<p>Hey guys,
so Amherst is the only LAC I'm considering applying to, mostly because it's need-blind for internationals (I'm French and live in Saudi Arabia, applying for aid). Can anyone give me the pros and cons of attending Amherst as an international computer science major (with a cognitive sci minor maybe)?</p>
<p>my personal opinion (correct me if wrong):</p>
<p>pros:
-A top education</p>
<p>cons:
-not much of a brand name outside of the US (given that McGill University is my top match, which is much more recognized worldwide)</p>
<p>I just can't seem to justify going to Amherst over McGill, U of Toronto or Waterloo (which is great in CS). My main concern is how my graduate school opportunities are affected if I go to Amherst. If I don't get accepted at MIT/Cornell/Stanford (which is highly probable), I'm hoping to go to one of those three for grad. Can anyone give me some extra info that could help me make my mind about Amherst?</p>
<p>Then why bother applying? Anyway, it is a reach for virtually any applicant, all the more so if you can’t show more enthusiasm. </p>
<p>Amherst College covers pretty much all the standard subjects of a CS curriculum (data structures, algorithms, networks, data bases, programming languages, AI, etc.) but does not offer a very wide selection of courses in every term. However, Amherst students can take classes at the University of Massachusetts, which has a highly-regarded CS program (at least at the graduate level). Recent Amherst College thesis topics appear to be sophisticated but are mentored by the same 2 or 3 professors over and over (which may be an issue, or may not be).</p>
<p>This is why I made this thread. Amherst is a great school with many good things about it that I appreciate, but I’m not sure if it’s the right fit for me given what I’m asking for.</p>
<p>And thanks for that list. It provides some insight, although the information on it is almost 10 years old. So I guess that LACs don’t necessarily limit my grad school opportunities. But it could be more helpful if we knew where they’re getting their PhD’s and see some of the numbers/percentages. </p>
<p>Can anyone give me some information specific to Amherst? What about career options?</p>
<p>To be honest with you you’re more likely going to get into Cornell than Amherst. Having said that, I’d concentrate on Cornell more, if I were you. Check out CMU as well. It’s one of the very best schools for CS.</p>
<p>Cornell is my top choice (brother is there, great interdisciplinary focus between comp sci and econ, #1 in computer theory, and many other things), so I wouldn’t mind getting into Cornell at all. CMU offers no aid to internationals, so I had to take it out of my list. :(</p>
<p>And what makes Amherst harder to get in to?</p>
<p>In the US, Amherst is considered comparable to the Ivy Leagues. The acceptance rate is slightly higher (at 16%) than the top Ivies, but it is also more self-selective because it is less of a splash than than Yale, Harvard, etc. I’d agree that Amherst is harder to get into that Cornell, but the schools look for different things (Amherst’s class is much smaller). I’d also say that Amherst is more respected than McGill (and certainly Toronto or Waterloo) for those that know the school, but internationally I’m sure views are different. Like another poster said, there may be a limited number of computer science classes, but you can take classes at four other schools, so you basically have unlimited options. A CS degree from Amherst will be well respected. You will get an equal or perhaps better education at Amherst than the Ivies. With that said, Amherst is easily top 5-10 in getting its students into top graduate schools. In fact, if you plan on going to grad school, your undergrad degree won’t particularly matter, and Amherst is easily better than McGill, Toronto, or Waterloo at grad school placement. </p>
<p>I see. Yeah, I read about being able to take classes at UMass Amherst, which is good in CS. And thanks for sharing this pdf file with me. I only saw it today for the first time and it does calm my fear to a certain degree. I guess I should give it a shot and see what happens. Thank you all for your help! :)</p>
<p>sami - If it’s any consolation, CMU isn’t exactly generous with intra-nationals either. :)</p>
<p>Cornell is a great CS school. I don’t know much about Amherst CS, but I’m skeptical (it’s definitely far away from the top several tiers; there are quite a number of state school that would be far better, and a huge number of privates). Although tk’s list does show normal undergrad CS courses, they’re all at the into-to-intermediate level :(. Does it offer more? If not, pretty weak.</p>
<p>[Edit to add:] Amherst is a GREAT SCHOOL of course (although “possibly the best undergraduate school in the US” seems to be a bit over the top, LOL). But if you’re a CS major, that would be a round peg/square hole situation. It would be a really strange choice - not one that you would make based on your interest in the field.</p>
<p>And I agree with you about Amherst. This is exactly why i made this thread. While I realize that it’s a top school and great in many fields, I don’t think choosing it for CS is a very wise decision (as opposed to my other options). But I’d rather apply and see what happens (Either I get rejected and don’t have to worry, or I get accepted and then make a new thread in a couple of months :P)</p>
<p>I have to agree with previous posters. Although Amherst is great its computer science program looks diluted. You will have some difficulty getting into graduate school IMO, if you dont have a strong background in the field, not to talk of people who have a strong background + research experience. </p>
<p>Williams College on the other hand seems exceptional. People get in to schools like caltech, stanford for graduate school in CS</p>