Does anyone out there absolutely love Amherst?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Amherst College
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<p>Maybe it’s just my imagination, but the enthusiasm that’s been expressed thus far on this board for Amherst seems a bit muted when compared to what you’ll find on the boards for some other schools (Williams, Swarthmore, etc.).</p>

<p>To those of you who have made Amherst your first choice (or are already there, or recently graduated): Why? Why Amherst, as opposed to Williams or Swarthmore or any number of other schools? Is anyone out there passionate about Amherst? If so, why?</p>

<p>And for those of you who are interested in Amherst but don’t regard it as your first choice: Why not? What holds it back in your view?</p>

<p>My son was accepted at Amherst as an “early write,” he’s definitely interested in it, and he’ll be visiting next month. But there are several other schools in the mix as well (as appears to be the case for many of you). Some well-informed excitement about Amherst - or, on the other hand, serious reservations about it - might help to make the picture a bit clearer.</p>

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<p>This is a great post, and I'll be interested to read the responses! =)</p>

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<p>I think Amherst has a great blend of academics, sports, and social life...It is undoubtedly a great place to learn, and the superiority of the academics drew me in. I love the open curriculum, being able to shape my schedule the way i want it..and there is no shortage in any department, they are all very strong. </p>

<p>While the students are driven and focussed, there's no crime in having fun at college and I like that the kids at Amherst aren't afraid to party. Sports don't dominate like at a DI school, but there are many athletes at Amherst and the student body as whole enjoys their share of sports...and the athletes are SMART, whereas Williams will take academically underqualified athletes to maintain their dominance - it's more of a jock school. </p>

<p>For me, Williams seemed too isolated; I know Amherst isn't exactly in the city, but there are about 20,000 kids about a half mile away to give the town some life, not to mention Northampton not too far away.</p>

<p>And to all those nay-sayers, i like the campus! it's very clean and accessible, with pretty buildings and great views...even the abandoned frat houses (now 'theme' houses) look like colonial mansions. construction is winding down, and now all the dorms will be top-notch</p>

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<p>Amherst was my first choice. There was just something about the school that made me feel at home more than any other school. I know others have complained some about the architectural style, but I found the brick buildings warm and what I thought a LAC in New England should look like. When I visited Williams I liked the architecture, but it just seemed a little disjointed, but there was a lot of construction going on and I'm sure that biased me.</p>

<p>When I visited Amherst all of the students seemed very warm and friendly in the classes that I visited. Also, none of the classes that I visited had more than 20 students in them. </p>

<p>The town of Amherst appeared to be a nice, small college town, with Northampton nearby. I also liked the idea that there were four other colleges relatively nearby, which seems to make the location seem a lot less isolated. Williamstown appeared to be very small and I had the feeling that I would definitely feel isolated.</p>

<p>Overall though, Amherst seemed to be just the right fit for me. In my mind it fits in between Williams and Swarthmore, a nice compromise in between the extremes of both.</p>

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<p>I think COamherst09 answered the question with the Williams/Swarthmore comment: Amherst isn't as distinctive as many of its competitors. It seems to strike a happy medium between a lot of different things, but as a result, I think fewer people feel strongly about it. It's not rural, it's not urban; it's not extremely athletic, it's not extremely artsy; it's not conservative, it's not radically liberal. I think that it is less extreme than Williams, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Vassar, etc. This balance makes it appealing to some but lukewarm to others.</p>

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<p>I love Amherst. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, I got early writes from both Williams and Swarthmore, but have heard nothing from Amherst, my clear first choice of the three.</p>

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<p>lindseylujh: me too :(</p>

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<p>Amherst definitely is my first choice.</p>

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<p>My D is also an "early write" admitted to Amherst. I am in total agreement with epistrophy regarding the less than enthusiastic posts about Amherst as compared to Williams and Swarthmore. I have found the replies by goalie1258, COamherst09, and bjrwrh to be VERY insightful and useful. </p>

<p>We will be visiting again during the April Open House. I personally have visited Amherst twice for short periods of time and have not gotten a real feel for the place. I recall the campus as being very architecturally diverse, without any real theme. The students, staff, etc were very friendly and helpful. For some reason, we were not shown a dorm room on our most recent visit (much to my dismay) and we were told by our tour guide that we could NOT go into the main dining hall (even though it was open) because 'they didn't want a lot of outside visitors going in and out...', Didn't make any sense at the time and still doesn't. There were also extensive dorm repairs/renovations going on and it was unclear to me how long this would continue or how it would specifically impact the class of '09 in terms of housing. If someone knows this, please post! </p>

<p>I agree that Swarthmore (and to a lesser extent Williams) impressed me as more homogeneous (liberal) politically, with perhaps less opposing viewpoints and more similarity in students' politics. If Amherst is indeed more "balanced" it would certainly be a plus as far as I'm concerned. Also, as far as athletics go, Swarthmore and Williams appeared to be at opposite extremes. With S having a fairly weak program with little emphasis and W being very strong with great emphasis. Maybe almost to the point of a 'jock school'. I was a little worried that the athletic emphasis so very obvious at Williams was a bit excessive. So, perhaps Amherst being somewhere 'in the middle' strikes the better balance when it comes to athletics. </p>

<p>Maybe because Amherst seems to fall 'in the middle' in several areas there appear to be less passionate and enthusiastic posts about it? If this is the case, it is certainly not a negative and maybe even a positive! I'm anxious to hear other thoughts on this from parents, prospectives, and current Amherst students. This is a great thread!</p>

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<p>I am an alum who graduated over 25 years ago and have kept in touch with the college through my friendships with profs and mentorship of students interested in my field of work. </p>

<p>For me, the quality of education, the personal relationships with profs (which remain to this day), the opportunity to know most of your classmates personally (Amherst was/is smaller than my high school), the advantages of the 5 college program both educationally and socially (took psychology and a foreign language at Smith,and philosophy and sociology courses at Hampshire), and the beautiful campus (I know many of the LACs also have beautiful campuses) and surrounding countryside helped seal my decision. My choice was between Amherst and Yale, and given who I was at that time, I felt that I fit in better in a small friendly college environment than at a large unversity. </p>

<p>I agree that the character of Amherst may not be as easy to label as some of the other LACs. It is certainly an intellectual place and there is a strong emphasis on allowing students to have the responsibility and freedom to pursue their own education (hence no core requirements). The value of a broad liberal education is firmly entrenched by tradition and practice,so most students end up taking the equivalent of a core curriculum despite lack of requirements. Amherst students tend to have other talents (artistic, creative, athletic) in addition to being good students, and seem to strike a good balance between work/fun. I also think a wider range of students can "fit-in" socially despite the relatively small size. Although generally liberal, a wide range of viewpoints are accepted and respected as long as they can be intellectually defended. Overall, it is not as highly politicized as colleges like Oberlin or Smith (which may be good as it may allow more open discourse among differing points of view). There is a strong feeling of community and loyalty that extends beyond the student body to alumni (which have over a 60% participation rate in giving). Alumni are very willing to provide advice, internships, etc. Amherst currently has a more diverse student body than when I was there with one of the highest proportions of under-represented minority, Asian, and international students for a LAC . I know the admissions office seeks to attract as diverse a student body as possible to come to Amherst. Although there still is a small contingent of WASP/prep students, they do not dominate the atmosphere as they do at some other New England colleges or did in Amherst past.</p>

<p>There are many other terrific LACs and universities, each with their own character. Just because Amherst is more difficult to label (and labels often are not totally accurate) than some of its peer LACs does not mean that is it not distinctive in its own right. Hope this helps your son in his decision-making.</p>

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<p>epistrophy and daddo--</p>

<p>As an Amherst freshman, I completely agree with your observation about a lack of passionate Amherst-related posts, and I'm baffled by this phenomenon. I can only guess that not too many Amherst people follow these threads, because practically every graduate of the College I've met is uniquely effusive about it. And they're right to be.</p>

<p>If I had to describe Amherst to someone in one sentence, I would say that it feels like home and I feel as if I'm part of a big family-like community. It is just the opposite of being lost at a big university; here, you know a good portion of the school and recognize everyone's face. I have been able to immerse myself in every activity I enjoyed in high school and more, because of how many resources the College has. In many ways, Amherst feels like summercamp with classes and books (when the weather's nice, that is). The people are, overwhelmingly, nice and smart. They are focused on their studies, but they also have social lives, and they party, play sports and participate in activities and clubs. They are politically oriented but not radical. On the academic side, I have had a class with 9 students and a class with 15 students--in the first semester of my first year in college. I am biased, but bear in mind that Williams is in the middle of nowhere and Swarthmore students (it seems to me) seem much more singularly occupied with work and politically homogenous than Amherst students. In my opinion, there is simply not a better environment in which to attend college than Amherst.</p>

<p>The Amherst aura can't be captured on a tour; a prospective student should visit and stay overnight. Best wishes on a not-too-stressful college search.</p>

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<p>It's really a great pleasure to read the post of pmyen, jeffs08, goalie....
As an international student, I don't have the opportunity to experience Amherst before making a decision. Yet i've chosen Amherst as my first choice ( accepted ED '09). I did some research into the school mainly through talking ( emailing!) current and past Amherst students . So far their replies were very positive.
Some time i was a bit afraid that i've made a hasty decision but your posts really assure me..
Nice to know all of you!</p>

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<p>Hmmmmm . . . while I have found the posts on this thread helpful, I must admit that I'm still a bit mystified by what seems like a relative dearth of enthusiasm for Amherst. By my count, there have been a total of four posts so far where people have said something to the effect of "yeah, I feel strongly about Amherst - and here's why." Four.</p>

<p>Geez, to read people gush about Williams, you don't even have to go to the Williams board - just check out the "Contrast to Williams" thread on this board. And from the way that folks on the Swarthmore board talk, you'd think that it would be hard to imagine wanting to go anywhere else.</p>

<p>My son's lucky: he has several great schools to choose from, including Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, and Harvard. We'd really like to hear more about the case to be made for Amherst.</p>

<p>C'mon, Amherst people - where's the love?</p>

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<p>Well, I love it here!!! I had a really hard time choosing between Amherst and Georgetown, but I obviously made the right choice. I love the social situation, the academics, and really the entire atmosphere here. I'm from the Midwest, but I feel right at home!</p>

<p>The first year seminar is really important here; I LOVE my seminar prof, and we see each other at the gym all the time. I'm still close with my other professors, and I can always see them any time I need to. I've never even met a TA. </p>

<p>As good as the academics are, kids here still have fun. I have close friends at Swarthmore, and honestly, they're not fans. They have sooooo much work and the social scene is sketchy and uptight. A friend at Williams also is working all the damn time. At Amherst, there is work, honestly, but we have a good time too. The balance is great. You don't really get that at too many other schools. </p>

<p>As for the town, etc., Amherst is great, and Northampton is AMAZING!! I eat as well here as I do in most cities, something which you will not get in Williamstown, which I don't think counts as part of the universe. Amherst has a good mix of city and country attitudes, and I think anyone can feel at home here. If you want to meet an awesome mix of people, have tons of fun, and get a really good education on a self-sufficient campus in a great area, come to Amherst.</p>

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<p>Epistrophy,
I think the measured enthusiasm that you find here by students and alumni should not be confused with its depth. Most of us associated with Amherst are grateful for the opportunity to attend and would not trade that experience for anything. Amherst means different things to different people but almost all of us have been profoundly affected in positive, even life-transforming, ways. The responders may not have the rabid enthusiasm you seem to be searching for. Perhaps many of us understand that as wonderful as Amherst is, there are many other outstanding institutions, some of which your son has been accepted to, that may be an equally good or better fit for a particular student. No institution can be all things to all students. The decision of where to attend ultimately may depend on a students particular academic interests, preference for tutorials/seminars over lectures, research opportunities, city vs. college town, etc. or the intangible "gut feeling." I would suggest he visit the schools again, with the critical eye of an acceptee with great options, and decide where he would like to obtain his undergraduate education. For whatever its worth, my younger brother attended Harvard for undergrad and professional school, and readily acknowledges that Amherst offers the superior undergraduate education.</p>

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<p>My D was accepted at Amherst. But we don't have much money - I am school teacher, her father is deceased. How will a student without $ fit in?</p>

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<p>My experience is that Amherst is an inclusive community that seeks socio-economic diversity as well as racial/ethnic diversity among its students (I am a minority). I would suggest your D visit Amherst this month and see for herself. She may want to seek some help for travel expences from the Admissions Office if finances are in issue.</p>

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<p>To epistrophy:</p>

<p>"What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent."</p>

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<p>fire:</p>

<p>Believe me, you can't go wrong with me quoting from <em>King Lear</em>. The only thing is, the rhetorical context here is a bit different than it was there. Unlike Lear, I'm not looking for some ostentatious display of flattery - just some more expressions of genuine feeling and, relatedly, information on what it is about Amherst that has stirred such feelings.</p>

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<p>I firmly believe that Amherst is the best college in the US (or anywhere else, i suppose) for my particular tastes and needs. I wanted a highly academic school, cooperative students, a small learning environment, and most importantly, high personal access to professors. I want to shape my own education, and I want professors to be consultants and friends as well as instructors. I want a place where my own enthusiasm for learning can grow and be satisfied, where no institutional roadblocks prevent me from learning deeply (unlike high school). Amherst provides all that.</p>

<p>I also wanted a place I'd like to live. Amherst's beautiful campus, great dorms, close community, good location, and small physical size made it attractive. </p>

<p>Other schools have some of these attributes, but I couldn't find another school that had them all. To me, Amherst seems to have EVERYTHING (except engineering, but that doesn't interest me for undergrad). I can tell you why I specifically did not apply early to other top schools. </p>

<p>King Lear seemed appropriate in light of "My son's lucky: he has several great schools to choose from, including Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, and Harvard. We'd really like to hear more about the case to be made for Amherst." All these shools are GOOD schools, so why compare them in a shouting contest of sorts? Does Amherst have to make a "case" to compete for your son's blessing? Seems Learish, but my apologies if I'm misreading your intent.</p>

<p>My reasons Amherst is better than the other three:
Williams: isolated, less surrounding community, minorities self-segregate more readily than at Amherst, more attention to sports than at Amherst
Swarthmore: grade deflation, immense workloads, students feel overwhelmed, deprived of sleep
Harvard: too institutionalized, not as much attention to undergrads, undergrads are less happy than at other top schools, less direct access to professors, TFs. </p>

<p>I'm sure there are other reasons. I already think that Amherst was solidly the best choice I had.</p>

<p>hope this helps</p>