<p>I currently evaluating Amherst and recently visited the school. Apart from the information provided by the school and during the campus visit, I have a few more questions for current students or others with an intimate knowledge of Amherst. Feel free to provide as much or little information desired.</p>
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<li><p>Since Amherst is a liberal arts college, do students feel limited by the amount of courses in comparison to many of the universities of similar rigorous academics? Especially concerning the biological sciences? I know that some students take classes at the other schools of the five college consortium, but it seems like those classes might not have the same rigorous academics as Amherst (i.e. specialized biological science classes at UMass)?</p></li>
<li><p>Is it significantly difficult or competitive to get into specific classes due to high demand?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there a summer session or any other way to take more than the usual 32 classes at Amherst?</p></li>
<li><p>Are there abundant opportunities to participate in scientific research? Since Amherst is home of the first neuroscience program, does the college have access to an MRI to conduct experiments with?</p></li>
<li><p>How is the nightlife/party scene?</p></li>
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<p>All courses that one expects ought to be offered by an institution like Amherst are.
One would feel limited at a liberal arts college not because there aren’t enough courses to pique one’s interest–rather because most courses aren’t offered in both the fall and the spring semesters, and certain courses (Art History, Classics, Philosophy) are offered only every other year. That’s very bothersome, especially when one considers forgoing major requirements to take those rare courses that aren’t offered every year, or when one doesn’t have that luxury at all.</p>
<p>There’s also the matter of more obscure areas of study that simply aren’t offered. For instance, I can’t study Italian, Linguistics, or Chinese Philosophy here at Amherst. “Special Topics,” where one arranges one-on-one/seminar courses with a willing professor, oftentimes solves that dilemma, though.</p>
<p>If you’re a pre-med, it’s strongly recommended that you fulfill your requirements here, but I doubt that, say, “597R- Advanced Genetics,” won’t be challenging and fulfilling just because its taught at UMass.</p>
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<p>If one pre-registers diligently and strategically, and gets in touch with professors, this normally isn’t a problem. Professors can tell when students are passionate and curious, and most are willing to go out of their way to accommodate them–even rescheduling their classes to resolve conflicts, for instance.</p>
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<p>Yes… one may take up to 6 classes a semester at Amherst. It’s done. One needs the permission of one’s class dean and one’s advisor, but that’s not at all difficult to get if one has a strong H.S. record, or if one does well first semester. No summer or winter terms, though.</p>
<p>Typical large town college nightlife… there’s Hampshire Mall nearby, mainstream restaurants chains and department stores. There’s UMass, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Hampshire, which become popular destinations for upperclassmen. Amherst–or, its students–does a good job of ensuring there’s something (concerts, movie showings, parties) to do every weekend, but if one grows tired of that, everything else is a free bus ride away.</p>