<p>hello! i just visited amherst college today and what can i say, it is by far the most appealing college. I visited yale the day before and it was an absolute turn off (no offense to any yalies)… And I did like Amherst over Williams as well. The campus, the vibe, everything was just amazing and I was wondering if I had a legitimate shot (ED or RD). I am a Junior btw.</p>
<p>stats , Asian male
GPA: 4.0 UW, 4.57 W
Class rank: 3/61 (small competitive private school)
SAT: 720 CR 780 M 800 W
Most rigorous courseload taken
SAT II: 800 korean (heh); planning on taking USH, Bio, Math IIC, expecting 750+ for all of them</p>
<p>ECs
TA for english and bio (10th grade)
AMC 10 school 2nd place
PSAT commended probably (219)
Math League (3 years so far)
Varsity Soccer 3 years so far
Published in school literary magazine
2 time school scholarship award recipient for character and academic excellence
Regularly write stuff on my own about philosophy, doctrinal stuff, church history etc if that helps
*Community Service Club (3 years so far; on the board, organized all of this year’s club activities; the newsletter editor)
-this takes up a LOT of time… my favorite ec!
Co-started this year’s big service project, published in local newspapers, raised $6500
On the school’s student life committee (1 of 2 students who represent our school)
Regularly tutor 2 kids in math, chemistry (3 hrs a week maybe?)
*Student leader in church since freshman year (mentoring kids, tutoring kids, helping with the preschool division; started the church newspaper and editor in chief… this takes up a lot of time)
-this is my second favorite activity!
Band (4 years)</p>
<p>my school regularly sends kids to top liberal arts colleges … if this is something that helps. </p>
<p>I will get excellent recommendations from both my teachers and my guidance counselor
I’m a good essay writer so I don’t think I’ll have problems with my essay
(they will invariably be focused on my passion for serving others coupled with my hobby of writing)</p>
<p>Hey!
I am also Korean! (don't be confused with my SN; it is a name of my favorite baseball player) I think you have an AMAZING SHOT. I am actually quite jealous....hahaha I applied to Amherst this year, but I don't think I have a decent shot like you do.. sad sad..
KEEP IT UP :)</p>
<p>thanks! sweeeet. aww man.. manny ramirez.. i just happen to be a hardcore yankees fan. i'm a huge jeter fan. mm i am very excited for the upcoming season (partly because of all these new asian pitchers in both teams [matsuzaka, igawa, wang to an extent]) so it'll be great! good luck on your admissions</p>
<p>You have a wonderful chance, but make sure those essays, when you write them, are stellar. You look like a 1 rank in most areas, but there is that intangible in the essays. Being a male will help. So just work on those essays, and Good luck!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>haha i knoww it was pretty cold yesterday but i'm used to the weather. and despite the weather most students seemed generally upbeat (compared to the other campuses i've toured so far.. in better weather) so that was a big big plus. </p>
<p>haha ummm i guess i left of a pretty big part of my stats part--im in the process of getting my green card and im pretty sure it's going to come out in the next 2-3 months but obviously we're not 100% sure. in that case i guess im counted as an international? but my guidance counselor said that i'll be compared to u.s. applicants b/c i lived in the USA basically my whole entire life (why we still don't have have our green card don't ask me lol). it hasn't been a problem for past students in my school but does being an international affect my chances for amherst?</p>
<p>Haha..I'm also happen to be an international.
If you apply for FA, then your chance of admission will decrease dramatically. Amherst is not need blind to international students :(</p>
<p>well, although Amherst is not needblind to internationals, it still offers very good FA package if you are admitted. </p>
<p>My application to Emory just got canceled because I used "fee waiver" to Emory. Yeah. </p>
<p>"If, in the future, you find that you have the requisite funding for your educational expenses, we hope that you will consider reapplying."</p>
<p>This is what they wrote in my email. I hope they didn't say that at all. Why not say something like "hey, I hope you have successful school life in other universities" or "You are an amazing applicant. We regret that we have to cancel your app.."
Something more polite like that.</p>
<p>Why does it have to be "hey, if you have more money, then you are welcome to come to Emory." This is one of the most offensive emails I've ever gotten in my life. </p>
<p>Compared to schools like Emory, which does not offer neither fin aid nor fee waiver to international students, Amherst is HEAVEN. I'm not lying. One of the reasons why I love Amherst so much too :)</p>
<p>well it's a terrible thing to mention a different school on a school thread, but since the topic of international students came up, I think the only LAC with need blind financial aid for international students right now is Oberlin College in Ohio.
I'm glad to hear Amherst is on the verge of going in that direction very soon. Also glad to hear of good FA packages for international students at Amherst already. It has a high % of students from around the globe, that's for sure.
I sent my two eldest, one to Amherst and one to Oberlin, but am hopelessly domestic. I admire both colleges. I'm only mentioning it that need-blind aspect if it proves meaningful to proud08.
I'm imagining the conversation when someone says to a college, "I'm glad you want me, and I'm taking a gap year so YOU GUYS can figure out how to fund me. "Turnabout is fair play." :) Someone should try it, really.</p>
<p>Neither Amherst nor Williams is need-blind for ANYONE. Yes, I know what they say. But at Amherst, Pres. Marx has made it abundantly clear that he expects admissions to admit more low-income students, and there is no way they can do without knowing that, indeed, they are low-income. At Williams, in a recent article that chronicled the admissions process, the admissions director turned to his staff in the midst of the process and asked what percentage of "socio-ec" (a euphemism for "low-income") admits they already had, indicating that there was a clear target, unattainable in a 'need-blind' situation. They are not only not need-blind, they use the information in making decisions. </p>
<p>Both schools meet 100% of need for those they admit, whether international or domestic. Anyway, why would you want to be admitted if they were unable to make it affordable? (Both schools admit a smaller percentage of international applicants than domestic ones.)</p>
<p>I think what "need-blind" really means is that "nobody is turned down due to an inability to pay". Not that "financial circumstances are not considered in the admissions process."</p>
<p>Perhaps. But that's NOT what they say. (At any rate, they have a financial aid budget which is not open-ended, and somehow they always manage to come up with a student body that consists of more than 50% coming from the top 3% of the U.S. population, and 72% from the top quintile. Fancy that! :)</p>
<p>It's because it's hard for them to attract middle class students like me :D, even though they try to admit more middle class students to make up for it.</p>
<p>Their FA package offer was 27k. My EFC was 20. I'm obviously gonna take whatever college offers me 20 over 27k, no matter how much I like Amherst. After all, admissions officers always tell you "it's not the end of the world if you don't get in. I'm sure you'll do great in other schools, and be accepted by other great schools as well." So yeah, I'll be taking them up on their word. Gonna go up to Amherst to talk to the financial aid office though during pre-frosh days to see if they can work something out.</p>