Cream at the top is sweet for UMass

Commonwealth College for university's elite has thrived in past decade, raised system's stature

Commonwealth College student Stephen McLellan discussed his capstone project proposal with (left to right) fellow students David Borst, Margarette Poillucci, and Efstathia Choros. (Nancy Palmieri for The Boston Globe)

It doesn't appear in the US News & World Report annual college rankings or in the box scores. Students don't wear sweatshirts bearing its name, or sing its fight song at the homecoming game.

But with a 600-student freshman class that boasts an average SAT score of 1,315 and a 4.0 grade point average, Commonwealth College, the state's honors college at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, stacks up favorably against selective colleges throughout New England and increasingly competes for a caliber of high school graduate typically bound for more prominent schools.

"It is the jewel of our university system," said Aaron Spencer, a former chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education who spearheaded the creation of the college. "I think the public is beginning to recognize Commonwealth College as almost Ivy League in its quality. It's virtually the equivalent of [University of California] Berkeley."

A decade after debuting to charges of elitism, the college has grown steadily in size and stature, and has emerged as a more affordable alternative to prestigious private institutions. College officials and higher-education observers believe the school, popularly known as ComCol, has achieved its goal of drawing some of Massachusetts' most talented students to the state's flagship campus, and in doing so has helped UMass-Amherst achieve greater prominence.

But some see the college's success as separate from the university as a whole, a prestigious enclave within a university that accepts some 60 percent of its applicants. Many students describe admission to the college as a prerequisite for their attending UMass-Amherst, which suggests ComCol is more of a singular destination than an added benefit.

That has created the perception of a two-tiered system that UMass-Amherst must counter as it seeks to reach the upper echelon of the nation's public universi ties, in the view of some educators.

"There are a lot of students that decide they'll go to UMass-Amherst only if they get into Commonwealth College," said Patricia Plummer, chancellor of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. "If they don't, they'll go to any number of top private colleges instead."

Several high school counselors said that students, and their parents, draw a sharp distinction between Commonwealth College and its host.

"It's definitely more prestigious," said Peggy Cain, counselor at Andover High School. "People do draw the distinction. Top students know they are applying to Commonwealth College."

Cain said graduates have turned down schools such as Brown, Tufts, and Boston College to attend Commonwealth in recent years. Their reasons are usually financial, but many say later it was the right educational and social decision as well, she said.

Applicants to UMass-Amherst are invited to attend Commonwealth College if they scored above 1,300 combined on the SAT critical reading and math portions, had a grade point average of 3.8 or higher, and ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. Current students and transfer students are also eligible if they have earned a 3.2 GPA.

The college costs the same as the overall university, about $10,000 a year in tuition and fees.

Students take at least one honors course a semester, and also take part in independent study and research fellowships. As seniors, they must complete a capstone project to graduate.

The requirements and rigorous courses discourage some students from joining the college, but only students who complete Commonwealth College's requirements can graduate magna and summa cum laude. The college's designation appears on students' diplomas and transcripts.

With about 3,800 students, Commonwealth College bills itself as a close-knit intellectual community that allows students to interact directly with their peers and professors. Some students live and take classes together in "learning communities." Classes are limited to 25 students and feature in-depth discussions, research, and service learning.

A recent visit to a freshman seminar illustrated the college's intellectually rigorous, interactive approach. Debate ricocheted through the small classroom, a spirited stream-of-consciousness of ideas and analysis. Sitting with desks in a circle, 15 students and an instructor delved into the weekly reading, mining the text for themes and meanings.

Every student spoke, and listened closely. None had laptops, and few took notes. Most had only the book in front of them, a scientist's memoir about studying baboons in Kenya. Highlighted, spines creased, the texts had clearly been read.

The conversation crackled, and students jumped in without raising their hands. The instructor, Sheri Schmidt, sitting in the circle with them, did little coaxing.

"Nice, very nice," she said with a nod after one student's comment. "What else?"

Students point to such classes as the main reason they came to UMass-Amherst, and say the college offers the best of both worlds: the feel of a close-knit liberal arts college and the wide opportunities of a large research university.

Matthew Isaacs, a sophomore from Acton, said he turned down Brandeis and Tufts universities to attend Commonwealth College after concluding it offered an equivalent education at well under half the cost.

"I wouldn't be here without ComCol," agreed Tim Alden, a sophomore from Charlton majoring in accounting and economics. "It has a smaller, private-college feel. It's a huge college, but here you have people by your side."

That combination has proved highly attractive to students, and the college has seen its enrollment surge by 30 percent over the past five years.

"We've grown substantially faster than the rest of the college," said Meredith Lind, the college's director of academic programs.

About 80 percent of students are from Massachusetts. UMass-Amherst has approximately 19,000 undergraduates.

Flagships across the country, including Maryland and Penn State universities, have introduced and strengthened honors programs in recent years to provide a top-notch education and attract a higher caliber of students.

Charlotte Anderson, a freshman from Hudson, described the college's classes as more rigorous than her other courses, and also more rewarding.

"You're sitting with some of the best students in the state and talking one-on-one with professors," she said.

A recent alumni survey found that 95 percent of graduates were happy with the experience and would recommend the college. More than 80 percent have gone on to pursue advanced degrees.

Commonwealth College dean Priscilla Clarkson said that smaller classes with talented peers create a dynamic mix.

"It's all about sharing ideas," she said after observing the recent seminar. "The level of the class matches the level of the students."