Hi, my daughter is struggling with the decision between Amherst College and Carleton. We visited and liked both very much. She’s a probable Environmental Studies and Political Science major (or major/concentration, depending on how the school structures their academics). She’s also particularly into social and environmental justice. Does anyone know where Amherst students go for service opportunities? Carleton seems fairly circumscribed (to Northfield) by geography. Also, she is concerned about the student environment “vibe”–how preppy is Amherst as compared with the “quirky, down-to-earth” vibe she got and heard about at Carleton? Feedback would be most appreciated! Thanks!
My D does community service work right in Amherst, at a homeless shelter and plans to spend the summer working with a different one as a paid (by Amherst - there’s funding for students who take unpaid internships with non-profits) internship. That one works in Springfield, Hadley, Amherst, around.
Two great schools. You can’t go wrong.
With that said, Amherst historically was a preppy school, but those days are long gone. It has spent hundreds of millions in financial aid to transform itself into the most economically and racially diverse of all liberal arts colleges. I think only Vassar and Grinnell are close in that respect. Twice as many Anmherst students are on Pell Grants as there are at Carleton. It is the top of the elite LACs in racial diversity, far more diverse than Carleton.
While there still is a bit of a a preppy element there (as there is at any LAC), that element does not dominate the social life.