Amherst College Top Questions

I would say that I know many people who don't like it here for many different reasons. As a Freshmen I loved Amherst, but then the romantic feelings started to fade. Why? I started to develop an interest in multimedia and all things digital and Amherst just doesn't support it, which makes me wish I had gone to a university that's more up-to-date with the times. (Amherst will get a film and multimedia studies major in 2014 though.) The thing is: if you want to be a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher/professor, or go into a non-profit organization, guess what. . . Amherst is the place for you and you'll love it here!

No core curriculum proves that the faculty and administration take the students seriously. Anything we want to accomplish, we can do it and we can make that decision on our own.

Amherst's size is unique; it is the smallest of the schools I applied to. Its location is also unique, since it's in a small town with beautiful countryside surrounding it, but Boston is only two hours away and New York is three. It's possible to "get away to the city" for a weekend without too much trouble. The feeling I got when I visited campus was the deal-maker for me; I liked that students could walk around and, even if they didn't know everybody by name, they recognized almost everyone they saw.

No core requirements, beautiful campus, most students adore the school.

Amherst is unique for its small community and the commitment of its professors. They are always available to meet and help students, but the expectations are still high. Lots of classes use a discussion format and strongly encourage student participation. At the same time, its not competitive. Everyone needs help at some point, so students work together to get everyone through.

Its the number one liberal arts college in the nation. Its very small, 1600 students in total.

The food is not that good, and we only have one dining hall which can make for awkward moments on sunday mornings. Nevertheless, "awkward val" is a trademark of Amherst, that i wouldn't have any other way.

People don't tend to transfer out of Amherst, they tend to transfer TO Amherst. Also, people find ways to stay- like jobs here.

Amherst is a terrific place where one can intellectually grow, get a top fellowship/job/grad school seat/etc, and make great friends. Imagine a day of reading Kant in your dorm room, playing video games with your best friend, going to the Connecticut River to kayak, and catching a showing of a Godard movie on the big screen. This after a day of hearing a CIA director talk, eating lunch with your Pulitzer Prize winning professor, seeing your friends put on a great a cappella show, and getting hammered at the after party. Unfortunately, social cliquey-ness, a stifling bubble, a large contingent of pre-professional grade grubbers, a contingent of athletes who, frankly, don't deserve to be at Amherst, and weak dining services can make the place occassionally painful. Did I mention how stuck in their groups and bubbles many Amherst people can be???

The kids that go here are into having a great time, and truly love the college -- which adds to the atmosphere on campus. People want to do well in class, want to be involved in sports, shows, want to party, and want to support there peers. The campus is gorgeous and unbelievably well kept. At any given moment in the dining hall the student body is having genuinely insightful conversations about politics, classes, teachers, sports, contraversial social issues, parties and hot hook-ups, FIFA, and religion. The place is great.

You will love it or hate it. I spent my first two years miserable, and I hardly left my room or branched out much beyond my group of friends. I really regret that. Amherst is what you make it just put yourself out there a little.

Basically, if you want a liberal arts school this is a really great one. Open curriculum is great, there are nice facilities and lots of good events. Most of the Sports teams are really good. The town is small, but close to bigger towns and there is free bus service with your student ID. If you want to be an engineer or a frat boy, go elsewhere, but otherwise this school is worth looking into. Quick note: Any conservative students should know that it will be a challenge, but it can also really help you strengthen your arguments for the real world (plus, this place needs you). And for liberals looking to hear the conservative side, its there if you just look for it.

Become a member of the Lord Jeff Nation.

If you come here, Amherst will take care of everything. Standard of living is pretty high (especially if you are an upperclassman and get in the top of room draw), some of the dorms are like hotels, classrooms are also modern and have multimedia technology; the campus has wireless, internet is fast; the campus is safe, we even have safe rides (campus police can give you a ride late at night to your dorm); the school gives out loans for personal laptops and for senior expenses (like interview- or grad-school-related expenses), financial aid in general is amazing; the food could be better, sometimes it is bland, but many times they have good stuff; and most importantly, all doors in life will be open for you after Amherst. You just don't need to worry, the college takes care of it all! My social experience has been amazing and unforgettable. I have met so many interesting, thinking and unique people that I doubt I will ever meet in one place again. People are definitely smart, both academically and socially, the topics that are discussed are very intellectual and prepare you to what you will experience in a work environment. Almost everyone is passionate about an interest of theirs and you can learn soooo much only from one person, and you have tons of amazing people here. Although my social experience here is a blast, I have heard complaints from a few Americans about the cliques. Many Americans, though, share my excitement about the great students body. The international community is fantastic, so many mature, smart and talented people in one place! There is no gossip, intrigue or jealousy, everyone is friends with everyone. I still cannot get enough of those people! The international community is very diverse, there is no conceivable way that you would not find friends; even if they admitted a martian tomorrow, they will not feel lonely. It is also amazing that no one here is negative, people feel good about themselves and their future. They just do not worry about stuff. If you imply that you doubt you can do something, they will immediately cut you off and tell you that you are very smart and should not underestimate yourself. The place is very, very positive, it has some energy to it. The weather, though, is cold. I love Amherst, but I have to admit, the winters are looooong. Pretty much your entire life at Amherst will be in cold weather. This should not prevent anyone from coming, in my opinion, but I just thought that this might matter to some people. Disclaimer: this place is an academic machine! You are primarily a student, and everything else is secondary (may be this does not hold for athletes). It is almost impossible to find an easy class. Each of your classes could consume your entire life if you decided to follow the syllabus religiously. Come equipped with good work ethics and time-management skills, or you will be chronically sleep-deprived. In one of my semesters, I missed one week of school due to an illness and I had to pull all-nighters until the end of the semester. If you want 3.9, start working from day one. Bottom line: many opportunities, fantastic people, tons of problems sets and reading (but interesting), engaging classes, the sweetest professors ever, modern dorms, cold weather, all-nighters, great financial aid, security, dynamic life, positive people: you will never wanna leave it!

OK so people complain about how the girls here are really unattractive and I've thought about this a lot and here's my conclusion. There are a lot of beautiful girls here whom I would love to hook up with or date or marry. What Amherst lacks is a lot of eye candy. There aren't a lot of girls here who have the certain type of good looks that makes them very conspicuous and visible. That type of looks I am talking about does not imply that they are prettier, just that they have very high profile and grab attention. Amherst has very few people like that. But like I said there are a lot of gorgeous girls here who might not get noticed unless you meet them.

Amherst is a pretty great school, although it sometimes feels very small (especially after having gone abroad to Amsterdam las semester!) with only 1600 people.

Basically, a lot of people at Amherst end up here because they were rejected from Harvard, Princeton, or Yale, though many people do infact decide to matriculate here after gaining admittance to a top Ivy. But everyone here, is happy that they ended up here. No one ever regrets choosing Amherst.

nope

It's a great place. I strongly recommend it.

Food is decent and most of the dorms are really nice. Definitely better than the average campus.