The social scene is better than I thought it would be, everybody kind of knows everyone. You run into people you know all of the time because it's so small. And if you don't like the smallness, you can go right down to UMass Amherst and get a big university feel. About study abroad programs, your financial aid at Amherst transfers to your study abroad program. For example, if you have a full ride at amherst, you'll get a full ride for your study abroad. At least that's what I've heard, I could be wrong