<p>I’m thinking about applying ED to Amherst next year (I’m a junior), and my father, two uncles, and aunt all went to Amherst. My father is an involved alumnus. I’ve posted before in this forum, but I’m wondering what my chances of getting in/how much does legacy count. I got a 34 on the ACT, but I have a ≈3.85 weighted GPA.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, your chances will be very good. Your credentials are fine.</p>
<p>I was accepted ED this year, and have pretty similar credentials as you. I am also a legacy with around the same amount family members who attended Amherst. I you seem like a good candidate for Amherst, but i would suggest attending one of the Deans Days, because they will be able to give you an “academic read” and let you know your chances for Amherst! Attending Deans Day gave me great assurance to apply Early Decision.</p>
<p>Great ACT score! One thing to note on GPA’s: I have read in several books on applying to top colleges that they do “unweight” your grades. That is because every district does the weighting differently. In some districts a student can have literally almost half B’s and half A’s, but if most of the classes were weighted (ie for AP), then they may have a 3.8 or 3.9. In some districts it may be lower; in some, even higher. In our district that student would only have a 3.5. So my only question would be how are your actual grades, not considering “weighting” and how rigorous were your classes? That is very important to Amherst, although your having the legacy factor will certainly be a plus!!</p>
<p>concon22 - I am attending one of the Deans Days! Im nervous and excited for it!</p>
<p>jennieling - I have about a 3.76 unweighted GPA. Freshman and Sophomore year I had a 3.6, but junior year i have a 3.85, and senior year i am expecting about the same amount. Course load is good. Lots of honors and APs (though not an insane amount - for example, I am taking 2 aps this year and 1 honors, and 4 aps next year)</p>
<p>That sounds like you will have a very strong application. I agree with your plan to take a plenty of AP’s and Honors but not an insane amount. My son did 7 AP’s and 1 college class (Calc 3) over the 3 yrs (grades 10-12; in our town 9th gr is in the jr high bldg and no AP’s are offered). He did lots more Honors. He got in to Amherst–so you don’t need to do 10 or 12 AP’s necessarily. Doing that many can limit your time to do other things- eg a sport or music, volunteering, things that are good for you (and things that the colleges, like Amherst, want to see).</p>
<p>Son went to Deans’ Day a few years ago. Had 2300+ SAT, 12 APs, National AP Scholar for scores on APs, and strong extracurriculars. Was told he was a strong candidate. Applied RD since he was not sure whether Amherst was his first choice and we wanted to compare financial aid offers. Unfortunately, he was rejected. Son is attending another top LAC and is very happy there. I would recommend applying ED if Amherst is your top choice and you are a legacy.</p>
<p>well now im worried…</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there is any increased advantage if both parents are Amherst grads? Or are there any statistics to say how many legacies are at Amherst who are one parent vs. two parents?</p>
<p>Unfortunately our stats are not as good as bananaman1’s and We are getting nervous as well :(</p>
<p>You should not just apply ED since you think you will have a better chance to get in. You should apply ED if you love Amherst and it is your top choice, which it is hard not to. Being able to tell one of the Deans of admission on Deans Day that you are set on Amherst gives them the chance to give you an even more specific read. If you are undecided or have a different LAC as a first choice they can also advise you and tell you your chances for those schools. Amherst was my first choice when I went to Deans Day; however, I was still considering Williams, Middlebury, and Haverford, so I was able to get advice for my chances at all of the schools.</p>
<p>amherst is definitely my top choice. i love it there. i just hope they will love me back.</p>
<p>Getting admitted to Amherst is a crap-shoot. I say go for it, but keep this in mind: I had a 2330 on my SAT, a 35 on my ACT, and scores of 790 and 800 on two SAT II subject tests. My weighted GPA was a 4.25, and my unweighted GPA was a 4.00. I was also a National Merit Finalist and an AP Scholar With Distinction. Nevertheless, I was wait-listed after applying RD, though I was eventually accepted and am now attending Amherst.</p>
<p>Will applying ED help me a lot?</p>
<p>bananaman1: I’m not sure if applying ED will increase your chances of admittance, seeing as I applied regular decision to Amherst and therefore don’t have experience with the ED process. However, I applied ED to Princeton and was deferred and, later, rejected. I think that, due to your primary legacy status, your chances are quite good. Also, your ACT is well within the Amherst range. Make the essays count. Don’t send them off until you’re absolutely satisfied with how they read. Bear this is mind, too: I come from West Michigan, an extremely conservative, Calvinist Christian area; my interviewer from Princeton told me that the Ivy League universities almost never accept from my region, because they have found that West Michiganders have trouble assimilating into East Coast culture. Depending on where you live, your geographic location might be an advantage or, in some cases, a disadvantage.</p>
<p>One more thing: I did not attend Dean’s Day. My parents could not afford to fly me to Amherst to attend.</p>
<p>@2013mbessey- Me too! I was accepted off the waitlist with an SAT 2390 and nearly identical stats to yours. It truly is a crapshoot. For the record, I was also deferred then rejected at Princeton, waitlisted at Williams, Rice, and Davidson, and was slated for my state U Honors College until I got the call from Amherst admissions.</p>
<p>To everyone just beginning this stressful process, I guess what I’m humbly trying to say is don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Whether that’s your test scores, your alumni connections, or anything else, there really is no understanding the system. Best of luck to you all!</p>
<p>(Oh, and I didn’t do Deans Day or ED either. Also for financial reasons.)</p>
<p>i live in the northeast, in a suburban area. i was under the impression that my geographic location would hurt me - a lot of people from my area apply to elite schools</p>