Academics
Located on a sprawling, rural campus just 90 miles outside of Boston, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst is the flagship institution of the UM system. The public research university services more than 24,000 undergraduates across one hundred majors, and classes incorporate "various group and independent work" and "new study methods," including "full discussion-based classes, lab walks, and interesting project formats." That flexibility extends to its status as a University Without Walls (UWW), a format that allows students to complete their degrees with both in-person and virtual instruction, and to its position in the Five College Consortium, which means that students can find "a lot of different paths and majors" by taking classes and attending social events at four other nearby colleges. The school is also well-funded, and awarded nearly $287 million last year toward "many experiential learning and research opportunities" and interdisciplinary collaboration with dozens of centers and institutes, including the Energy Transition Institute and the Computational Social Science Institute.
The administration excels at "letting the community know everything that's going on" and there are "endless opportunities and resources" to be found. Faculty are "very helpful and flexible" and "always more than willing to help if you make an effort to reach out." Overall, the "variety in academics, culture, opportunities, and activities" and the school's "sheer vastness alone" make for a satisfied group.
Student Body
"Everyone here is very independent yet unified," and students "create a family-like environment with encouraging mindsets" and are "smart and driven and focused on academics." Public activism and service are unifying threads among staff and students, and the Mass Impact Day of Service (in which everyone volunteers throughout the Pioneer Valley) is a favorite annual event. This "very kind, welcoming community" has a "decent level of diversity," is "very friendly and accepting," and "fun at parties." People here "are really social," and with this many undergraduates, "you will never meet the same person twice." Students "are coming from very different backgrounds" both within the state and across the country, and "for the most part everyone gets that we're in this together." As one student says, "I am very happy at UMass and the student body is a large reason."
Campus Life
All first-years (and more than half of all students) live on campus, and are described as a laidback, sociable bunch, the sort to "hang out at dining halls and eat and talk and then spend time in the dorm lounge talking or working or playing video games." Sports are also highly regarded option, given UMass's NCAA Division I status, and there are more than forty intramural leagues, tournaments, and events. Football is especially popular here, as is the UMass Minuteman marching band. Students universally rave about the "the best food in the country": "It makes getting up in the morning worth it," says one. The amazing food could also tie into why so many also enjoy hitting the rec center: "It's like a private gym, and the workout classes are phenomenal. Yoga, kickboxing, strength trading, spin, you name it." Much time is spent "attending events hosted by different clubs and on campus organizations" (the Ski and Board club is the largest and oldest one), and the broadness of the university "shines through especially in clubs because there is something for everyone."
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