I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.
Firstly, I have quite an interest in both political science and math (also physics, of the more theoretical sort). How are these departments at Amherst? Are there opportunities for advanced/in-depth study or internships?
Secondly, I’m a little uncomfortable with LACs in general because of the small size. I currently attend a high school of 3000, and it’s a challenge to find people like me. Is it difficult to find like-minded individuals at Amherst, even for an introvert? Does the Five Colleges consortium arrangement help any, and is there intermingling between the various schools?
And, finally, what does it take to get into Amherst? Obviously, given its admit rate, academics should be stellar (and hopefully that won’t be an issue), but beyond that, what does the college look for?
@dragonfury29 All of those departments are very strong at Amherst. I haven’t taken any physics courses, but I can attest that the poly sci and math departments are well-regarded. There’s a plethora of opportunities that Amherst makes available for you, you just have to take advantage of them.
There are ~1800 students at Amherst, so there is bound to be someone like you, or with similar interests. There are lots of introverts here (myself included) who still thrive in this environment. But, friends don’t always just come naturally. You’ll have to be willing to make friends, too. There is some intermingling between the 5 colleges, but not very much. Most students stay on their own campus.
What does it take? Boy, that’s a big question. I don’t know if anyone can truly even answer that question. It is some mixture of diversity, athletics, academics, extracurriculars, and personality. I tend to believe that Amherst weights diversity much higher than people believe. I’d say once you have solid tests scores and GPA (let’s say 1450+ and 3.8+), a lot of it comes down to your personality (how you present yourself in your essays) and whether you fill a niche in the Amherst community (are you an URM, or an athlete, etc.).
@Economathematics Thank you so much for the response! Also, as far as math goes (you’re a math major, right?), are there enough higher-level courses? I’ll have taken Calc BC and Stats by the end of high school, but ideally, I’d like to take Multivariable and maybe LA or ODE as well before graduating. Is there ever a risk of running out of classes?
@dragonfury29 – Here’s a list of Math courses at Amherst.
https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/mathematics-statistics/courses/1617F?display=curriculum
The short version – you don’t need to worry about running out of classes.
@dragonfury29 Yes, I am a math major. You are unlikely to run out of math classes. But, if you come here already knowing multivariable calculus or linear algebra, there will be less class options for you than someone who is required to take the core classes you tested out of. It is not unheard of for upperclassmen who have fulfilled all of the core math curriculum to take more advanced classes at UMass, but that is relatively rare.
I started where you would start – I had taken Calc AB + BC in high school. So for the math major, you would take Multi, then Linear, then Analysis, then Groups. That leaves 5-6 classes you would need to take as an elective along the way (such as Discrete, Combinatorics, Diff Eq, Topology, Geometry, etc). If you REALLY want to be challenged (ex: taking graduate level courses) you would need to go to UMass though.
TL;DR you will likely not run out of classes, unless you want to take REALLY advanced math classes at UMass.
Hey! I’m currently sophomore right next door at Umass whose considering transferring in for next spring semester. I’ve made plenty of friends here mostly from freshman year. However, I am a bit concerned about the social life for transfer students at Amherst College. From reading other posts, I understand that it can get a bit cliquey. How welcoming is it for transfer students? I also understand that the freshman dorm life is, in general, an integral part for building a solid social life. Can I expect to make a many friends just from classes and clubs?
Hi @giraffe12349, I go to Amherst and I can take this question. Honestly, it can be hard for transfer students. You’re right that freshman year is the time when most people build their social life. I’m a rising junior and most of my friend group lived on my floor freshman year. However, people can find new friends through clubs or mutual acquaintances… You can also live in a theme house if there is room in the spring, which is a great way to find a community with similar interests. But I haven’t had the same experience with classes; while people do interact, it’s harder to make friends through classes unless it is a very small class or a freshman seminar.
Good luck!
Does Amherst have a good music program compared to schools like Bard and Oberlin?
@RedFromShawshank Oberlin and Bard both have conservatories so IMO if you are on that level, no.
If you want to play there are a lot of opportunities at Amherst to do so.
https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/music/learn-play-and-perform
I don’t know much about the music major except that unless a lot of people are double-majoring, there are actually 0 music majors from last year: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=amherst&s=all&id=164465#programs
…I think it exists as something students take classes in and enjoy but not as a primary major. So that may or may not appeal to you, depending on your goals. A music major would probably get a lot of professor attention in that department, but have no/few fellow majors.
My friend’s son just graduated from Amherst with a double major in Neuroscience and Music. He played piano. Amherst, of course, doesn’t offer BM degree in music performance, but they do offer instructions. Can’t compare Amherst with other schools that offer BM degree. My son, once he decided that a conservatory route wasn’t for him, did consider Amherst but didn’t find it resourceful enough for his continuing interest in violin performance on the side. Amherst has three piano teachers but just one violin teacher.
What are the groups of kids in the cafeteria?
Do students often have cars? How do they commute to part time jobs or recreational activities?
Also, how are the bathroom/kitchens set up for each dorm? Is there one per floor/dorm etc?
@HopefulHoya1103
Usually people sit with friends in the dining hall. The athletes tend to sit in the back room with their teams, but I wouldn’t say there are “groups” beyond that. My friends and I sit in the front room so we can see all our other friends come by.
@DeadlyZeus
First-year students aren’t allowed to have cars on campus. You can walk to your classes or into town; most people work (and play) on campus. Upper-year students sometimes have cars, especially if they’re from the Northeast or live on the Hill, which are the dorms furthest from campus. There is a large student parking lot a short walk from the dining hall, and the dorms on the Hill each have their own lot. You can also reserve an AAS van for free if you do it ahead of time, or you can sign up for Zipcar if you only need one occasionally.
There is typically one bathroom per gender per floor, with some dorms having co-ed or gender neutral bathrooms. The freshman dorms (at least the one I lived in) have a sink, fridge, and microwave, but no oven or stovetop. I know some of the upperclassman dorms and theme houses have a more complete kitchen, but I don’t know if they all do. The new Greenway dorms have fancier kitchens.
@DeadlyZeus - there’s also the PVTA bus system which is free for students. And Uber.
D had a car her first summer (she lived on campus during an internship) and her second year. IMO she didn’t need one during the school year and she very rarely bothered to take it out of parking, but her dad passed one on to her that was free and she used it to get to family in NYC, Boston to visit a family friend, to and from home in Ohio, whatever. She doesn’t have the car anymore and it’s not a big deal…I actually reminded her to go start it every couple of weeks so the battery wouldn’t die.
During the summer it was great - she lived on the hill and drove all over Mass on weekends to Walden Pond, Puffer Pond (swimming locally), Bridge of Flowers in Shelbourne and Montague Bookmill and stuff like that.
Parking pass was about $60 for the year I think.
Hi! My D will be a freshman at Amherst this fall and will be living in North. We are wondering if the beds are adjustable so that there is a lot of storage space underneath, or should we buy some sort of bed risers? We would love to hear anything else you might know about the dorm rooms in North (like what furniture is provided, size of room etc.) Thanks!
@pagirlsmom They were adjustable in D’s first year dorm (not North) but I think they all are. North dorm layout: https://www.amherst.edu/media/view/72838/original/North.pdf
I think all rooms have bed, dresser, desk, chair, trashcan, closet.
This includes a list of things to bring/not bring: https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/housing-dining/residential-life/housing
@Economathematics
How would a non-athlete fit at the college? I’m the furthest thing you could call “athletic.” Is this school not for me?
This question has been asked and answered endlessly on this forum. Yes, there are a lot of athletes on campus, including non recruited club sports athletes, but there are MANY non athletes as well,and being a very diverse school, you shouldn’t have any problem finding like minded students.