If you live in the Boston area, then you most likely have heard about the surprise sale of Mount Ida College in Newton, Massachusetts to the University of Massachusett-Amherst.
Mount Ida is closing its doors after the May 12 graduation ceremony and current students have the option of attending UMass-Dartmouth — an option that has enraged some of the students who would find themselves traveling 60 miles daily to the state-owned university campus in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. In addition, UMass-Dartmouth doesn’t offer all courses of study offered by Mount Ida.
Mount Ida is a liberal arts college with a population of 1,555, according to its website. It is located on 72 residential acres in the tony Greater Boston community of Newton. The majority of students live on campus and the school’s faculty to student ratio is 13 to one. In 2017, tuition, room and board cost $48,000. The college is ranked 26th in regional colleges north by U.S. News and World Report.
UMass-Amherst will use the property as a satellite campus, according to published reports.
The stunning development announced earlier this month underscores the importance of researching a college’s financial standing and its endowments. Deciding on which college to attend requires more than a visit to the campus. It requires a discerning eye. Does the college post its annual report? If not, ask someone in the president’s office to email or snail-mail it to you and look carefully at the numbers. In fact, ask an accountant to take a look with you. If the numbers don’t add up, call the president’s office and ask questions.
When choosing a college or university, it’s important to consider the options it offers. A small school can provide a wonderful, intimate experience for you, but if its majors are limited, finances are tight, and courses sparsely offered, you could come to regret your decision. A larger university, while more intimidating for incoming freshmen, is a playground of resources and choices got sophomores and juniors. If you decide to change your major while attending a larger school, you’ll have choices.
Keep this in mind when visiting college campuses this spring.
Who is the College Essay Confidantè?
I call myself the College Essay Confidantè because I help rising seniors brainstorm essay topics for their college admissions application. But I’m also a mom who put two sons through college and helped them make their higher education decisions. It’s amazing how differently opportunity looks in hindsight.
While I am focused on helping students write compelling and well-composed essays, I’m always available for homegrown counsel based on my own experiences. Feel free to contact me.
More About the College Essay Confidantè
Joyce Pellino Crane, award winning journalist and essay columnist, is the College Essay Confidantè.
Let her check your college application essay for grammatical and typographical errors, organizational problems, and story composition issues.
She teaches workshops for high school juniors and seniors seeking assistance with their college application essays. Ask your high school guidance counselor to invite Joyce to your school.
She helps applicants for law and medical school, as well.
Joyce is a former Boston Globe correspondent and the current news director of Westford Community Access Television. She is the former editor of the Westford Eagle and Littleton Independent, newspapers for two communities located northwest of Boston. Crane is the recipient of an editorial award by the 2015 Best of GateHouse and a 2015 first prize award for commentary presented by the New England Newspaper and Press Association. Between 2011 and 2015 Joyce won six additional NENPA awards for newswriting and reporting.
