I was accepted to Amherst and I have a few questions…
Do you think that the 5 college consortium, specifically the opportunity to take one or two courses at a contrasting college like UMass, is advantageous? Do you see the diversity that Amherst prides itself on? Is there any specific reason why you chose Amherst over other colleges?
I would likely be a neuroscience major and premed. Am I correct that Amherst has a great neuroscience program? Do you think that there are good premed advising and opportunities? It doesn’t seem like it happens at Amherst, but do you know if med school applicants are weeded out?
Sorry if it seems like I wrote a ton of questions one after another, but I appreciate any help.
I can only help with one of your questions, but a good friend’s daughter goes there. She is of Indian descent. Amherst is widely known for being the most diverse LAC. There is a lot of useful info here: https://www.amherst.edu/amherst-story/facts
45% of students identify as students of color, so I dont think there is a chance you won’t notice it.
I can tell you my friend’s daughter chose it because she wanted to engage in research right away. (She did not apply to the “other” school). She had a research position all summer after freshman year. She’s now a sophomore. This summer she has won a prestigous research position. She loves Amherst. When she is at home, she actually says she can’t wait to go back. She is a very quirky girl. I don’t know what all the kids at Amherst are like, of course, but I get the impression there is a very interesting mix of students.
@Lindagaf What major is she going for? And research in which field?
I’m asking because I am trying to decide between Amherst and University of Rochester. I want to major in either Physics, Astronomy or maths. I know Rochester is an awesome research university. But I want to go to Amherst if it too offers similar (preferably better opportunities).
Also, if I am sure I want to pursue only these majors, is a liberal arts college good for me? (I’m an international student, and the whole concept of liberal arts is new for me.)
Thanks.
My friend’s daughter is majoring in Mathematics, and, not surprisingly, doing math research.
You have two great choices, @Daorys99 . Amherst is better known amongst a subset of certain people. U Rochester is going to be strong in physics and math too, no question. I don’t know about astronomy at all. Liberal Arts Colleges do not offer degrees beyond a BA or BS. No grad students is the only difference between a LAC and a university. Both will have amazing profs. Both will offer great opportunities. Roch is a serious university with highly intelligent students.
I tried to find lists of top feeder schools for post grad and Amherst was 9 on the list, among all US higher ed institutions, both Uni and LAC. Williams was 5, for @snowleopard2022 . I didn’t see U Roch, but these lists are not always super accurate.
Daorys, start a new thread in the college search and selection forum, you will get more targeted answers.
@Lindagaf Thanks a lot for your help. Amherst is, no doubt, a top feeder school. But this is overall data, not specifically for my majors. Amherst has a small population and very few students pursuing Physics or Astronomy. I am not sure if that is better or worse.
5 college consortium is very nice. UMass is literally a 5 minute bus ride away, so is super accessible. I’m currently taking a class at one of the other 4 colleges and I have enjoyed it.
The diversity part is a big question…what do you consider “diversity”? On paper, we are very diverse. But at the same time, is the diversity that a black kid from Choate brings the same as a black kid from Harlem? We have a lot from Choate-type schools…not many from Harlem.
Premed and neuro are very strong here. You wouldn’t make a mistake coming here if those are your interests.
Amherst doesn’t weed out premeds. They will support any student who fulfills the course requirements and gets stuff in on time, even if their GPA/MCAT aren’t as high as they think needed to be a successful applicant.
@Daorys99 you said “Amherst is, no doubt, a top feeder school. But this is overall data, not specifically for my majors. Amherst has a small population and very few students pursuing Physics or Astronomy. I am not sure if that is better or worse.”
No, that actually is for Physics. A large percentage of graduates of Amherst get their Phds in physics specifically. The department is small, but it is big enough to get you on your way to your PhD, and you can take supplemental classes at UMass or Smith if you need more physics classes.
And check out the new science center, which is almost complete and will be opening this summer.
@ThankYouforHelp Thank you for your help! Yeah, I realized that and I have actually committed to Amherst. Thanks to everyone in CC community for helping me decide.
I just saw snowleopard2022’s post about being premed at Amherst. I have served on the admissions committee at Harvard Med and am aware of the admissions policies of many of the top private medical universities in the U.S. He should know that it is almost impossible for an international student to attend medical school in the U.S. There also is virtually no financial aid available for international students so an international medical student’s parents must be wealthy or borrow extensively. Most private medical schools will even require four year’s tuition held in escrow. State schools are often closed to out of state students, or will only take students from states that have special arrangements with state schools that may not have their own medical school (e.g. Wyoming with Univ. Washington). They rarely, if ever, take international students. Some state schools will consider M.D./Ph.D. applicants in order to attract the absolute top students for the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) regardless from where they are from. However, I believe that these spots are only open to Americans. It has been a while since I checked, but you will need to see which schools will consider international students who have graduated from U.S. colleges or universities. You will find there are very few who do, and those that do, will take less than a handful per year. I have seen some international students who have pursued a Ph.D. and then applied to medical school, usually at the same institution since they have become known there and will receive support from their department. Again, they will have to be top-notch, as they are considered to be on track to become a future faculty member there, and they will need to provide strong justifiable reasons for how a M.D. advances their research career… I don’t want to discourage you so early in college, and you certainly can apply to U.S. medical schools when the time arrives, but if your goal is to become a physician, you will need to consider contingencies such as studying at a medical school outside the U.S. Australia, UK, and Singapore are open to foreign students who have graduated from U.S. universities but again they must have the finances to pay their way unless they have stellar academic credentials to earn a merit scholarship. Later, you also will need to apply for residencies in the U.S. if you intend to practice here, and certain residencies are very competitive (e.g., neurosurgery; neurology perhaps a little less so), especially as a foreign medical graduate (FMG). You may want to think about getting your medical education in your home country; however, most countries accept students directly from high school so you may no longer be eligible to attend. It is still worth checking with medical schools in your home country. You also should talk to the Amherst premed advisor EARLY to find out what other international graduates from Amherst have done in order to study medicine in the U.S. or abroad.