Amherst College Top Questions

There are far more recruited athletes at Amherst than I expected, but even they are usually pretty smart. To be dumb by Amherst standards is still pretty smart in the rest of the world. People tend to make friends. No one seems to be totally alone.

The school, though very painfully politically correct, is segregated in many ways. There is a "black hole" and few whites if any visit that part of the dining hall. There also seems to be a socioeconomic divide. Moreover, some LGBTs and Jews can self-segregated. Though I think the school is pretty religiously integrated. The biggest divide is between athletes and non-athletes. The athletes tend to be very wealthy, preppy, boarding school/prep school alums, white and not as intellectually curious. The non-athletes are widely divided between different sorts of groups. Though the groups might not interact, they have more in common with each other than with the athletes. Moreover, though divided, they'll be divided on lines such as major (for example, because science students have long labs together they tend to become close and self-segregate away from humanities majors) as opposed to socioeconomic status. I'd say the non-athletic part of the school is socioeconomically integrated. However, the preppy jocks constitute a plurality, though not a majority. (I'd estimate they constitute 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the school.) Hence, the very affluent seem prevalent I'd say there's a little of everything at even a place like Amherst--hippies, jocks, intellectuals, pre-meds, can't be pinned down, etc. However, the student I feel would be most out of place at Amherst is one whose social network/identity is very tied to a non-white ethnicity/culture. I'm not white and I didn't feel out of place without my native ethnicity. However, I never grew up around people of my ethnicity, didn't listen to music from my parents' country, was always more attached to the Western intellectual tradition, etc. Hence, I never saw my identity as tied to race and hence didn't feel out of place at Amherst for that reason (though I did feel politically ostracized.) However, if a student grew in a large, for example, Korean-American community and is used to Korean food, Korean friends, greater interest in Korean soccer than MLB, etc. they might feel out of place. I had many Asian/Indian/Hispanic/Black friends who felt this way. Most students, regardless of social group and whether they can actually be considered preppy, wear polos with American Eagle, Polo, and A&F labels. Different types of students often interact in the various extracurricular groups Amherst has to offer--a cappella groups, community services organizations, etc. Though the different social circles will often get along very well at the given meeting place, they'll rarely interact outside of that common activity. Amherst tends to be a very cliquey place. Most Amherst students are (from most prevalent to less prevalent) from: New York, New England, and California. The average Amherst student is pretty political aware (though not that politically active). Amherst kids lean VERY left (though not as left as Swarthmore, Hampshire, Brown, etc.). Though a poll once found self-identified liberals to outnumber self-identified conservatives 6 to 1. Students frequently talk about how much they'll make one day. (Though not in an arrogant/I'm gonna make more than you sort of you; more in a, does money really matter? would I happy as a public defender making 50k? sort of way) Here's my attempt to describe four typical tables at Amherst: Table 1- the most plurality (though not majority) table- the preppy jock table. It's Sunday morning and this group has had a rowdy night of fornication the night before. The guys are all mountains and the women all look like they're out of an American Eagle catalogue. They discuss gossip about who hooked up with who, plot how to ditch class on Monday without a senile professor noticing, make plans for a keg party the next weekend, and discuss whether an incoming class of recruits will make the lacrosse team a contender. Table 2- this is the Zu table. They live in alternative housing and prepare their own food. (Hence the tale isn't even in the dining hall.) They're pretty off-beat, don't care about sports, probably vegetarian, own a copy of the Communist Manifesto, haven't showered in at least 2 days, at least a few at the table have dreadlocks, and there a couple Physics-Philosohpy double majors. While they eat in their own dorm, they play some Frank Zappa and avant garde jazz in the background. Table 3- the pre-med table. They are all stressed out about their upcoming organic chemistry exam and discussing where to meet in order to share notes. A few of these kids are trying to juggle their studies with reporting for the Amherst Student. Another few have a Christian Fellowship meeting that night. It's a safe bet that most of these students live in substance free housing and hence did not spend the night before at the DKE champagne party. Table 4- the ethnic table. The Hispanic and Black students sit here. Their FUBU or Sean John looks a little out of place amidst the sea of American Eagle and Polo. Moreover, the skipped the weekend's Guster concert to go see an underground rapper at a nearby school. A Black Studies professor, Professor Ferguson, joins them as he usually does and leads a discussion on the social construction of race.

Virtually everyone is very intelligent, up-to-date with current events, and interested have intellectual conversations. At the same time virtually everyone is unexpectedly laid back, non-competitive, and takes pride in others achievements. People are into watching athletic events, partying, hanging out, and having a good time -- all while being successful academically. The ultra-nerdy kid will not do as well at Amherst as they would at a bigger but equally academic college because they will feel socially isolated. Not necessarily because they aren't interested in sports, but because the general student body is extroverted, outgoing, confident, and refreshingly eccentric. There is a relatively huge proportion of varsity athletes (about a third). They are good at sports and fun to hang with. There are many public school kids. Most of campus is on some sort of financial aid, but at the same time the kids on campus seem financially well-off. There is a good amout of racial diversity, but minorities seem to intentionally isolate themselves a bit in order to retain ethnic identity (in the dining hall, housing, parties). That being said their are never racial/sexual orientation/gender issues and students of all sorts constantly mingle.

The student body is not really hard to describe. Of course there is some slight diversity, but most of the kids look the same. Most of the kids are white, middle/upper-middle class, smart, and dress is the same kind of casual style. A lot of the kids are from the East and West coasts, but overall I found everyone pretty accepting. Yet, I was aware that others felt there was some racial tension on campus. I am a minority, and I never really felt the tension, but the black kids did tend to stick to themselves a little.

Amherst prides itself on diversity, sometimes to a fault. There are many international students, as well as students from all over the U.S. While there are certainly plenty of students out of private schools/prep schools, there are also plenty of students from poorer backgrounds, which is made possible through Amherst's generous financial aid and need-blind admissions. I think the only kinds of students that would really feel out of place would be a politically conservative student or a very devout religious student against things such as underage drinking or premarital sex. Although in class and in the dormitories students from all different groups interact, the dining hall does seem clique-ish at times. As previously mentioned, the majority of students have views which are far to the left.

Amherst is a very liberal environment, politically and socially. I sometimes worry that students that hold conservative political views but are not willing to justify/explain those views might feel a bit uncomfortable at times. Of course, there are very outspoken conservative individuals in both the student body and among the professors, but the tacit assumption made about everyone is that they're liberal. Also, Amherst students strive to do well in everything-- because the student body is so small, a large majority of them are athletes (varsity or club). This makes for a generally athletic, thin, outdoorsy student body. It might be hard for someone that doesn't completely fit this image a little self-conscious (though not necessarily--there are many exceptions to every rule at amherst!!). On the other hand, though, Amherst students don't dress up for class. Jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters and boots all winter long are the standard. Some people wear dresses once it gets warm out-- but in general, we're a pretty casual and laid-back bunch in terms of what we wear.

Students at Amherst seem just like students at any other college. They are some that are politically active, very studious, athletic, and many other types. The nice thing is that students of different groups interact a lot in campus.

I have not seen racial discrimination on campus and I know interracial couples. I have not observed religious discrimination. I am left with the impression that people do not care about socio-economic background; some of my friends are very poor and others very rich. A student who does not take care of academic responsibilities, has an alternative lifestyle, rebellious views or is not politically correct might feel out of place. Most students wear casual clothes, even too much so. Yes, different types of students do interact. I think most Amherst students are from New York, but you can check the facts online. Many people at Amherst are very rich, but you will see many that are poor. This does not seem to be a reason for any social divide, though. Yes, students are politically aware and discuss politics often. Yes, students are very focused on the future, they have big 5-year plans. Everyone is confident that they will be successful, you will never hear anyone feel like a failure or doubt their abilities, even if they are experiencing a major setback in their life. People just know they will be successful and often talk what they would donate money for and what they would improve about Amherst.

So diversified! I mean, how often do you get to talk to someone who's father is a general in another country? It's great to be able to meet people who grew up in such a different world and see how that affects their attitudes and beliefs.

Very diverse where everyone is accepted. Athletes and non-athletes are two totally different types of people