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i love amherst’s size, and the setting in a small town, but it's not for everyone. my favorite tradition, and generally one of the most popular yearly events, is Casino, a formal event with swing dancing and gambling (the profits go to charity). one of the great hobbies on campus is bashing the student government and complaining about how funding for clubs is allocated. i wish the school were a little less inward-looking. we joke about the 'amherst bubble,' but really, most students don't make an effort to volunteer in the community or even think about issues off-campus. college is like camp, where students are expected to do little more than keep up with their coursework and entertain themselves, which is ironic since our school’s motto is 'terras irradient,' (light up the earth). but hey, it's nice to escape from the real world for four years :) also, there's only school spirit during homecoming and games against Williams (but homecoming is mainly just an excuse to drink all day in public with alums.)

there's a lot of integration between academics and extracurriculars: clubs often invite professors or guests to give lectures in the evenings, the theme houses put together educational house projects, etc.

Yes, some professors are very active in the campus political and social life. yes, there are research opportunities for undergrads (the school has lots of money, you just have to ask around). there are no grad students, so undergrads get all the attention and money, which is great. there is no core curriculum, which is also great, and one of the main reasons i chose amherst. TAs don't teach classes, they just lead extra review sessions and tutor, so they're very helpful. about 1/3 of seniors complete theses.

identity groups are abundant and active. a lot of club events (and especially organization meetings) struggle with low attendance rates, even with bribing students to come with the promise of food. most students are liberal, and the liberals are definitely loud. there are three or four good (and entertaining) student publications. most people don't keep up with news off campus. there's virtually no pre-professionalism. there are a few off-campus frats, but it's easy not to know anything about them.

though the admissions office is quite proud to present the school as a bastion of liberalism, the political discourse on campus can be close-mindedly liberal, which even a self-described liberal student like myself can find distasteful.

there's a lot of drinking, and a fair amount of drug use on campus, but i think that's true of most schools. in the time that i've been there, construction on campus has been kind of disruptive, and it will continue to be so for another few years at least.

i heard that Amherst was a great school when i applied, but i've been surprised, since then, to hear that amherst has been stereotyped as a place for ivy league rejects. contrary to this, the school tries (does its best) to present itself as a place with a lot of resources and a diverse student body, where students have a good number of options for how to design their education.

i love the small classes, the caring professors, the interesting students, all the fun stuff to do on campus. i'm very happy with the 'small liberal arts college' environment that I find here. that said, from watching my friends try to get into grad schools and get jobs after graduation, I've realized that the school doesn't do as much as students assume it will to help them figure out what to do after college.

also, when I went abroad last year, I was challenged in ways that my Amherst professors never challenged me. so I think I now feel like Amherst is easier/more lenient than most students think it is when they?re in the middle of Amherst (since we're constantly told that our school is one of the most academically rigorous in the country.)