It is a common misconception that state colleges are not as “good†as private colleges because they are cheaper and have a reputation of being “easy†to get into. Ever since the economy took a turn for the worse, there has been an increased desire for students to attend state schools; however UMass Boston still carries the reputation of being not as good as other state schools because it is a primarily a commuter school.
UMass Boston is a commuter school and so has no dorms, which many students at HHS find unappealing. What students do not know is that there is on campus housing available in the form of apartments, so living on campus at UMass Boston is possible. The university has a whole department dedicated to placing students in a dorm-like environment in apartments located across the street from the campus. Despite the fact that there is limited on-campus housing, doesn’t mean that the quality of education is less then a university that offers more residential options.
Just because UMass Boston is a commuter school, does not mean that there is no student life. UMass Boston tries very hard to incorporate student life into the commuting student’s schedule. There are plenty of clubs and sports that fit into a commuter’s schedule. Free admission into the JFK Library is also included for students at UMass Boston along with access to the on campus pool, ice-skating rink, and fitness center.
UMass Boston tends to carry a reputation that because it is a commuter based school is on the same level as a Community College. This is not the case, UMass Boston is a four year university that offers the same high quality education that can be found at any other university. The fact of the matter is, college is what you make out of it; UMass has a lot to offer the students who take advantage of all the educational opportunities.
There is however one huge difference between UMass Boston, and other four year state schools. The cost! Living at school really racks up the cost of going there. Yes, there is the experience of living away from home, but there is also the distractions and stress of living away from home. When living at a school one must take into account, food expenses, room and board expenses, health insurance expenses (most schools require this whether or not a student has insurance), and other fees associated with living on campus. When living at home, all of these costs are already factored into your family’s cost of living. UMass Boston also has less fees for their students than the other UMass schools.
Some students believe that if they want to continue their education after college and become a doctor, or dentist they will not be able to get into a medical or dental school if they were to go to UMass Boston. Th university has the same placement statistics as any other school in Boston for students who are going to medical school. The real question is; Do you want to be a doctor with $300,000 in student loans, or a doctor with $500,000 in student loans? That same doctor with only $300,000 in student loans sounds appealing to me.
The school shouldn’t be overlooked just because it isn’t the typical four-year residential college; UMass Boston is one of Massachusetts’ hidden gems, yet to be discovered by many.
