US Veteran Transfer Student chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z Amherst College
1

<p>I’m what is popularly referred to nowadays as a “non-traditional student”. I am 25 years old, an Army veteran (served for four years), and Middlesex Community College student (Lowell, MA).</p>

<p>College Academics:</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 / 4.0
Credits: 60+
Diverse curriculum, 5 honors courses </p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Member of the Philosophy Club
Phi Theta Kappa
Honors Scholar
2nd Deg Black Belt Japanese Kenpo</p>

<p>Professional experience:
Army Veteran (4 years, including 16 month tour to Iraq)
United Nations joint military training mission in Indonesia (4 week ordeal)
Manager of my wife’s business</p>

<p>Now the drawbacks: took the SATs back when I was 17, scores are useless to me now (weren’t exceptional anyway). I plan on taking the SATs again soon if necessary.</p>

<p>I also was an abysmal high school student, so my secondary school transcripts will do nothing for me except make me look bad.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any idea how the various aspects of my application will be weighted considering my somewhat unique position? Are any current Amherst students aware of veterans on campus?</p>

<p>Any observations that might help me would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch.</p>

2

<p>I'm not sure about any specifics, but I know Amherst has been working on accepting more community college transfers in the last few years. You may have already looked at it, but this page might give some information: <a href="https://www.amherst.edu/admission/apply/transfer_applicants/community_collegeapp%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://www.amherst.edu/admission/apply/transfer_applicants/community_collegeapp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>While it seems like your record since high school should make up for things, it could be a good idea to contact the admissions office and see what their stance on things is. They best know how they would approach your situation. As to the question of veterans on campus, I can't say that I know of any. I often get the feeling that Amherst students are sort of disdainful of the military; there is really a lot of misplaced elitism on campus. Also, Amherst has very few non-traditional students in general, as evidenced by their inability to provide married-student or family housing. The school is always trying to work on being more diverse, but most of the student body are the traditional, straight from high school, four year students.</p>

3

<p>Hmm, disdainful of the military or disdainful of the war/wars the military is involved in? I'm just wondering if there's a pervading dislike of veterans or not. Obviously that would influence my decision to transfer there. It would be a shame to miss out on a great education for silly reasons like that, though.</p>

<p>I would think having veteran's experience would only add to the diversity of the campus, but I guess only certain kinds of diversity are relevant to some colleges.</p>

4

<p>Jay, Absolutely not. Amherst is not disdainful of the military or of the soldiers fighting the wars. I am pretty sure many are not supportive of the current administration's decision to go to war with Iraq, but I have no doubt that most people are supportive of veterans who make a great sacrifice.</p>

<p>Check out this article about Amherst alumni who have served in Iraq: <a href="https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst/magazine/issues/2008_spring/meaning/reportingback/node/54747%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://www.amherst.edu/aboutamherst/magazine/issues/2008_spring/meaning/reportingback/node/54747&lt;/a>. Paul Rieckhoff '98 is the Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and an important figure supporting veterans rights: Paul</a> Rieckhoff - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.</p>

<p>Also, Amherst just started a scholarship specifically for veterans. I would contact the admissions folks for more information on the veteran program and the community college transfer initiative.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

5

<p>^
Thanks for the words of encouragement facundo. I recently talked with the director of the Honor's Program at my college and he told me that last year, a guy with similar grades and course work as myself transferred to Amherst. Of course, he was also Pakistani, so I'm not sure how much that might have played into it. He also got a free ride. </p>

<p>One thing I find appealing about Amherst is that they seem genuinely committed to bringing in the students they accept. I appreciate the generosity and it also speaks to a strong alumni network who are willing to donate.</p>

<p>Anyway, I'll give it a shot.</p>

6

<p>I'm going to address my own question for the benefit of future veterans who might discover this thread through a search engine or by browsing the college confidential forums.</p>

<p>I recently got in touch with Amherst admissions with the concerns mentioned in this thread. Because the admissions representative did not know how to answer my questions concerning the college's attitude towards veterans, she attempted to transfer me to Assistant Dean of Admission Darren Reaume's voice mail. Instead of getting a voicemail, Mr. Reaume actually answered his telephone.</p>

<p>Before I get into the details of our conversation, I have to point out that an Assistant Dean actually talking to me meant a great deal to me. This kind of personal attention has not been provided by any other institution I've contacted with similar concerns. </p>

<p>Mr. Reaume was extremely cordial towards me. I think he actually took time out of his lunch break to answer all of my questions thoroughly. He basically told me that following:</p>

<p>A. a transfer application from a non-traditional student is not viewed in the same context as a high school student's. He pointed out that most non-traditional students they admit from community college would not have been admitted on their high school merits. What they're looking for is growth, and they're primarily concerned with whether or not you can handle the Amherst curriculum TODAY, not whether you could have handled it 8 years ago.</p>

<p>B. Extra-curricular activities are more important for high school students because they haven't had much actual life experience. In my situation, they're much more interested in learning about where I've been, what I've done, and how my experiences have shaped who I am today.</p>

<p>C. He sounded thrilled at the prospect of having a qualified veteran join the campus. In his opinion, a veteran brings a unique perspective that enriches the student body. He also mentioned a new veteran scholarship fund.</p>

<p>D. After briefly discussing my current college grades, my course selection, ect., Mr. Reaume said he'd be more than happy to arrange a visit for me. He said that his office would be more than happy to pay for any travel expenses I'd incur, and that he wanted to keep in touch with me throughout the spring 2009 semester to see how I was doing.</p>

<p>In summary, the impression I took away from our 15 minute discussion is that my transfer application will make me a strong candidate if put together the right way. Amherst College IS interested in admitting veterans (I'm guessing they don't have many on campus currently). Amherst College DOES consider military service an experience that will strengthen an application for admission. And finally, and this goes for all non-traditional students, Amherst College views each application in the appropriate context.</p>

<p>I hope this post helps any veteran in a similar situation as myself. </p>

<p>If I am accepted for the 2009 Fall Semester, I'll make another post in this thread. Actually, I'll make another post even if I don't....it'll just be sadder.</p>

7

<p>jaykoblives,</p>

<p>Thank you for the information. I too am non-traditional, and will be applying to Amherst this Fall (from Columbia.) Best of luck to you; hopefully I'll see you at Amherst in the Fall!</p>

8

<p>Jaykoblives: </p>

<p>I wanted to let you know that Amherst has just announced a program providing scholarships to American veterans which will make its first awards to students arriving next fall. So, if you thought you might be needing financial aid, your timing couldn't be better!</p>

<p>I also think that the creation of such a scholarship fund indicates a true interest on the part of the school in encouraging qualified veterans to become members of the student body, something that was clearly reinforced in your conversation with Darren Reaume. I don't know anything about the atmosphere on campus these days - you would do best to visit if you can, seems to me. But certainly, if the Admissions Office is interested in encouraging veterans to apply, and the Financial Aid Office is interested in helping veterans out once they get to campus, it seems likely that you would not be the only one in your position, and that would certainly help with settling in come next fall.</p>

9

<p>Hey Smile Dog,</p>

<p>Thanks for your comments. I was already notified about the Veterans Scholarships before it was posted on the official Amherst College website. I too think it's great what Amherst College is doing. I already have an enormous amount of respect for their dedication to ACTUALLY create a diverse student body. Most of these prestigious schools seem to think race, national origin, and economic status are the only categories which can define diversity. This, of course, is total garbage and I think it's awesome that schools like Amherst and UC Berkeley are one of the first to step up and offer a real chance to qualified capable non-traditional student veterans.</p>

<p>I'll be visiting the campus probably late January. Meanwhile, it's time to get all my applications together and fine tune my essays.</p>

10

<p>Columbia GS really likes vets as well, FYI.</p>

11

<p>^
Columbia GS really likes vets, but they also really like making vets pay. GS is notorious for providing extremely stingy financial aid. I will be applying there, though. If it's between them and Amherst, though, I have a feeling I'd go with Amherst, simply because Amherst seems willing to help out more.</p>

12

<p>
[quote]
I'll be visiting the campus probably late January. Meanwhile, it's time to get all my applications together and fine tune my essays.

[/quote]

If you're interested in visiting classes instead of just doing a tour/info session, you might want to visit at a different time. Late January will be the first week of the semester, so none of the classes will have really gotten going. They'll also all look bigger than they actually are because everyone will be shopping 6 or 7 classes that week to figure out which 4 they want to take. If it's possible in you schedule, I'd put off the visit another couple weeks.</p>

13

<p>jaykoblives,</p>

<p>This is true. In fact, it is the reason I'm applying to transfer to Amherst. GS is far too expensive.</p>

14

<p>Due to your interesting experiences and community college background, I'd say you have a strong chance of admission as a transfer student. Definitely submit an app to Amherst</p>

15

<p>As promised a few months back, I’m updating this thread because I received a decision from Amherst. </p>

<p>I have been accepted to Amherst College as a transfer. I have also received congratulatory phone calls from such Amherst alumni as Paul Rieckhoff, president of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Matthew Flavin, a staff member of the Obama Administration who works in the white house. Both are fellow veterans and were instrumental in setting up/pushing for the veterans scholarship fund. I owe them big time. The response, so far, has been surreal to me. Amherst College has definitely shown its commitment to adding to the diversity of the college by adding qualified veterans to the campus. The admissions officers, students, and Deans I’ve met have been nothing short of gracious and hospitable throughout this entire process. So to all veterans who may find this thread in the future, don’t listen to the naysayers - if you work hard and prove yourself, there may be a place for you at Amherst as well.</p>

<p>I haven’t received my financial aid package as of yet, but assuming it is adequate, I cannot wait to join the amazing student body at Amherst College in the Fall. I am extremely humbled by this opportunity. </p>

<p>A quick note: I actually received my decision in early March, but was asked, as a favor, not to publicly announce their decision in order to spare them the aggravation of receiving a flood of calls from other transfer hopefuls. I’m only posting this now, instead of after the June 1st date because, apparently, the cat is already out of the bag (my community college got wind of it somehow and are making a big deal of it). However, to other transfer applicants , please realize that I am a special case of sorts so please don’t bug admissions about decisions.</p>

16

<p>Well congratulations on the acceptance. I must admit you were really lucky though; I’ve never heard of a transfer applicant being invited over and recieving personal attention from the admissions office; so it gave you an advantage over the rest in the applicant pool. Anyways, good luck with adjusting here; it will be different and a lot more academically-challenging than the community college; but I’m sure you’ll be able to keep up.</p>

17

<p>Thanks for the congrats…</p>

<p>Since participating with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Amherst College takes a slightly different approach towards students applying to transfer from CCs. It’s actually not uncommon for the admissions office to meet with these applicants.</p>

<p>I do consider myself fortunate, but my advantage had a lot more to do with my veteran’s status than being CC student. Admittedly, I was probably the right applicant at the right time. However, do I feel I deserve to be at Amherst? Absolutely. I’ve worked hard the past two years, working full time to support myself while still getting the right grades. Also, I do think it’s appropriate that being a veteran counts for something in the admissions process. I’d like to think I can add a unique perspective to the college contributing to its rich diversity. I look forward to learning from my peers and I hope they take something positive away from what I bring to the table as well.</p>

18

<p>jaykoblives</p>

<p>I’m so proud of you! That’s great news. How did you manage to hold in the excitement this whole time?</p>

<p>Congratulations! You deserve it.</p>

19

<p>Congrats on your acceptance, Jaykoblives. Welcome to the class of 2013. As another incoming freshman, I’m looking forward to meeting you this fall. And thanks for serving our country in Iraq.</p>

20

<p>^
Thanks for that phil harmonic, but as a transfer, I’ll actually be set to graduate after the 2011 fall semester (2012E class).</p>

<p>Congrats on your acceptance as well.</p>