<p>Amherst has really drawn me in, thus I’m visiting Friday, but I was just wondering if any of you have any advise whatsoever, or just anything I should know about the college that I might not already. I’ve checked across the Internet at College *******, College Board, and found a bit out, but knowing more can only help.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>As someone who has obsessed about colleges and whose brother goes to Amherst, I can tell you the following: 1. your chances are much better if you apply ED. 2. Your chances are much better if you are a recruited athlete. 3. You should take as many SAT II’s as you can get in the mid to high 700’s on. 4. You’d better make sure that it is a good fit for you because it is a very small school. My brother (who did all of the above) loves the school and has made great friends there, but if you aren’t in the middle of Amherst life, my impression is that it can be oppressive or lonely.</p>
<p>P.S. To be in the middle, you don’t have to be an athlete…You can be an artsy person as well, they have lots of plays, musical stuff, etc…but you have to be committed to (and good at) SOMETHING…it’s not a huge university where you can join random clubs or greek life or something…And everybody there is good at something, it is not just for kids with good stats.</p>
<p>The essays are extradinarily importent in the admissions process at any school, and I get the impression that they matter the most at small schools, where they have less space to admit a duplicate student (a second tuba player, French obsessed, whatever). The essay is the only chance to have to advocate for yourself and communicate with the committee in your own voice. Your essay need not be publishable, but it should be clearly written and be, in a word, you.</p>
<p>Do you know how gracious they are with financial aid? All schools claim to be need blind and fill demonstrated need, but my older brother got vastly different scholarships from different schools ranging from $30,000 a year (from jhu) to 4,000 a year (from Northwestern i think)</p>
<p>kpng12, here is the FA calculator from the website. I have heard from several people that it is pretty accurate.</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.amherst.edu/offices/financialaid/calculator[/url]”>Net Price Calculators | Financial Aid | Amherst College;
<p>It would help to be an accomplished french horn player or a cellist for the class of 2016. Its flutist/piccolo player is very accomplished as are the pianists. The orchestra always needs good musicians. </p>
<p>As for financial aid, Amherst is truly need blind. If you are accepted, then it will make every effort to ensure that finance is not a factor in dissuading the student from choosing Amherst.</p>