Amherst College

About

Amherst College is a premier undergraduate liberal arts institution renowned for its rigorous academic environment and standout programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. A defining hallmark of the academic experience is its completely open curriculum, which eliminates general education distribution requirements and empowers students to fully customize their intellectual pursuits alongside dedicated faculty mentors. Campus life is close-knit, highly residential, and intellectually vibrant, enriched by the expanded course offerings and social opportunities of the nearby Five College Consortium. Amherst further distinguishes itself through its remarkable commitment to accessibility, offering need-blind admissions for both domestic and international applicants paired with fully loan-free financial aid packages.

Wikipedia:Amherst College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher education in Massachusetts. The institution was named after the town, which in turn had been named after Jeffery, Lord Amherst, Commander-in-Chief of British forces of North America during the French and Indian War. Originally established as a men's college, Amherst became coeducational in 1975.

Location

Cost & aid

Outcomes

Admissions

Essay prompts

• Choose one of five

  • What does curiosity mean to you? How do you experience curiosity in your own life?

    350 words max

  • In what ways could your unique experiences enhance our understanding of our nation and our world?

    350 words max

  • Tell us about a time that you engaged with a viewpoint different from your own. How did you enter that engagement, and what did you learn about yourself from it?

    350 words max

  • Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should not submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay. Also, if you have submitted an analytical essay in response to the "essay topic of your choice" prompt in the Common Application or Apply Coalition with Scoir writing section, you should not select Option B.

  • If you are/were an applicant to Amherst's Access to Amherst (A2A) program, you may use your A2A Writing Supplement essay in satisfaction of our supplementary essay requirement. If you would like to do so, please select Option C. However, if you would prefer not to use your A2A Writing Supplement for this purpose and you want to submit a different piece of writing, select either Option A or Option B. Option A, Prompt 2 is the same prompt as the A2A Writing Supplement essay; if you would like to submit an updated version of your A2A Writing Supplement essay, please choose Option A, Prompt 2.

Quoted from Amherst College's own page; answered in the Common Application or Apply Coalition with Scoir. The application itself is the final word.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Varsity sports

• Baseball
  Men's
• Basketball
  Men's · Women's
• Cross Country
  Men's · Women's
• Field Hockey
  Women's
• Football
  Men's
• Golf
  Men's · Women's
• Ice Hockey
  Men's · Women's
• Lacrosse
  Men's · Women's
• Soccer
  Men's · Women's
• Softball
  Women's
• Squash
  Men's · Women's
• Swimming and Diving (combined)
  Men's · Women's
• Tennis
  Men's · Women's
• Track and Field (Indoor)
  Men's · Women's
• Track and Field (Outdoor)
  Men's · Women's
• Volleyball
  Women's

Institutional