<p>This might be a ridiculous question to some, but my daughter’s guidance counselor is steering her away from Amherst because, he says, it’s “very preppy”–meaning mostly white, privileged, concerned with external status, with fitting in and wearing the ‘right’ expensive clothes, etc. He says that because it’s so small, she runs the risk of being miserable because she wouldn’t ‘fit in.’</p>
<p>I realize you don’t know my daughter and can only speak in generalities. But on the whole, do you think this is true? Academically, Amherst sounds PERFECT for my daughter, and she has an excellent chance of getting in.</p>
<p>However, my daughter is indeed a ‘free spirit’ sort—very artistic, sings, writes (has just revised her fantasy novel for the third time, in which she has a made up language), wears her own style of clothes, speaks her own mind although she is softspoken, couldn’t care less about ‘fitting in,’ although she loves her friends, doesn’t value materialistic ‘things’ and so on. </p>
<p>I’m sure this sounds facile, but I hope you know what I mean–do you think my daughter has a chance of being happy at Amherst? We do plan on visiting, but visiting can give you only so much info. I would be grateful for any thoughts, but mostly from those who already go there, or whose children already go.</p>
<p>The impression I have from those I know who go to Amherst is certainly on the preppy side, but this said, it is also the most quirky of all schools where very few care about “fitting in” and instead are on their own trajectory.</p>
<p>Enjoy your visit! Amherst is lovely. My kid is about as far from preppy as you can get and he’s very, very happy there - now a sophomore. Is he poorer than a lot of kids? You betcha. But there are others there that have much less, too. He has found that in practical fact, it doesn’t make much difference. People are people, and Amherst is full of very interesting people.</p>
<p>Amherst’s history is varied. It use to be an enclave for the sons of the wealthy and influential. Before that it was founded as an “institution of higher learning for the education of indigent young men of piety and talents for the Christian ministry” – a college for the poor.</p>
<p>It’s now an interesting blend of students from all over the country and the world, and students with diverse talents (maybe not so much piety, these days ;)), ambitions, and interests. I think there’s certainly a presence of students from well-to-do professional families, but likewise there are kids from less-advantaged and wildly varied backgrounds.</p>
<p>I think sometimes people see what they’re looking for. I’ve read posts here where people talked about all the high-end cars they see around campus. I didn’t notice them, but then I didn’t notice many cars at all, and certainly am not interested enough in cars to notice makes and models. What I saw was a beautiful campus, some very kind and helpful students who went out of their way to help a confused-looking prospie son and his mom navigate their way around. The admissions office staff was warm and welcoming. I don’t doubt there are probably some expensive cars around, and no doubt some students with money that let it be known. I don’t think it sets a any kind of dominant tone around campus, and certainly my kid from the funky, down-to-earth, rural Pacific Northwest has felt at home there from the first moment. He has friends there with more affluent backgrounds than his own and friends with less. I don’t think he concerns himself at all with that – they are his friends because of the kind of people they are. To stereotype people because they have more is not different than stereotyping them because they have less.</p>
<p>I know one thing I loved about Amherst, is how they open their arms to you even knowing your student may be going to require special resources – economic, academic, cultural, etc. I must say I didn’t feel more welcomed at single school we visited.</p>
<p>But when you go for your visit you will have your own experience. I wouldn’t put too much stock in what the guidance counselor says though.</p>
<p>By the way, disagree about Reed for your daughter. Amherst is a better atmosphere for a creative kid. Amherst has a kind of brilliant but relaxed, well-rounded kind of student personality. Reed’s environment can be far more intense and self-consciously intellectual. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s certainly not for everyone. (I know quite a number of Reedies and former Reedies.)</p>
<p>Coincidently, the Reed president is an Amherst grad; he jokingly says he remedied that by going to Reed. Reed is indeed intense, akin to Swarthmore and UChicago in that respect. Visiting both Amherst and Reed could be helpful, each at opposite ends of the preppy scale, each excellent in its way.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree that Swarthmore and UChicago are good comparisons with Reed. Although my kid is at Amherst, as Oregonians we have known many more kids who’ve had experiences of various kinds with Reed.</p>
<p>What about Bard or even better , Oberlin…Amherst is a great school, but we thought it very stuffy…The main thing going for it-other than the name and the endowment-is the 5 college thing. We even visited twice, because our first visit was not good, and we couldn’t believe it matched the school’s reputation. Second visit(as an athletic recruit) did not leave a better impression.</p>
<p>Amherst is one of the most socio-economically diverse of the top liberal arts colleges. 18 percent of Amherst undergraduates are Pell Grant recipients–that is, 18 percent of students at Amherst are attending on full rides. This statistic doesn’t even take into account that a significant proportion of international students (who make up ~10 percent of every incoming class) is here on a full ride as well. 54 percent of students receive grant-based financial aid.</p>
<p>Amherst is also one of the most ethnically diverse of the top liberal arts colleges. 48 percent of the students in the Class of 2012 are either men and women of color, or international students.</p>
<p>Amherst isn’t preppy, and there isn’t a “mold” to fit. It is as “preppy” as the other liberal arts colleges and the Ivy League schools, in the sense that all of them were bastions of white privilege at some point in the history of their existences. But, this is no longer the case, as you can see.</p>
<p>Kwu is totally right. I’m not sure what a person would find “stuffy” about it, but everyone has their own responses to a place.</p>
<p>Just a note on Pell recipients, though, my son is one of those Pell recipients but is not getting a “full ride”. I have NO complaints about the incredibly generous financial aid at Amherst. I am full of gratitude and my son knows we expect him to donate generously as a future alum. (And he’s committed to doing so!) There are though, Pell recipients whose families also pay a portion of the costs, as well as those students being expected to contribute summer earnings as well as work during the term. The Pell grant is awarded on a sliding scale. The highest available amount is somewhere around 5K/yr. There are recipients though that receive smaller amounts based on the family’s income and assets. Perhaps those receiving full Pell grants get a “full ride” – I don’t know, although I assume they are also expected to work summers and during the school year. Other families, like ours, still stretch like most everyone else to make those tuition payments, albeit reduced ones. Amherst makes it do-able, though, and the students will be able to graduate without debt. If I was a religious person I’d say “and God bless them for it!”</p>
<p>People often see what they want to see. And interpret one anothers comments in the same vein. My youngest daughter is a freshman at Amherst. She has always avoided & condemned superficial and materialistic peers. She doesnt buy expensive clothes. (Yes, we can afford them.) And the fastest way to turn her off is with your concerns about status. She is a dedicated musician & athlete, loves Amherst, and has made great friends from diverse backgrounds over the past few months. I do know her friends come in a variety of colors and no doubt that many (including white lest you misinterpret my point) receive substantial financial aid. Im sure you can find students afflicted with the snob gene anywhere including Amherst. But stereotyping an entire student body? Wow. Please dont judge the school based on those comments. If you review Amhersts enrollment stats, youll find theyre likely quite diverse as compared with your local college (38% students of color according to the September 2008 enrollment stats posted on their website). </p>
<p>BTW, the day we moved her in to her dorm, there was an extremely diverse set of families on campus. And everyone was excited together. Your daughter may find she shares more similarities than differences among her peers at this school.</p>
<p>This is just a general comment given my very limited experience with Amherst (I got flown over here by the UChicago reference.) My best friend in the whole wide world is a Lord Jeff, and while he might look “traditional” or “preppy,” in that athletic/social/poli sci major way, he’s got a weird streak a mile wide (he would have to, he’s my best friend, after all.)</p>
<p>I think he would agree that Amherst has somewhat of a “traditional” personality, but, like any elite school, it’s a dump for the kinds of kids who spent a lot of time reading interesting books and doing interesting things in high school. So there are all types.</p>
<p>Of course anyone who has gone there or had a child there is going to say it isn’t “stuffy” or “preppy”. Of course it is a great LAC. Just trying to share a non-positive impression, no personal attack meant. My son didn’t like either of his 2 visits at Amherst. He didn’t feel welcomed. The Admissions person who gave the talk couldn’t answer a question from the audience if there was a synagogue or Hillel on campus. The tour guide was terrible. Just putting it out there for the mill…</p>
<p>ok i got a lot of Amherst info here. Thanks guys.
I’m also applying ED there, and since i’m an international, the FA drew me towards this college and i have loved its site (i know it isn’t much)
It’s need blind for internationals and it has 10% international students, so diversity right there. Since many internationals also need A LOT of FA, you can count on students there being from a poor background as well (me being one if i get in)</p>
<p>I thought about REED as the INTENSE CREATIVITY type of college, it’s just what i have inferred seeing the enrollment from my country (two of my seniors went there who were two of the most creative)</p>
<p>I’ll probably be RDing there seeing comparing the FA status of both.</p>
<p>Duke99 if you apply ED and are accepted you should have no buiness applying RD anywhere else to compare financial aid. When you apply ED you are agreeing to attend if accepted. You are agreeing to not apply elsewhere, and to withdraw any applications you had previously submitted. You understand that, right?</p>
<p>If the financial aid offered is not sufficient, you can get out of your ED agreement, but you would do that before you have other offers with which to compare it. Make sure you understand what you’re agreeing to with an ED application. You don’t want to be acting in bad faith.</p>
<p>@rent
well yeah i understand all that. I guess what i was trying to say came out wrong.
I meant to say that i like both Amherst And Reed, but i chose amherst over Reed for ED because i campared Reed’s FA status and Amherst’s Fa status and came to the conclusion that i’d probably get more FA from Amherst.</p>
<p>DD just graduated and we also received the Pell grant. She worked on campus, and even did Study Abroad and received a fellowship one summer. What wonderful opportunitites she had there! One of her friends from NY just came to visit us, and she is still in contact with the wonderful friends she made there- of all backgrounds, wealthy, middle class and poor. She says while there is an element of snobbiness, she mostly couldn’t tell if someone was or wasn’t wealthy. During senior year, there is a tradition of going on a trip. She and some of her friends couldn’t afford it. Instead, one of her friends’ parents opened their beach house up to the kids, stocked the fridge so they wouldn’t have to spend much for food, etc., and they all took off for 5 days - you couldn’t tell at the beach house who did or did not have money. It didn’t matter - they were all friends and they were together having fun. At graduation, you can rent a tent for a party and have it catered. The dorm wanted to have a party in one, but the kids couldn’t afford it equally and they didn’t feel right about having the kids who had money pay for it all. So one of the kids, whose parents had rented the tent in front of the dorm for a party in the evening, gave it to the class to use for the afternoon, and the parents chipped in and we bought ice cream and the fixings, and had an ice cream party. The kids played ball on the lawn, the parents talked, and we had a blast! So if by having money you mean snob, not all are that way, and those that aren’t understand that not everyone can afford these things, and they include their friends no matter the socio-economic status and adjust their plans in order to do so. Are there some snobs? You bet. But my D’s friend who attends UT Austin talks about some of the rich snobs she met there (or should I say bumped into, because they wouldn’t really talk to her!)</p>