*****amherst class of 2016 ed thread*******

Colleges and Universities A-Z Amherst College
1

<p>Post your stats here! CONGRATS TO EVERYONE WHO IS ACCEPTED!!</p>

<p>Decision: Accepted
Decision: Waitlisted
Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT:
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service:
Summer Activities:
Essays:
Teacher Recommendation:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview:
Other
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
Reflection
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
General Comments:</p>

2

<p>Decision: Deferred</p>

<p>SAT I (breakdown): 800(C)800(M)800(W)
ACT:
SAT II:800 Literature, 800 U.S History, 800 Math level 2
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): n/a
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):1 out 450
AP (place score in parenthesis):n/a
IB (place score in parenthesis):n/a
Freshman and Sophomore Course Load(GCE Olevels): English Language(A<em>), English Literature(A</em>), Math(A<em>), Additional Maths(A</em>), Sociology(A<em>world distinction), World History, Economics(A</em>world Distinction), Commerce(A<em>), Biology(A</em>), Chemistry(A<em>), Physics(A</em>), Pakistan Studies (A<em>), Islamiat(A</em>)</p>

<p>Junior and Senior Year(GCE A level): Classical Studies(A<em>) Law (A</em>) Maths(A<em>) Further Mathematics(A</em>) Psychology (A<em>) Sociology (A</em>) Economics (A<em>) Literature in English (A</em>) Government and Politics(A<em>) World History (A</em>)</p>

<p>All transcripts were A*'s like the final official result given by CIE</p>

<p>Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 2 world Distinctions in the GCE exams</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):</p>

<p>MUSIC: Multi-Instrumentalist, play guitar,drums,piano,flute,violin and cello at an advanced level…Professional Finger-style Guitarist, represented Pakistan in Redbull’s ‘Tum Tum Pa’ contest, an international percussion contest, and secured 4th place in Rio De Janiero, Brazil this summer( I was up against universities). </p>

<p>Languages: I know Russian, Japanese, Chinese, French, German, Turkish, Persian, Italian and Spanish…all to an intermediate level.</p>

<p>Theater: acted in wayyy too many national and international level theater projects…I was known for picking up really crazy roles…kinda like Johnny Depp…although im no where near as good as that brilliant man</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Musical Theory and Guitar Teacher</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service: Created an International Organisation “clean the act foundation” which caters to Illiteracy within Asia.</p>

<p>Summer Activities: Loaaaaddss of social work, NGO-Development in Brazil and Thailand, worked to improve my own organisation.</p>

<p>Essays: About how I traveled from Pakistan to England by road on a motorbike in 3 months, how I played my guitar on the corner of the road and caught peoples attention by playing some realllyyy intense music, how I camped in parks instead of living in the hotels…Just alot about the experience and how it shaped me.</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendation: Brilliant
Counselor Rec: Made me cry because it made me seem AMAZING!
Additional Rec:none
Interview:none
Other
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant): Pakistan
School Type:Private
Ethnicity:Asian
Gender:Male
Income Bracket:less then $20,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):First Generation</p>

<p>Strengths:Grades and scores</p>

<p>Weaknesses: Bland ecs…no awards…no coolness</p>

<p>Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:Because Amherst doesnt love me :(</p>

<p>Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Oxford University, got in for Law</p>

<p>General Comments: I think the people in the Amherst Early Decision thread are one of the most nicest people…thanks for the support !! :slight_smile: Congrats everyone !!</p>

3

<p>I’m a bit paranoid about putting my stats out there, but I know I wished I saw more on the threads last year when I was a junior… so-</p>

<p>Accepted!</p>

<p>Objective</p>

<p>SAT I (breakdown): CR 700 / M 720 / W 790
ACT:
SAT II: Math 2 800 / Physics 740
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/520
AP (place score in parenthesis): Physics B (5), Language (5), Calculus AB (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Lit, AP Euro, AP Gov, AP Macro Econ, Symphony, Physiology
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semi-Finalist, AP Scholar (for what it’s worth?) </p>

<p>Subjective</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 4yr varsity/club track (Junior Olympic finalist), 2 yr school/club volleyball, self-taught violinist (concert mistress of 3 orchestras), pianist of 14 years, co-founder of non-profit organization
Job/Work Experience: violin teacher for elementary-aged children
Volunteer/Community service: hospital volunteer, and then bits and pieces of helping out at different organizations here and there
Summer Activities: classes at community college, National Junior Olympics
Essays: I loved my Common App one! Not so sure about my supp though.
Teacher Recommendation: I had really good relationships with both teachers, so I had confidence in them. One of my two teachers showed the letter to me.
Counselor Rec: I’m guessing decent. Each counselor at my school has about 700-800 kids assigned to them, but we got to know each other pretty well.
Additional Rec: none
Interview: none </p>

<p>Other
State (if domestic applicant): Cali cali cali!
School Type: Large public
Ethnicity: Asian American
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 100k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None? Possible recruited athlete? I doubt it though. The coach never stated she would support my application. </p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Unique essay, strong recs, and I think I really showed my passion and commitment to the things I did
Weaknesses: Oh, let’s not even get started here…
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Honestly, I still can’t believe I made it in! Who knows what they saw in me?
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Haven’t gotten results back from anywhere else, but not like it matters now :slight_smile: </p>

<p>General Comments
I’m really glad my application process is over, and I’m still bowled over on my acceptance. I honestly thought that I would get deferred, if not rejected. To all those who got accepted, congratulations, and I’m really excited to meet all of you next year! To those who got deferred or rejected- keep your chins up. Things have an uncanny way of working out, even when they don’t go as planned 99% of the time. And as for future applicants lurking these boards (like I did last year), just keep plugging away, but most of all, just be yourself. I can say that I didn’t stress out nearly as much as others did over the application process. Not to say neglect the importance of college/college applications, but don’t go too crazy over relatively “minor” things. Just keep on doing the things you love. :)</p>

4

<p>Might be a bit too late, but here’s a snazzy, color coded template grabbed shamelessly from the UPenn early decisions thread: [Decision</a> Format](<a href=“http://■■■■■■■■■■■■/aafpp5Ke]Decision”>[size=+2][color=green][b]Decision: Accepted[/b][/color][/size][size=+2][color= - ■■■■■■■■■■■■)</p>

<p>Also, do you think we can somehow edit the title so that it’s capitalized? It looks a bit unofficial right now…</p>

5

<p>OH MY GOSH! You both are amazing!! Wow. I am in shock. And completely terrified over my application…I applied RD.</p>

<p>And blindsided…don’t take your rejection too hard. You’re an international applicant who applied for aid…that’s an almost automatic rejection (even though if they should take anyone they should take you…just WOW)</p>

6

<p>@YellowDaisies: Thanks for the kind words :slight_smile: Well considering the income bracket my family has its not surprising…but somehow I think I got deferred so that they could compare me with other Intl.Applicants who might also require bucket LOADS of financial aid…and I guess if it doesn’t workout in the RD round… I’m of to 3 years of intense law :)</p>

7

<p>Decision: Accepted!!</p>

<p>Objective:[ul]</p>

<p>[<em>] SAT I (breakdown): 2350 (800 CR, 750 M, 800 W)
[</em>] ACT: –
[<em>] SAT II: 800 Latin, 800 Math II
[</em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9 (UW), 4.47 (W)
[<em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/426
[</em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): four 5s, one 4, one 3 (US Gov mehhh)
[<em>] IB (place score in parenthesis): 6 in IB Math SL
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: 5 IB classes, 1 AP class, ToK/Study Hall, French III
[<em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, Perfect Score on National Latin Exam (level V+), first place in state Modern Mythology Writing Contest (I wrote about a cow :D)[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Middling, a few unremarkable leadership positions
[<em>] Job/Work Experience: I’ve worked at my parents’ restaurant for the past two years, averaging about 20 hours a week
[</em>] Volunteer/Community service: Definitely the weakest part of my app…maybe <40 hours?
[<em>] Summer Activities: Traveled to my birthplace in Strasbourg; attended CTY JHU ‘08; attended VA Governor’s Latin Academy; Girls’ State
[</em>] Essays: Very conversational and (in my humble opinion) somewhat entertaining. I wrote about how lawn-mowing is a ritual practice encouraging conformity (that demon of society…); on my supplement (literature prompt), I wrote about how I once tried to write a bestselling novel when I was nine years old just to meet Oprah…alas…
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: Haven’t seen them
[</em>] Counselor Rec: Haven’t seen it
[<em>] Additional Rec: —
[</em>] Interview: — [/ul][ b]Other**[ul]
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): VA
[</em>] Country (if international applicant): Domestic
[<em>] School Type: Public, fairly competitive; we’ve sent one student to Amherst in the past five years?
[</em>] Ethnicity: Korean
[<em>] Gender: Female
[</em>]Income Bracket: 50,000-ish
[<em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Questbridge finalist? Amherst was incredibly kind enough to extend their early decision deadline for me after I was unmatched to several Questbridge schools :/[/ul][ b]Reflection**[ul]
[</em>] Strengths: Standardized tests are my saviors!
[<em>] Weaknesses: Volunteer hours and one spelling mistake on my essay (freaked me out for a while)
[</em>] Why you think you were accepted: Questbridge, essays (maybe?), test scores, my interest in the Classics (rare for an Asian, I would imagine…)
[li] Where else were you accepted/rejected/deferred: I wasn’t matched with Brown, Princeton, or Yale through Questbridge…but who cares, I’M A LORD JEFF NOW!![/ul][/li]General Comments: Unbelievably, extraordinarily, superbly pleased. Well, time to go dorm-shopping/course-hunting! See most of you guys in September! :D</p>

8

<p>@ YellowDaises & Blindsided- Amherst is actually the only Liberal Arts College (and one of 6 colleges & universities) that is need-blind and full-need met for all applicants (including international). So they don’t even consider your financial situation when you’re applying. We’ve got the endowment to bring anyone here from all over the world and give them as much financial assistance (in grants, not loans) as they need to enroll.</p>

<p>So for Blindsided’s situation, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if you were deferred to be compared with other international students, but don’t worry about your financial situation, because it’s completely meaningless. Amherst doesn’t care if your family’s income is $5 thousand or $5 million. We don’t factor it into admission in the slightest, and we’ll meet any and all demonstrated need with grants. You’ve got unbelievable and incredibly impressive stats as well, so don’t get bogged down at all because of finances. It’s likely they just want to compare you to other international students (which we got a lot of). Regardless of whether you end up at Amherst next year or not, my hat goes off to you for all of your accomplishments so far.</p>

9

<p>blindsided is either a ■■■■■ or lying. He/she can’t possibly have been accepted at Oxford yet - I applied to the UK this year and have been following the threads on “The Student Room” religiously, and no one there has made any claims of being accepted/denied. Also, he/she posted in a thread on the MIT board that he/she hadn’t yet taken the Math Level 2 SAT II.</p>

10

<p>Decision: Accepted!</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<p>SAT I (breakdown): 2230 (740 CR, 740 M, 750 W)
ACT: never took!
SAT II: 740 US History, 750 Biology
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.917 (UW), 4.014 (W)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP World (4), AP US History (4), AP Lang & Comp (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics B, AP Calc AB, AP Psych, Econ, Resp. to Lit, Drawing & Painting III
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Not really much… some in-school awards, poet laureate contest in my county, some artwork- related awards (one piece sent to NY Senator Gillibrand), AP Scholar, National Honor Society… if that counts :o</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): President of Korean Club, VP/Secretary of Art Club, Secretary of Asian-American Cultural Club, a member or was a member of others like National Art Honor Society, NHS, French Club
Job/Work Experience: Summer job/intern at a manufacturing company
Volunteer/Community service: Intern/Volunteer at Make-A-Wish Foundation, Altar Server at my church (+200 hrs), Baby Buggy volunteer, Volunteer for community and district events like the Lunar New Year Festival, Halloween Howl, etc.
Summer Activities: Mostly volunteering and random things!
Essays: I think my essays really helped me out… My commonapp essay was really personal and about something that really changed how I viewed myself and my life. I did my supplement on the one about giving back to humanity (JFK) and took a different approach on it. Overall, I was proud of both when I submitted :smiley:
Teacher Recommendation: I am very close with both of my teachers and they are fantastic writers. I haven’t actually seen the letters though
Counselor Rec: I haven’t seen it but I guess it was good!
Additional Rec: none
Interview: nope</p>

<p>Other:
State (if domestic applicant): NY
School Type: Public… pretty competitive I guess…
Ethnicity: Korean American
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Lower/Middle
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First Generation. I submitted a visual arts supplement… but I doubt it helped :confused: </p>

<p>Reflection:
Strengths: GPA, consistency in grades?, very personal and unique essays, recommendations, maybe volunteering and leadership :o
Weaknesses: Not many awards, nothing truly outstanding compared to everybody else! >.<
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I don’t know but I want to go hug the admission officers!! I can’t even believe it ajdlakdklasjsjdal :slight_smile:
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I crossed my fingers for Amherst and ended up not having to apply anywhere else… :o though of course I would have otherwise</p>

<p>General Comments:
I am so thankful and it still hasn’t sunken in! Amherst College was the first and only college I fell in love with and I seriously still cannot believe it. I can’t stop crying and smiling! :’) I can’t wait to rock the purple and white ^^ Best of luck to those who were deferred! And to my soon-to-be classmates: SEE YOU NEXT FALL!! :’)</p>

11

<p>@blindsided: Are you an organ scholar or an applicant to a scholarship that gives you early notification? I’m fairly sure that none of the Oxford colleges have given out any offers yet for this admission cycle - interviews finished just yesterday!</p>

12

<p>wow!!! after reading this post, i feel like i was deluded to apply RD at amherst… with a 2150+ SAT and almost negligible ECs…</p>

13

<p>dream school… I’m 17er, congrats to class of 2016 ED!!!:)</p>

14

<p>Dear All,</p>

<p>I am an Amherst student for whom College Confidential was once an invaluable resource. I am inviting anyone with questions about Amherst to email me. I cannot guarantee that I have an answer for every particular question, but I am eager to share what I do know and, if I cannot answer your question directly, I am happy to point you in the right direction.</p>

<p>P. S. Please do not send a private message or reply to this post on the forum as I do not frequent this site.</p>