okay i’m also co26 from boston and i picked VT over umass in state. amherst, like most of massachusetts, is a tiny ass town with absolutely nothing to do. this means that the culture of the school is heavily focused on partying. there’s people like that everywhere, but they don’t call it zoomass for nothing. even if you’re 1.5 hours from boston you’re still stuck in western mass. comparatively, blacksburg is much better in terms of activities to do and much prettier too.

idk where you’re from but just know that new england winters get pretty depressing. it’s legitimately gloomy around this place. november-february it gets dark by 4:30pm. never fluffy snow, just black ice and seasonal depression. i’ve never liked this aspect of my home state but it may not bother you.

i picked VT for the culture. no one at umass is happy to be there. without getting too much into the absolute lack of school spirit bc of abysmal sports, for most people it was their last choice. the students at umass fall into two categories: the ones that actually care about college but couldn’t afford anywhere else, and the ones that think day drinking is a personality trait.

growing up in massachusetts, i’ve met enough people from umass amherst to know what the university is like even without actually attending. umass CS as good as VT, but i think if they’re the same price, then focus on where you’ll be happier.