murphyee

I went to UMass Amherst and I loved the school. Like all schools it is what you make of it. I went as an undergraduate although I know they have some amazing grad programs. It depends on the program though and what you are looking for research wise. The campus is nice and they have a good amount of student groups (RSO's) that you can join. UMass is one of the five colleges (Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke and Hampshire) in the area. Therefore, there are students everywhere! Amherst is a nice town small, but artsy. There are many good cafe's and places to eat. They even have a great independent movie theater. The bus system, PVTA, goes around campus as well as to the other five colleges and the mall regularly. I did not have a car and I found it to be very good considering that this area is not a city. Although, I went to graduate school in Boston and found that there bus system was probably as reliable as the PVTA. Another nice thing about the area is that approx. 15-20 by car (longer by bus but not bad) min from UMASS is northampton which has an active music scene (check it out at iheg.com) as well as many bars and food joints. There is also a bike trail that connects UMass to northampton!!! Great if you live in northampton and commute into UMass. I really like this area! It is only 1 1/2 hrs from Boston and 3 from NYC. So it is central to some great larger cities if you need a city fix! There are a few good places to rock climb as well as hike in the area too. Really the "Pioneer Valley" (which is where UMass is located) is wonderful.

On a side note while, while I was scanning the forums, I realized you got accepted to Simmons. I got my masters there MS Ed. I really enjoyed my time there, not I am onto PhD work!!! I found Simmons very supportive and welcoming. Although, I was in a different program then you were accepted into I believe overall Simmons is a nice place in a fun city.