<p>I thought the article was OK sort of. It was not very well researched or written … however the basic premise that UMass has not been well supported by the state and that it not on par with other flagships like Cal, UVA, UNC, or Michigan is dead on. Personally, my daughter and I both liked UMass more than we thought we would when we toured UMass … and we’re sure students can get a fine education there. However as a family we did see enough of a difference in the potential educational experince that we backed her decision to go to a private school … and I believe that choice would have been a lot closer/tougher in some other states. Given the state’s relative wealth and history with higher education it is a little surprising and disappointing that our flagship U is not it the league of the best of the flagships.</p>