<p>I think that your logic is very reasonable. Unfortunately, UMASS Amherst gets a bad rap because so many people in Massachusetts don’t use it, because it’s way underfunded and the physical plant there is in rough shape, and because it keeps putting retired politicians (Bulger, Meehan) in high positions so that they can boost their final state salaries and maximize their pension payouts. As a result, it’s not taken as seriously as perhaps it should be. The “Zoo Mass” reputation doesn’t help much either. It’s also very large and some people just feel more comfortable at a smaller campus. </p>
<p>I think that maybe there is some middle ground between UMASS and expensive privates. The State University of New York (SUNY) schools, while they may not necessarily be any better are only a litte more expensive even with OOS tuition, maybe $2K more if that. They offer a variety of urban/suburban or rural campuses and a variety of sizes. I’m actually surprised that more people from Massachusetts don’t consider them because UMASS is quite expensive in-state compared to most states, NY is quite inexpensive OOS compared to most states, and the two states are right next door to each other. Unlike Massachusetts which has a single flagship, New York has a number of very good schools, but none that is universally considered a flagship. They also have some public liberal arts colleges that are probably better than anything comparable in Massachusetts. She may be able to find a campus with an environment that she likes and would be happy to attend. </p>
<p>There are other great out-of-state deals in other parts of the country.</p>
<p>Also, may private colleges give a lot of financial aid simply because otherwise they wouldn’t fill their class. You might scour the CC archives and find some that give good aid for B students. </p>
<p>Perhaps if she had more choices she would either find something she likes better within a reasonable budget, or see that UMASS is the best among them.</p>