Amherst College Top Questions

You are about to embark on the most transformative experience of your life. You will make new, exciting friends that will open up your world and inspire you to think outside of your hometown. You will be pushed harder than you have ever been in classes and be on your own for the first time. Take advantage of this opportunity. Be the student who sits in the front row and talks with professors after class. Be the friend who seeks out diversity and doesn't just stick with the familiar. Challenge yourself to learn something new every day.

The difference between high school and college is, expectedly, large. However, as an entering student I was searching for life experience as well as academic success. I recommend taking the time to assess oen's maturity level upon high school graduation in order to determine whether or not one is prepared to focus on the academic and career responsibilities associated with pursuing an undergraduate degree. Many students would benefit from the added maturity and experience of taking a gap year to work or pursue other interests. With this experience, many students would be more prepared for the academic rigor and focus required to suceed in college.

First, don't worry. I know you think (although you don't believe) that when you finally get everything unpacked and your parents have left and you are alone for the first time, that everyone else will have already made friends, and will be smarter and cooler and more confident that you. No. Everyone is terrifed. Everyone want's to get to know people. Get to know as many as possible, and then you can weed out the ones you actually like over freshman year. Once you have gotten everyone desperate to be your friend, you can start classes. It will seem like you have plenty of time to take anything you want, but it goes fast. Don't settle for 18th Century German Poetry when you really want to take Theoretical Physics just because the wait list is shorter; fight for your first choices. If you don't have any first choices, don't be afriad to take something completely different from your main interests. Too many students waste time learning things they already know. Finally, when opportunities come up, take them. You only have four years.

Be prepared to be open to everyinthg. Take advantages of all opporunties presented and never say no until you try something, you only live once!

Dear Sam, It will all get done. You are inherently compulsive. The homework, the rehearsals, the meetings, the leading...it will all get done. Don't misconstrue this as beseechment to neglect or to slack, but take the time to enjoy yourself. The real world comes on fast and it comes on strong. In the real world you can't stroll along the bike path with your advisor come 2pm on a Wednesday or have a beer with your best friends come 5pm on a Friday. Revel in the people around you, because they are going to be some of the most curious, caring and inspiring people in your life. Which brings me to my next point: take lots of pictures. 2am in the library? Photo op. Full purple attire on any occasion? Definitely a photo op. Because you will need these photos when the first of you gets married, has a child, gets sick, moves away. Just make sure to take it all in. You have proven that you get a rush from the overachiever's balancing act, so do it all. It will all get done. I promise, Samantha Rose Siegal - 2010

I would tell myself to stop stressing out so much about getting into an Ivy school. In high school, my immigrant eyes were directed straight at what I believed that the world thought was the best. My experience at Amherst has taught me to think independently for myself. I should have known that according to my personality, I would need a college that demands as much attention from me as I demand from it. I could never be so happy in a large institution where professors are more interested in their research rather their students. It would be a terrible experience for me to simply never connect with my professors and go through college sitting in the back row straining to hear a lecture. I need discussion, group projects and individual research; I need balance. I would tell myself to stop stressing and just let it go. I am a strong and determined person. And if strive for the best for myself, rather than the best for someone else, I'll be happy. And right now....I am very, very happy.

Don't assume that people are more intelligent than you are based on their pedigree or fancy private-school education. They may have had more advantages, but after the first semester the playing field will be leveled. College is more difficult than high school, expect, accept it and work that much harder to make the grade. If you need help, ask for it, more often than not the school will provide you with the help you need. Your professors want you to succeed so don't be afraid to ask questions or admit confusion, these interactions will help your professors get to know you and will make recommendations for internships, jobs, or graduate school easier to come by. But most important, be yourself. You'll make better friends that way and you won't have to worry about maintaining an image other than one that is natural for you.

To find the perfect school for you, first you have to dispel the idea of THE perfect school. There are so many schools and so many are so similar that a student can acclimate to almost any school's environment. Though there are many options, the decision is not trivial. To find A perfect school for you, you should break up your college search into a few categories: academics, environment, and social-life. Although we'd like to think that we learn for the sake of learning, you have to be pragmatic in your deciding of schools; pick a school that'll position you well for the future. With regards to the environment, pick a school that you'd like to see yourself in. Rolling greens or busy streets? Ivy-clad buildings or modern glass? Additionally, and equally important, is the social-life. Are you a student looking for a big athletic events and tailgates? And that doesn't translate into, "Are you a sports fan?"...there can be excitement in DIII sports as well. Are you looking for off-campus appartment parties? Smaller on-campus scenes? Distinguish whether you're a community-lover or enjoy a little anonymity.

The best way to find the right college for you is to visit it and interact with the students and faculty. Visiting a college allows you to get a glimpse of what it would be like to attend it, and you can best gauge how well it suits your needs. Overnight open houses are the most useful in assessing a college because you are able to experience dorm life, get a sense of the social scene, check out the resources and facilities, meet the professors and sample a few classes, and most importantly, spend time with the students that will be a part of your community. Once immersed in college life, it's important to keep an open mind and submit youself to new experiences. Keeping yourself open to change allows you to define your character and establish your values and goals, and college is the perfect environment in which to discover yourself.

For the students: explore everything. When it comes to picking a college, visit all types of schools; don't pigeon-hole yourself into what you think you will like until you've visited all sorts of institutions. When it comes to academics, sample courses from all different disciplines. The same goes for activities or groups of friends. Only by exploring will you know what is truly the right fit for you and only then can you make the experience your own. For the parents: recognize that this is your child's experience. The best thing you can do is to provide them the tools to make their decision, without influencing the outcome. When your child first walks off a campus at a school, record the first few words out of his or her mouth (unbeknownst to the student). When your student then has to make his or her decision about which school to attend, you have record to share of their unfiltered, unbiased thoughts and emotions immediately after being on the campus. This "gut reaction" is invaluable and will help your student identify the place that truly resonates. Above all: have fun and dwell in possibility.