<p>So UMASS is my top choice and letters of acceptance will be mailed this month so I am slowly losing my mind. Could someone tell me what my chances of acceptance are?</p>
<p>I have a 3.321 GPA on a 4.5 scale. I go to a difficult, private, college prep school in New Jersey. I am classified as Hispanic. My SAT scores: 640 on Critical Reading, 580 on Math, and 620 on Writing (1840 total). I got 2 recommendations, one from the chair of the English department at my school. I have taken accelerated classes from freshman to junior year (I am a senior now) and no APs. I plan to be an English major with a concentration in writing. Someone help me!!!!</p>
<p>I am surprised…what do you like about u mass over Rutgers? I would think Rutgers would be a lot less expensive in state. And has an equal or better reputation than u mass?</p>
<p>It’s not as great as everyone makes it out to be. I’ve never understood why everyone in this state cherishes it. Personally, I don’t like the campus and going to a college where I already live nearby.</p>
<p>UMass has actually been a popular destination for New Jersey students dating all the way back to my time there in the eighties. For the most recent year reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2010, there were 237 members of the freshmen class at UMass from New Jersey. By way of comparison, Rutgers had 21 freshmen from Massachusetts in 2010. </p>
<p>Also, I think it is always a mistake to think of peer institutions like UMass and Rutgers, which are roughly similar in terms of strength of a broad range of programs, reputation and selectivity, as ‘better’ or ‘worse’. It comes down to what programs a student might be interested in and whatever else she or he might might be looking for in a college experience. I am sure they both would have their respective merits and attractions. There is no question that the in state flagship campus would be the better value, however.</p>