(Soon-to-be) senior considering applying ED at Amherst to increase chances of getting in //anywhere// good, but a little scared to give up chances at other schools. That being said, I did really like Amherst, but no more than I liked Brown & Swarthmore. Thoughts/advice much appreciated.
STATS
White female
Boston area
Legacy (mother and grandfather)
GPA: 3.85ish UW
SAT I: 2370 (780 CR, 790 M, 800 W)
SAT II: 790 Math 2, 770 Physics, 760 Lit
AP: 5 USH, 5 Physics, 5 Bio, 5 Stats
Courses: All Honors & AP (classes same as tests)
Senior Year Courses: AP Latin, AP Lang, AP Psych, AP Chem, BC Calc, Advanced Acting & Directing
EC:
-Heavily involved in theater company all years, elected officer for senior year
-Heavily involved in improv troupe all for years, appointed captain for senior year.
-Moderately involved in GSA since sophomore year, appointed leader junior & senior year.
Work: Museum of Science in Boston volunteer summer 2014 & paid intern summer 2015.
Intended Major: Mathematics, but also interested in art history and linguistics (latter offered at UMASS).
Only if you will have no regrets. Don’t let fear drive your decision. Based on your stats, you will have an excellent chance (as good as anyone, anyway) at all these schools. My D will be an incoming Freshman this year with SATS (2290) and APs (some 4s) below yours. But at these schools, it is not just about stats. Write great essays that show who you are and what you are passionate about. Your recommendations are important too. Trust that the right schools - the ones that are the best fit - will say yes to you. I know that is easier said than done. Good luck.
I would say that being a legacy plus applying ED would make your acceptance almost a sure thing (although of course in college admissions nothing is ever 100%). Therefore, as the poster above said, only do it if you really completely ready to go when you are accepted and not look back.
Amherst loves legacy. I’m at a top ranked public school a few minutes away from the college, and every year, the only students who are accepted have legacy. Here’s a good example:
Student 1 was our valedictorian, national merit finalist, amazing ECs. She had taken math class at Amherst College three years in a row, because she was at a level beyond the classes offered at our high school. Her APs were all 5s, she was a URM, and was an accomplished violin player who played at Carnegie Hall several times. She ended up going to MIT instead.
She was rejected, and Student 2 and Student 3 got in.
Student 2 was also a valedictorian (4.0/4.0, our school doesn’t weight) with less interesting classes. She wasn’t as accelerated in math at all, the only APs she took were physics and BC. Decent ECs, not a URM. Legacy. Accepted RD, ended up going to Yale instead.
Student 3 was nowhere near a 4.0. He wasn’t a student leader the way Student 1 was, wasn’t a NMF. No outstanding ECs, not a URM; only legacy. He was warned by multiple people that applying would be a waste of time. He was waitlisted at Northeastern, but got into Amherst RD and attends.
So yeah, Amherst is a bit of a crapshoot, but legacy can help a lot.