<p>I am in the middle of filling the online application. But I am scared the common application online would not accept check to be sent to the admission office. I email regarding this to the admission office but no reply. I don't have a credit card so I am worried. Do u have any idea?</p>
<p>Major differences between Middlebury and Amherst: academically and socially?</p>
<p>hey rhcp! I'm from maine as well and was recently deferred from amherst ED;however, i'm still really motivated to go to Amherst. Are there many students from maine in your class? How would you compare the life at Amherst to life in Maine?</p>
<p>Skygirl, you probably won't get a response to your e-mail for a while as Amherst admission's office is closed till January 11th.</p>
<p>What's the alcohol/party scene like?</p>
<p>I did not know the office was closed!! Then I say the 1st deadline thing is totally unnecessary!! I am just worried that after filling up the forms, I cant submit because of the payment problem (:.</p>
<p>SkyGirl:
You should be able to submit your fee by check. If you are unable to, your worst case scenario would be to apply by paper (download Common App forms by hand, print the forms, & re-fill out Common App by hand)- you can definitely send in an application fee by check if you apply by paper. The postmark deadline would still be January 1.</p>
<p>SkyGirl, if you opt for mailing the forms, note that the post office is closed on January 1st. It should be possible to submit the CA electronically and pay by mailing in a check. In your shoes, I'd get the application done in time to try submitting it online, and have time to e-mail the CA help desk if you run into problems submitting it. Also, you might want to post your question on the CA thread and see if someone else who mailed in a check will describe how they completed the submission process. See <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/364683-official-common-application-questions-thread-83.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/364683-official-common-application-questions-thread-83.html</a>
Good luck! I peeked at some of your previous posts and really hope you get in.</p>
<p>Thank you guys!</p>
<p>could you tell me how "jock like" or preppy it is? what is the general "feel" of the school. why did u choose it over middlebury</p>
<p>broetchen-For most of high school, Middlebury was my first choice. But Amherst really captured my imagination too. It came down to those two schools and while I know I would've loved Midd, I couldn't be happier than I am at Amherst. To answer your question, the first thing to note is that overall the two are much more similar than they are different. Academic differences: Amherst has no distribution requirements or required classes, while Middlebury does. I like the idea of the former; it means that everyone in your classes has chosen to be there and it also forces the professors to keep their classes interesting because there are no guarantees that students will take it. Both schools are terrific across the spectrum of academic disciplines. Middlebury has a bigger student body and therefore more academic departments and more courses. Middlebury's programs in environmental science and languages in particular are very reputable. Amherst is very strong in polisci, our unique department called Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought, and English (Midd is as well), among others. This is certainly not a measure of how happy you would be at Amherst, but its academic reputation is one of the very best. Middlebury is of course highly respected too, but Amherst has been one of the very top colleges in the country for a long time. I can't stress enough that you shouldn't choose based on prestige, but it's true that Amherst has quite the achieving faculty and student body. Social life differences: Middlebury is isolated in a gorgeous small New England town, and Amherst has more stuff going on but doesn't have the same outdoorsy feel. Honestly, though, you'll probably stay on campus much of the time, so don't think of Midd's isolation as an automatic negative. At the same time, it is nice to go to Northampton and actually see people walking around! Also, if you're not into the college party scene, I think it would be easier to escape at Amherst than at Midd. Just take the free PVTA bus to anywhere in the valley, and there's sure to be something you're interested in going on at one of the 5 colleges. I don't know your gender, but if you're a guy the Smith and Mt. Holyoke students who come to Amherst on weekends could be a positive. The food at Middlebury is WAY better. However, I like that Amherst has a single dining hall, even if the food is unexciting. You can walk in and know your friends will be there. If you ski, Midd is definitely a better bet. This is turning into a looong response-I hope you're getting the sense that both are wonderful schools and have positives as well as a couple drawbacks. PM me if you have specific questions-I visited both schools multiple times, read everything I could get my hands on, and thought about the decision a lot.</p>
<p>Alisonfay-Yay, another Mainer! Where are you from? Doesn't Maine rock? Anyway, let me tell you that I was deferred ED as well and got in RD (though I probably got some help from the softball coach). I've bonded about Maine with two other freshmen, but I'm not sure if there are more of us. If you like Pete Kilpatrick, you won't be alone. As for the difference, one observation I would make is that people are less overtly friendly. People are very nice once you get to know them but its weird to smile or say hi to someone you dont know, which I do all the time in Maine. It's really pretty similar except for the fact that you're in college! No more snow days, alas, unless your professors live far from campus and have to cancel class. It's slightly warmer, and some days it rains here when it would be snowing in Maine. But some storms hit western MA and don't make it up to Maine. I think it might be nice to have a bit more of a spring season, unlike Maine's mud and slush (snowstorm the day before Prom...sweet). I'm a little saddened by the lack of great snowboarding options near Amherst-you really have to dedicate a weekend if you want to go to a real mountain. I'm from a very small town in Maine, so it's new and exciting for me to be able to walk to stores to buy shampoo etc. And being from Maine is also great because it gives you this sort of identity-it's hard to explain, but other people find the fact that people live in Maine year-round interesting. It makes for a great conversation starter. I've found myself becoming more proud of my home state since coming to college. Long answer short: I love both Maine and Amherst. Im excited to come home, but equally (if not more) excited to get back to Amherst whenever Im not there.</p>
<p>tetrisfan-The partying/drinking scene is as much or as little of your life as you want it to be. I have friends whove never touched a drop in their lives, and some who dont go a weekend without it. Amherst parties are really welcoming; youll never be turned away at the door. Ive heard stories about people whove been turned away from parties at other colleges because they werent wearing the right clothes or some bouncer decided they werent pretty enough (!). I couldnt believe it because something like that would never, EVER happen at Amherst. Some people go all-out and dress nicely, many keep it at jeans and a t-shirt (or even more casual). Theres a type of scene for everyone, and Ive found it very comfortable and a lot of fun. Alcohol is pretty easily attainable and very prevalent on the weekends, but no one bats an eye if you dont want to drink for any reason. People definitely look forward to the weekend after a hard week of studying. The big nights are Thursday and Saturday, because sports teams have games on Saturdays and teams throw lots of parties. Teams definitely dont dominate the social scene though. There are parties at Zu (our co-op) on Fridays that are my favorites. Cool trivia-one of Phishs first gigs outside of Vermont was at an Amherst Zu full-moon party. And on Sunday get back into gear by spending the day in the library.</p>
<p>howie-Though a lot of people here play sports, they usually dont define themselves that way. People are more than just athletes-theyre in a capella groups, service organizations, and basically anything else you can think of. Im not going to say that all of the athletes are great assets to the community, but many are. As for those who arent, theyre easily avoided since the great majority of students (and all of my friends) are people more your type (Im guessing). I wouldnt say that Amherst is jocky, but most people do stay active, whether through a varsity or club sport, intramurals, or going to the gym. Before coming here I hadnt really thought much about attending games, but its a lot of fun to go to games with all of your friends and cheer on the people you know. And Amherst wins a lot, which makes it better!<br>
As for the preppinessIll state the obvious and say that Amherst does have some very wealthy, preppy students. Again, if that sort of person isnt your type, there are so many different types here to be friends with. But coming here has taught me not to judge people from Connecticut by their J.Crew, because some of the smartest, nicest, and most thoughtful people I know fit that stereotype. Not everyone is great. But there are so many different kinds of people, youre sure to find a group (or five) you truly like.
The general feel of Amherst is different for everyone Im sure, but to me its a place where I can be myself and know that I wont be judged. Its a place where I can balance all aspects of my life and feel fulfilled in each. Theres a sort of energy that comes from students and faculty who commit themselves widely and deeply. Its not perfectthere are people who arent my type, and sometimes the food is just straight-up not goodbut I love my life at Amherst.
I talked about Amherst and Middlebury earlier, but my personal decision had a lot to do with vague, impractical feelings. I felt like Amherst was actively going in a direction I likedand hearing Tony Marx speak about the college was very persuasive. I also liked Amhersts smaller size, and somehow that made it seem more intense. I think I sort of knew all along Id rather go to Amherst, although I didnt admit it for a while. </p>
<p>Wow, I went a little overboard there...sorry to make you guys read all of that :)</p>
<p>I appreciate the thoughtful response. Thanks so much!</p>
<p>rhcp07, you most certainly did NOT go overboard, but gave really wonderfully detailed responses. Sometimes I think I'm overestimating Amherst, but you really give perspective and encouragement. Thanks! :)</p>
<p>Any other questions or concerns I can help with, anyone?</p>
<p>How do you find the workload?</p>
<p>I am considering majoring in either philosophy or English. Can you elaborate on both of these majors. I also do a lot of creative writing and was wondering what kind of resources Amherst has to support this passion of mine.</p>
<p>A couple questions for you current students...</p>
<p>Did any of you guys come from a large-ish high school? My high school class is larger than my class would be at Amherst. Would that be weird? Does Amherst seem really small in terms of population?</p>
<p>What have you heard from science majors in terms of how good the departments are, how they like the classes, how competitive it is, etc.?</p>
<p>Kristina, my high school is bigger than Amherst (~500 per class) and I haven't found it weird at all. No matter where you go, you will spend the bulk of your time with whatever group of friends you find, so the size of the school won't matter too much on that front.</p>
<p>What's the history department like?</p>
<p>Thanks rhcp07!</p>