<p>@irish, I was not adressing your comment specifically, just in general. I am from Massachusetts and UMass as a state flagship is lacking. My parents were full pay too. I ended up at McGill University in Montreal where the tuition for international students at the time (mid-1990’s) was only slightly higher than in state tuition at UMass. I also received a renewable merit scholarship that covered almost full tuition. Even Canadian schools are no longer the bargain for Americans that they were a decade ago though. I had no qualms about a large school or large classes fortunately. If I had been from VA, NC or MI I likely would have attended those flagships.</p>