So I have recently narrowed down my options to these two schools. The major point that’s concerning me now is the academics. I am hoping for a college education that’s challenging but not too overwhelming. With that being said, what’s the average academic scene in Amherst? What’s the average GPA? Are all-nighters prevalent?
Moreover, how much do the profs care about teaching? How accessible are they? It seems like Amherst has a number of big intro classes. Are they also taught by the profs? What are the qualities of these classes?
Lastly, it would be nice if someone can please elaborate on the dining and dorm status quo in Amherst. Also, what are the Amherst students like? More friendly and down-to-earth, or more lively and competitive?
Thanks a lot:)
BTW how common is it for Amherst students to attend programs abroad ?
I can comment on the quality of teaching and stuff. As a liberal arts college, professors are hired to TEACH not to research. That’s the other way around at Yale. Amherst might have fairly large intros but I highly doubt Yale has any smaller. Yale after all is over twice the size of amherst. By 300 level classes you’re basically guaranteed under 20 people, and often 10 people per class. Therefore if you’re looking for the best professor on average who will likely care more for just the average student and not only the best, Amherst is on average better (note however it’s not always the case. Yale has some great profs too but the emphasis for tenure is different between the two. If you get into either it’ll be awesome)
Both schools are so difficult to gain admission that you need to seriously decide if this strategy makes rational sense. Most admitted ED or REA at these schools have hooks. Do you have anything that would be considered a hook by either school?
Have you visited either school? There is a distinct difference in setting and academic approach, however to try and narrow your decision by ‘academics’ is nonsensical as both schools are easily in the top 20 in the nation by any measure of academic rigor and quality of undergraduates. As a previous poster said, what makes you think you can get in, both schools routinely reject candidates with perfect test scores and valedictorian status. You should only apply early decision to a school that you really want to go to because you know something that is unique or important about that school for you. If you cannot answer this question, then applying early because these schools are highly ranked in some college guide is not going to do you any favors, do some research. If you can’t visit, do the virtual web tours, try and talk to some Alumni in your area. If you do not know what makes you fit into one of these schools, then applying early will be a waste of an application
First of all, thank you for the answer. Sadly, I am an international student who has neither the time nor the money to conduct a campus tour. The only reason why I am asking here is because I don’t have any other access to alumni or current students. I also want to thank you for your concern in my chances of getting in. I have already taken the other aspects into consideration. The reason why I am only asking these questions is simply that these are the only questions whose answers cannot be found online.
Thank you so much!
Well I can’t speak to Yale, but I can tell you my daughter is a freshman at Amherst and is feeling really good about her professors. Her first year seminar class is 15 kids and she’s already taken a walk with her professor and chatted and loves him, spoken with all her others one on one and finds them all to be very accessible. Her Calc and Chem lectures are large (by Amherst standards, not by university standards - 45 and 30 respectively in her section, 150 or so total) but there are discussion sections and a smaller lab. Her Spanish class has just 10. All are 100 level courses so I expect them to get smaller as she goes.
I think about 50% of kids study abroad at Amherst.
All freshmen live on one quad in freshmen dorms and they are thought to be some of the nicest on campus. Her room is large, bright, airy. Great common areas/lounges on every floor.
She likes the food and she doesn’t eat meat and is still finding plenty of variety.
The work is a lot and she is making adjustments from her high school study habits to college ones. There is a LOT of support for this, a writing center, a quantitative center, study groups, etc. She is doing well but is definitely doing more work than she did in HS. She’s nominally pre-med which can be pretty cutthroat at many schools but says everyone helps everyone else and it’s cool. Social life is varied and interesting, she’s joined several clubs and also attended some parties.
Hope that helps.
Thx a lot! You are the only who has given direct answers to all my questions and it really helps! All the best to your daughter:)
Hi! I’m a current Amherst freshman, and I actually recently visited friends at Yale, so I think I can give a fairly solid answer.
- The academic scene is amazing, in my opinion. Everyone cares. Most (non-quantitative) classes are discussion-based. And, even if you are, say, a biology major, it's very easy to take small, discussion-based classes. The average GPA is around a B+/A-. The only major I know in which people somewhat consistently take all-nighters is neuroscience. Most of my friends (including sophomores) never have.
- Professors are paid to be here to teach. Not do research--teach. Meaning TAs do not teach, ever. And that's a big difference. I've grown to be very close to several of my professors, and it's partially because they care so much about their students. Office hours are notorious for being half-instructive, half-social. I would disagree in terms of big intro classes. The only class known for that is intro chemistry 155, and that's about 150 people. I'm in intro to economics, which at Yale is around 150 people at least (and at Berkeley can be 600 people!) and only have 18 people in my class.
- Okay, so everyone shits on Val, our cafeteria. But honestly, I think people are way too harsh. It can be repetitive once they've cycled through the food a few times, but the produce and meat is always super fresh, you always have options, etc. The dorms are great, in my opinion! Unlike Yale, no freshmen dorms are suite-style, and we don't have houses in the same way. We do, however, have really popular themed housing. Those dorms tend to be very tight-knit communities. And I love Amherst students! Everyone's very collaborative in terms of work, but most people still want to go have a good time. If partying's not your thing, Coffee Haus, a weekly open-mic, is very popular, as is the outing club, which sponsors hiking, climbing, rafting, etc.
- Study abroad is VERY popular. Amherst itself doesn't have a program, but will honor the credits of almost any other program. I believe most people go through Middlebury, but that may just be the people I've talked to about it.
I had this particular choice in h.s. Unlike your situation, I was fortunate enough to visit both places, and somehow felt that Amherst was a better fit for me for many of the same reasons that already have been mentioned. Some major differences that stood out for me: size (small college vs. university), location (nice college town and 5 colleges vs. New Haven), and opportunities for personal interaction with profs. The major tradeoff was reputation since Yale is better known among the general public and internationally. On the other hand, as an 18 year old, I felt that being in the optimal educational environment for me was very important. Interestingly, some other students must have felt the same way, as I was surprised and happy to see several students that I met during my visit to New Haven in April ended up going to Amherst. Still, this is a very subjective decision. I also wouldn’t be surprised if 75%+ cross-admits end up choosing Yale.
Here’s an answer, based on kids who actually had the choice:
http://www.parchment.com/c/college/tools/college-cross-admit-comparison.php?compare=yale&with=Amherst+College
Of course Yale has been having a few issues of its own lately . . .
Thank you guys all so much for the detailed answers. They are all so helpful! I haven’t checked this post for a while, as I had already decided to ED for Amherst a month ago. Really appreciate your help tho!
You made the right choice! Good luck with your ED! Only a few more weeks . . .