<p>My S is starting at UMass. So far he loves it (he hasn’t actually started classes yet).</p>
<p>He would not consider UConn, UNH, or URI. He was accepted at UVM, but they did not have his major, and it would have cost over 40K. He was not interested in the WPIs and RPIs - he wanted a more diverse school, even though he’s majoring in engineering.</p>
<p>I think he’s going to get a good education at a price that our family can manage. My S did not have a 4.0, but he did have good SATs. It’s definitely harder to get into than it used to be. Many of his friends were waitlisted.</p>
<p>We toured several private schools that had lovely dorms and amenities for students. For us, it was not worth it to be paying over twice as much for a comparable education, and have S saddled with loans. My ex SIL is a Umass alumna, and she’s had good things to say about their alumni network, not at all what the author is saying.</p>
<p>I may be biased, but I think the article does UMass a disservice. Yes, I do think it’s a shame they don’t get better funding. But from what I’ve seen, they’re doing well with the resources they have.</p>