have any advice?</p>
<p>Which is in-state for you? Is cost a factor? If so, your in-state option may be the one to go with. Full disclosure, my son is a freshman at UMass and I know nothing about WVU. So far he has had a good experience (despite getting busted for drinking). I think UMass is making an effort to counter the “Zoomass” image of years past. There are still parties to be found, you just have to be a little more cautious. I don’t find the campus overly ugly–there are some ugly buildings, but there is a lot of green space, too. The area around the pond is particularly nice.</p>
<p>Okay, I know nothing about either school. A quick look shows that U Mass is ranked higher and has a higher graduation rate. Given that it barely breaks the top 100, I don’t think reputation matters that much except if you know you want to work in Mass after you graduate. If the rankings difference really bothers you, start looking at some of the more academic aspects of the two schools. What kind of programs do they offer? Who is showing up at their career center? What kind of internships people are getting. If these things don’t matter (to the extent you’re not interested in doing the research) and money isn’t a factor, go where you think you’ll get the college experience you’re looking for.</p>
<p>The entire state of West Virginia was under tornado warnings tonight.
If this type of thing bothers you, then UMASS may be a better choice.
Although Massachusetts has had tornadoes in the past, so it is not immune to them!</p>
<p>That sounds scary! But Im not all that worried about tornados haha. </p>
<p>Forgive me for my ignorance, but will people look down upon me for going to WVU, as opposed to UMass? I know UMass isn’t exactly prestigious by any means, so I guess my question is, is a UMass degree a lot better than a WVU degree?</p>
<p>It might matter what you plan to study. Umass Amherst has a strong reputation for engineering and cs. I don’t know anything about WVU and how it compares. I would look at the particular programs and their rankings that you are interested in at each school, talk to faculty, and see if that helps you make your decision.</p>