Amherst College Top Questions

I think Amherst is truly a special place. For one, the academics are unmatched and the opportunity to learn in a small class setting from such distinguished faculty is definitely something to take advantage of. The town of Amherst is great as well, as it caters to 25,000 students because of the surrounding schools, giving students the ability to attend a small school but still feel like they're in a real "college town." In terms of athletics, Amherst is again unmatched, as our teams continually win NESCAC titles and NCAA ones as well (division III). The rivalry with Williams is great, the proximity to New York/Boston is perfect, and overall it is hard to find many flaws with this school.

Amherst is a great place to go if you have a pretty eclectic personality and wide interests. I liked the fact that Amherst is small when I was a Freshmen but now I feel a little stifled by every familiar face I see. Good thing there are four other colleges around. Also, sometimes I wish Amherst was a little more caught up with the digital age.

The best thing about Amherst is the people. The school brings together amazing people from all over the world. You really create friends for life. Another great thing is the small size. Its small enough so you know a lot of people, but just big enough so you don't know everybody. The town is great. There's everything you need, and an even bigger town just 15 minutes away. Not to mention the four surrounding schools.

Many people say it's too small for them, but I like the size. I like how I can manage to know most of my dorm-mates, classmates, professors and such. Amherst is a great town to be in, and that's one of my favorite things about Amherst. Some say the town is too small (I mean, it is a TOWN, not a city), but you can walk to many shops and see friendly people. I love how Tony Marx is treated pretty much like a movie star, except he's very approachable. In that sense, I love the student-admin relationship at Amherst, although I don't really know much about the admin other than our Tony. haha A lot of people get annoyed by people who think we go to UMass Amherst. Also by people who don't know what liberal arts colleges are. I don't really care as much because nobody from my hometown has even heard of Amherst. People who know about colleges know about Amherst. And we all think that we are (or the quality of education at Amherst is) the best, better than Williams of course, and even the Ivies, so it doesn't matter what other people think. haha.

Come to Amherst not just for the academics. Come for those, but more for the people. The experience itself. It's a small school with big opportunities and lots of choices. Almost everyone here loves it. It's the best thing that ever happened to me.

I'd say the best thing about Amherst is all the intelligence that's constantly pervading the place. This makes it a lively source of great intellectual conversation and, over a four year stretch, a terrific education outside of the classroom. The professors and the individual attention they can provide are first rate as well. The one thing I'd change is the political tolerance level. For all of Amherst's talk about tolerance and diversity, it is a viciously intolerant place when it comes to how it treats its small conservative minority. When people hear that I go to Amherst, they usually say, "oh, UMass?". But it's okay because employers you'd care about and graduate schools have heard of Amherst. :) I spent most of my time at college in my suite because hanging out with my roommates was a lot of fun. The library took up a lot of time too, especially when I actually wanted to get work done. Amherst College isn't very connected to the town of Amherst in any meaningful sort of way. However, Pleasant St has its charm and offers a lot of good and decent-priced dining. Amherst's administration is very laissez-faire. For example, there are no distribution requirements. That allows for great experimentation possibilities and allows students to dabble in a very of fields. For that reason, I greatly appreciated the administration's hands off approach. The biggest recent controversy on campus was when a gay student was threatened at a party. The president of the school made a big fuss about it and there were several rallies, etc. However, the homophobic incident was a very isolated incident, for Amherst is a VERY flaming liberal institution. Conservatives like myself were faced with constant threats, intimidation, ostracization, and slander. However, the president of the school would never, for example, send out an e-mail dissuading students from harassing a well-known conservative student late at night. There is a lot of school pride during basketball season because the school has made the D3 final four three years ago (winning a title one year). School pride is also prevalent whenever the football team plays hated rival Williams College. I'd say Amherst is unusual for how unfriendly and socially awkward can be at times. Perhaps I say this because I grew up in California and in the South. However, I'm used to saying hello to acquaintances. At Amherst, it's very socially normal to stare at the floor when walking by acquaintances so as to avoid eye contact. One experience I'll always remember at Amherst is sledding down Memorial Hill with trays stolen from the dining hall. It's a very fun ride and a regular student indulgence anytime there's been enough snow. The most frequent student complaints are that the dining hall food is terrible and that it closes at a very early 7:30 pm. The health services are also considered inadequated and faulted for closing at 5pm. To summarize the Amherst big picture: dorm-life bonding for four years (especially through freshman year with one's freshman roommate and friends made in freshman orientation) yields spectacular and fulfilling relationships with many wonderful people. There are lot of very warm and, simultaneously, very brilliant people to befriend here. Moreover, the academics are first rate and professors will give you access you could never get at a big research university. The school is also a gold mine for one's future. There are lot of fellowships/money going around. There's a strong alumni network. And a motivated student body provides positive peer pressure and advice for getting solid internships, grad school slots, and jobs after school. Furthermore, the Pioneer Valley provides a vast array of beautiful rivers, trails, etc. to enjoy. On the other hand, Amherst has its problems too. The school can be very cliquey. There are often schisms between groups--particular between non-athletes and athletes. Many facilities on campus are open way too little of the week. And the small size of the school and its relative geographic isolation can create a stifling bubble effect. Finally, though the school has many intellectuals, it can sometimes feel too pre-professional.

I feel that Amherst provides students with the ultimate college experience. A student body full of smart kids who double as top notch athletes, singers, dancers, and artists, as well as a great deal of school unity and pride, and a fun social scene. The town of Amherst is superb in that is has all of the necessary shops, pharmacies, bars, and restaurants, that are all designed for college students because there are so many in the area.

Just like any school if you go to Amherst you will probably love it and hate it. Something you should definitely be prepared for is the fact that it is a really small school and almost everyone knows everyone else. So, you will definitely see the same few people at parties every weekend doing the same things. The only thing I would change is I think that the administration needs to work harder to make sure that everyone is participating in college life, and it is not just the same hundred people doing everything.

Amherst is a relatively small liberal arts college in Massachusetts. They have a lot of money that they use generously. While this is great in terms of Financial Aid, they do have a tendency to waste money on occasion. One strange thing about Amherst is that you cannot make any comments that are racist, sexist, homophobic or anything like that. However, there is a serious hatred against any conservative viewpoint. Just this year a conservative student was attacked by a bunch of drunk liberal students because of an article he wrote for a school publication. One student received a suspension, the others were not identified. The conservative groups on campus receive little/no funding from the administration and they are trying to get the best conservative professor on campus to leave. Also, the food isn't that great and the toilet paper is really rough. :(

Being a part of the 5 Colleges is one of Amherst's many strengths. Though I have to say that I think that the quality of classes at Amherst Colleges is better than at the other 5 colleges, having the opportunity to take classes, meet students/professors, and attend academic or social at Mount Holyoke, Smith, UMass and Hampshire is indispensable. Being a part of this consortium means that Amherst can retain the advantages of a small college but offer its students the course catalogue of a large university. I have taken three classes at the other colleges over my 4 years at Amherst, and greatly enjoyed each one.