My fellow discipuli of Boston Latin, even if you've spent the last seven (or four) years at Latin in devout academic piety (or have miraculously survived without doing any work at all)—you have yet to point to the institution you already fell in love in with. Sure you may have been wooed by Wesleyan, Middlebury, dialed toll-free to Harvard, and kidnapped by Yale, at the same time; even so, one of the most important aspects of higher education, is finding a school that you feel secure, satisfied, and ultimately, happy with. There are over 2,000 four-year colleges in the United States alone; here is one:

With your eyes closed, relax, stop thinking about tonight's homework—draw out and connect the dots to your ideal college education. It's a fabulous campus, somewhere far away from your nagging parents, a college—no—university where you and seventeen of your friends have a professor all to yourself. A place where you're a person, not a number. A home that offers a keycard that works in the cafeterias of five private ivy-league colleges (with better food than Harvard's Loker Commons), a curriculum of premed, pre-law, and, sky-diving classes... in this state, Hawaii; Paris, France; Japan, and twenty-five countries. Picture a school, costing less than $15,000 a year (for both tuition and board), being the top 50 in the country and having the #5 medical school in the United States (Umass Worcester)—alongside UPENN, Harvard, Tufts—all of them.

You'd be surprised to know, that this contemporary utopia—a state school—is well known as the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Veiled by arborous forests and common misconceptions, this University is only a two-hour drive from metropolitan areas such as Boston. It's in a college town in western Massachusetts that's simply more picturesque than Thoreau's Walden.

But please, don't get too excited, yet; or, bat your eyes because Umass Amherst is considered a state school. There is no double-edged sword here, or white elephants, or unicorns—nothing to make you label this University as one of your safety schools. In confidence, Amherst Chancellor John Lombardi aptly describes the size and magnitude of Amherst as "not too small to overwhelm you, not too small to restrict your opportunities."

As her third year of addressing BLS students, Admissions Officer LynnHuong came down from a long way's to elucidate what Umass Amherst has to offer, and to answer any questions from prospective Senior, Junior, even Sophomore candidates. From her assuring preface to brief pauses of laughter—to one on one meetings, Ms. Ly announced with her presence, that Amherst is a school fond of well-motivated students such as Latin's. For those weary of a "general" education, Umass Amherst is a research university which offers—even to freshmen—the prospect of conducting your own projects, publishing papers with faculty, and basically: to find where your talents are, in the "discovery process that is college." Academia wise, Amherst is a forerunner with the Ivies, more than ever now, with their pioneering 5 Colleges Consortium program. Located within a twelve mile radius are five private Ivy-League colleges students can take free transportation to, with the purpose of enriching their course curriculum with classes existing at the University, and likewise between the four schools: Smith College, Mount Holyoke, Amherst College, and Hampshire college.

She explained how, for those still unchallenged, there is for all students, the renowned Commonwealth College. Your freshmen application grades are automatically reviewed for acceptance at the University's leading Honors Program. An average SAT I of 1300, a 3.5 recalculated grade point average, and being the top 10% of your class will make sure you are given the opportunity to excel in smaller classrooms, collaborate in group discussions, and sharing a class of 500 students who, like you, are guided by ingenuity, facilitated in design, and creative in every way.

Each year, the University of Massachusetts Amherst receives 20,000 applications and accepts 60% applicants—as opposed to NYU's 28% for example. Although the University's application process is becoming more and more competitive, this year, more than 42,000 freshmen will enter Amherst Undergraduate—adding to a total of about 24,000 students, with 18,000 total undergraduates. Statistically, the Latin school fares well in acceptance rate with the Class of 2003's 167 applicants, only the few you can count on your fingers were not accepted. The general criterion in which admissions is based levels around a 3.0 G.P.A. and SAT I scores of 1100. The mean SAT and G.P.A. at Umass Amherst are 1130 and 3.4, respectfully. Nevertheless, these standards aren't quite set in stone—there have been stories from the class of 2003, there have been stories. (Please ask Latin School guidance or college search about grade recalculations.)

The Higher Board of Education presents scholarships for state schools such as Umass Amherst to have tuition fully waived—based on MCAS scores of 3 or 4, and SAT I scores above 1300. Tuition is in any case, affordable, especially with FAFSA forms and financial aid. When asked what minute distinctions Umass Amherst offered over similar schools such as Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern—Ms. Ly stated it was the financial affordability that Amherst provides. For under $15,000 a year, you receive the equal or better education than Amherst's counterparts, thereby leaving more flexibility and money for graduate school—another program the school prides itself in.

As stated on the interactive CD-ROM Amherst offered, there is just so much to talk about and discover about this little gem in Massachusetts—with over 280 student organizations, intramural sports, guest speakers such as Bill Cosby, Maya Angelou, and even appearances by "50 Cent"—the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a flowering bud of endless possibilities and great rewards.