<p>Hi! I have just visited Amherst, and I really really liked it- the campus was beautiful and I like the idea of the open curriculum as well the school’s overall learning philosophy. I didn’t really get to speak to students very much, however, and I was wondering how Amherst students find the school atmposphere. Is it a warm friendly community in which students enjoy sharing their ideas and generally support one another? Or is the environment somewhat cold with students who are cutthroat and competitive? I am actually torn between applying early to Amherst and Dartmouth- I love both schools and what they have to offer, but ultimately it is the people that make the difference. I would really appreciate any feedback that you have about the overall environment at Amherst. Thank you!</p>
<p>I'd tell you, but I can't afford to give you information that could potentially be used to usurp my position at Amherst.</p>
<p>Yes -- usurp -- exacly.</p>
<p>What's with the usurp bit?</p>
<p>YES WE'RE WARM AND FUZZY!!1! :) :) : ) :) :) :) {{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}:)</p>
<p>On a serious note, I think the people here are great. It's a nice environment. Apply here!</p>
<p>if you're concerned about sense of community, then Amherst -- hands down. Between its quarter system, and angry, old, alumni instigating internal feuds, Dartmouth requires a lot more fortitude, IMHO.</p>
<p>No, Amherst is horrible. Cold as an icebox. Run for the hills.</p>
<p>Just kidding. It's a great place and warmer than Dartmouth. I was just doing my bit as the mother of a Williams' student.</p>
<p>mythmom, why are you on Amherst's message board?</p>
<p>Lay off mythmom, having a family member at Williams is bad enough.</p>
<p>Also, at least there's enough people in the Amherst area that we could successfully huddle together for warmth. Williamstown is too tiny for that to work effectively.</p>
<p>But seriously, Amherst is definitely a friendly place. I have not seen nor heard of the sort of cutthroat attitude you seem to fear.</p>
<p>catfish, I didn't mean the question in an offensive way. As an amherst mom, I would never log onto Williams's board (no time, no interest). I guess some people just have more time on their hands than others. I log on occassionally to this board since it was so helpful last year when my daughter was going through the process. I just try to provide any helpful suggestions or insights to others who are going through what my daughter went through last year.</p>
<p>lmpw: Well, if you want to know, I teach at NCC (Nassau Community College) the largest and most successful CC in the US, and we transfer students to schools all over the Northeast, including Amherst, so I have a professional interest in reading these boards.</p>
<p>I thought my humor might be appreciated; I certainly did not take the time to advocate for Williams, and I believe I said Amherst was a great place.</p>
<p>You may not have meant to be offensive, but I do think your question a little hostile. I didn't know we needed to sign in. In future I will only lurk.</p>
<p>Oops! I did it again. Posted on Amherst's board. Dang!</p>
<p>Hahahaha, I've posted on the Williams board before. Stop it guys, you're going to make the OP think we're not warm and fuzzy! ;)</p>
<p>Unfortunately, one can't hear tone in an email. As a busy (and also an academic and administrator), I am simply very busy. I did question (in jest) why would someone who has no affiliation (or interest) in Amherst be on this board? Of course, I often pursue other boards (last year) when I was working with my daughter and her applications, but again, it's just seem to take a lot of time to sit up and read and respond to these boards. Great that your institution is so successful in placing students. I'm a professor of Higher Education and am well aware of the top community colleges. How many of your students are enrolled at Amherst?</p>
<p>I'm sorry I missed your jest. My bad. I am off because of Jewish Holidays and actually have a lot of time on my hands. I don't know about Amherst right now, but last year I sent a student to Yale and one to Wellesley. (This was particularly exciting because she was an older student accepted into a special program.)</p>
<p>And okay, I'll fess up. I do read a lot of threads for a lot of colleges. I don't post on all of them. I guess Amherst and Williams are like illegitimate siblings, and will always hold fascination for each other. Honest, I think Amherst is a wonderful school. The choice of Williams was all S's. </p>
<p>I think the rivalry between the schools is a source of endless amusement, and my post was meant only in that spirit.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your posts. I was wondering, what other things do students love about Amherst? What don't you like? I am trying to learn as much as I can about Amherst and the types of students there so I really like hearing different perspectives.</p>
<p>mythmom, I hadn't read this thread enough to even know that you had a son at Williams. Of course, Williams is a great school (I hope I can say that on an Amherst thread). But, it's just a fact. I really don't like to be misunderstood and honestly, I meant no harm and apologize if you saw my comments as offensive. I found college confidential addictive last year but now that my daughter is done with the college search, reading it now is more to help provide information to others. Again, sorry for any offense.</p>
<p>Nah, as I said, the fault was mind. Though we shouldn't even be talking to each other as mothers of Amherst and Williams students. (LOL.)</p>
<p>I didn't start to frequent threads until all was settled. I don't know what that means. I guess I was very absorbed in college process with two kids, and now it's over but the habit remains.</p>
<p>However, no offence remains. It's all good.</p>
<p>I don't go to Amherst so maybe I shouldn't post here. Still, I'm not sure you can expect students at a school to post about what doesn't work for them, so here goes. </p>
<p>The open curriculum attracts a lot of people to Amherst. My cousin who goes there has had a lot of trouble with it. He says he is always overcome with indecision when picking classes and then has something like "buyer's remorse." He says that a liberal arts education should be broad but now he also thinks it should also be deep and that an education should have some coherence. He feels that he just floundered around and superficially dipped into too many things that sounded interesting, ending up feeling a little insecure about the things he's taken outside his major (he's a senior) and his grades in some of his "far flung adventures" have been terrible because he never caught on in those classes. Advising systems have helped but he acknowledges that an open curriculum was not a good fit for him.</p>
<p>I think curriculum structure is a really important aspect of "fit." I know I didn't like Columbia because the curriculum was too structured for me. In the same way, I wouldn't be comfortable with the highly structured curriculum my friend has at West Point. I'm at a school with broad distributional requirements that don't feel like a burden to me. Amherst's open curriculum probably would have fitted me much better than it does my cousin.</p>
<p>Everybody's different.</p>
<p>P.S. My cousin generally has very good things to say about other aspects of Amherst.</p>
<p>Well, there is a sense of responsibility required of one when attending a school with an open curriculum...</p>
<p>My advisor encouraged me to still take courses in a variety of fields, and most people do that. It's great to have the option. Amherst students should be mature enough to handle an open curriculum, and thrive with it. And most do.</p>