<p>the only strong reason to apply to amherst so far for me is that its not BU
tell me why i should like it</p>
<h1>1/2 LAC, great facilities, professors and reputation fror those who know about it. Great athletics for a small college too.</h1>
<p>Why don’t you apply to schools you really want to go to instead of one that is merely not BU? You really ought to have your own reasons, not be shopping for them from strangers on the internet. Surely there are schools you have some personal interest in…?</p>
<p>I hate these kind of posts. They are so stupid. I feel like you are asking “why should I go to amherst college” as if you they would be lucky to have you and that they should convince you to come. Hate to break it to you, but if you don’t know how great Amherst is, you’re probably not wanted. There are tons of kids that apply with amazing statistics because they love the school, but most don’t end up getting in because it’s so competitive. So how about you go research schools yourself instead of posting obnoxious questions like this one.</p>
<p>You should go to BU.</p>
<p>I’d hate it if Amherst were to pick you over me.</p>
<p>P.S. Unlike samej860, I wouldn’t even hate to break it to you.</p>
<p>Maybe you meant to ask what sets Amherst apart from other schools?</p>
<p>I don’t know what grade you’re in, but if you’re asking us for input while being quite pompous/dismissive isn’t exactly going to make us want to help. For future reference, you should really work on the tone with which you write.</p>
<p>As for “Why Amherst,” well, you should ask once you’ve done some true research on the school. I spent a good few days digging through the entire site before I connected to a student. Get the backing first, then ask your question. For instance, they have an open curriculum, but what else sets it apart? Phrasing your inquiry like that would make the others and me more inclined to discuss the school with you.</p>
<p>Okay, lecture done. Really, though, it’s a shame you don’t know more about the school…I’d love it if I got accepted to go there. I wish you a half-hearted good luck.</p>
<p>on the contrary
i was not trying to be pompous and i’m not sure where your idea that i was being pompous came from
i was trying to find out what makes amherst better than numerous similar schools
why would i choose amherst over williams
over cornell or darmouth? </p>
<p>good academics is not a convincing reason
there are plenty of schools out there that have top notch academics
same goes for things like facilities and reputation which abstract mentioned</p>
<p>the rest of you said nothing about why i would choose amherst at all</p>
<p>The reason I like (okay, more like love with a rabid passion) Amherst is because TO ME, it’s the perfect balance of everything. Size - it’s one of the larger LACs, plus has the consortium if you get bored of being around the same people everyday but it’s still small enough to get plenty of individual attention from profs. Academics and competitiveness -it’s got the academic rigor but it also has academic freedom because of the OC, plus its students are brilliant and laidback at the same time. Location - it’s not urban but it’s not the middle of nowhere. Prestige - the name would open doors for grad school but its applicant pool is self-selecting and wouldn’t just apply for the heck of it like some do for, say, Harvard. Then there are a few specific things that I won’t go into here because most likely they won’t appeal to you as they do to me.</p>
<p>THE POINT IS, Amherst in itself doesn’t offer you something that no other school in the world would. After a certain point, why YOU should choose a school goes beyond the tangibles and is about YOU. We can’t tell you why you should choose Amherst. You’re the only person who can do that.</p>
<p>Lemonio, your tone is off putting and appear that you have no clue about Amherst. If, for starters you don’t know the difference between Amherst and BU, then you really shouldn’t apply to Amherst. You never mentioned Williams, Dartmouth or Cornell in your original post. You simply said “because it isn’t BU”. Do your homework FIRST and then ask questions. Amherst is a very, very special place. People who desire to come to Amherst know all the reasons why.</p>
<p>Do you go to Amherst, lmpw? If you do, I’m jealous.</p>
<p>Lemonio, if you don’t understand why you post came off as pompous you need to do some work on your communication skills. Seriously.</p>
<p>wow…you guys still don’t understand
i know all the “reasons” why its good
that is has good academics, good reputation, good facilities, good students
the reason i said its not BU was because BU has none of those, i was contrasting a bad school with a good school
i’ve been to amherst and i know more about it than you would think
but none of you have convincingly said why i would choose amherst over many other schools
you have all said that i shouldn’t go there because i don’t know enough about it, but you haven’t said what makes amherst special</p>
<p>Quasi Profound did answer my question but said that what makes amherst unique is intangibles
do you guys agree?</p>
<p>Actually, what I said was that what makes Amherst special for one person could make it horrible for another. It depends on the person.</p>
<p>What do you want from college? Answer that and then people could tell you if you should choose Amherst or not.</p>
<p>Quasi;</p>
<p>I was reading these posts and I laughed when I read your “location.”</p>
<p>I LOVE IT!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Furthermore, @Lemon - you can’t really compare BU with Amherst. One is a university, the other a LAC. Location wise: BU = large city, the 'herst = Rural setting</p>
<p>I agree with Quasi: What do you look for in a college? BU and Amherst are both completely different schools. If you were comparing Williams to Amherst, that would be more understandable. Judging by the poor thought process behind your question to begin with - stick with BU. :)</p>
<p>Fine, I’ll humor you, if only to help prospective applicants/students who are following this thread.</p>
<p>“i was trying to find out what makes amherst better than numerous similar schools”</p>
<p>I’m going to take the PC approach this time, because it’s the right one to take in this instance, and tell you that, when one is comparing the best national universities and the best liberal arts colleges, one is hard-pressed to find two schools that are truly “similar,” and one would have an even harder time making the bold claim that one school is indisputably better than another.</p>
<p>“why would i choose amherst over williams
over cornell or darmouth?”</p>
<p>Amherst is similar to none of these schools. To Williams, only with regards to history, prestige, endowment, academic excellence, selectivity, and sports rivalry–student body/campus size and campus location make the two completely and utterly different experiences.</p>
<p>Cornell is essentially a premiere state flagship with membership in the Ivy League conference. Not at all similar to Amherst.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is not similar to Amherst. It operates on the quarter system and is a home to a fairly substantial population of graduate students. Consider its rural location as well.</p>
<p>All of these schools have a collection of traits that make them unique and desirable to different people.</p>
<p>For Amherst:
- Open Curriculum
- Diversity (Socioeconomic + Ethnic)
- Five College Consortium
- Location, medium-sized town (35,000 + Five College Students)
- Size of student body + size of campus
- History, prestige, endowment, academics, alumni, etc.</p>
<p>Brown comes to mind when one thinks of the freedom of an open curriculum. Columbia comes to mind when one thinks of genuine diversity. Pomona comes to mind when one thinks of an outstanding consortium.</p>
<p>In Amherst are found the most exciting and appealing aspects of the best schools. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether Amherst has a collection of traits that is most appealing to you.</p>
<p>miss_murd3r: Haha. As holiday-ey as I can get without forgetting to mention Amherst. :)</p>
<p>thanks kwu. that was a helpful post.
i knew that amherst had an open curriculum, but i did not know to what extent it was similar to brown
brown is ok, so that makes me like amherst more</p>
<p>My point was that Amherst is not similar to any of its peers, and nearly every elite college is unique. It is similar to Brown if only because of the Open Curriculum, yet it shares that amazing aspect with Brown and, on top of that, possesses other traits that make it a highly appealing place to spend one’s next four years.</p>
<p>Brown has a substantial undergraduate and graduate population. It’s total enrollment is 8,000+ compared to Amherst’s 1700+. Brown is located in a small city, Providence, whose population is 625,000. These two factors alone are enough to create significant differences in educational and social experience.</p>
<p>If academic freedom is your highest and only concern, then Amherst and Brown are must-applies, but, even then, you have to be aware of the qualities of these schools that make them totally different in the end.</p>
<p>Lemonio;</p>
<p>Have you actually visited Amherst? Hearing people’s opinions on forums is a far different experience than actually going there and seeing for yourself. Sit in a couple of classes and get a feel for it. </p>
<p>That being said - you’re applying to colleges at this point. Applying gives you options and opportunities. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to go there. So, it doesn’t hurt to apply. However, if you are just applying for kicks and aren’t as crazy about the school as some of us hopeful Amherst 14’ers around here, it would absolutely suck if you got in over any of us. But alas, that is how the cookie crumbles.</p>
<p>& I agree with everything that kwu said. Schools are said to be “similar” but the fact is, they aren’t. All schools warrant different experiences. There are different pools of students in different schools and different professors, etc. All contribute to a different experience, overall. Good luck in making your decision.</p>