<p>is amherst prestigious? cause some of the threads make me think that it might not be.</p>
<p>i’m just wondering because i heard it’s very difficult at amherst, and if other schools don’t know that, amherst students would be at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>umm that's a silly question. of course it is. it's the #2 Liberals Arts Colleges in the nation. It's one of the top ten feeders for most top grad/law/med schools.</p>
<p>no, it's just cause i was looking at some of the other threads, and a lot of the posts were talking about how no one knows what amherst is, or where it is.</p>
<p>There are people, especially those who don't live in the northeast, who have not heard of amherst, or who confuse it with UMass. If you're in to having a wowed reaction when you say where you go to college, Amherst may not be the place for you. That said, as greendayfan pointed out, graduate schools and employers have definitely heard of amherst (aka, people who count, as they will get you jobs). So basically, there are two kinds of prestige; amherst has one, but not necessarily the general name recognition of larger universities.</p>
<p>no, i just wanted to make sure grad schools and employers know about it</p>
<p>You won't have trouble there, trust us.</p>
<p>Amherst is really not that obscure. Most of my friends who know anything about US institutions know Amherst. The kind of reaction that I get goes something like: 'You're going to Amherst? Wow! The top LAC, right? Sure, its not the kind of instant recognition that Harvard and MIT get but its okay.</p>
<p>If people know American colleges, they know Amherst. If they know nothing but their state uni's then they won't know it, but then they will be the same ones who say, Vassar? Barnard? Williams? and other than HYP, won't even know Brown or Dartmouth or Cornell (the lesser ivies). D had one person tell her that perhaps if she did well her first year at Amherst, that she might be able to transfer to UT (TX)! Then, another salaamed her when she heard D was going to Amherst and was very impressed! Last year, when D was in a HS competition, her roommate was from another part of the state and was accepted to H, and she was very impressed that D was going to Amherst, because others in her school in the top 10 of the class that had applied there, had been rejected, and they all thought Amherst was very difficult to get into. So, it depends on who you are talking to.</p>
<p>Just thought I would add my two cents regarding this older thread. I am from the midwest and applied to Amherst. I consider myself a well-rounded student who is both academic and athletic. My high school friends who are academic and are applying to some of the really top rated schools in the country are well aware of Amherst College and its reputation. When I was accepted to Amherst earlier last month they were very happy for me and told me I would be attending a great college. Some of my basketball teammates heard of Amherst but knew very little about it. Others on my team had not heard of Amherst. Most of my teachers knew Amherst (reputation) and knew it quite well. Many of them were surprised that I chose a smaller college. But they were also extremely impressed and congratulatory when I told them that I had been accepted. In fact, my govt teacher's wife graduated from Amherst a few years ago. So, I just want to reassure everyone that Amherst College does have a reputation outside of the greater New England area....at least with people who are well-informed about top-rated colleges and universities.</p>
<p>Not to be rude, but if someone (especially an adult) does not know what Amherst is, or how prestigious it is, that tells you something about their education...</p>
<p>It may not be so much an indication of someone's education, as much as it is a reflection of one's focus or priority. I know some students who are very educated but have no desire to look beyond our state schools for college. In fact, last year, one local kid turned down Yale to play football at one of our state schools. His rationale was that he wanted his parents to watch him play on Saturdays. If your priorities are focused on staying close to home then you need not look any further than your own back yard for colleges. Many of my basketball teammates would choose a lesser-known (academic) Div 1 or 2 school over any Div 3 school no matter how prestigious or highly acclaimed that school might be.</p>