Amherst College Top Questions

Gifted, curious, well-traveled, and smart mixed with preppy.

Students are all very intelligent, interested in their academics yet not competitive, aware of current events (political and otherwise), and generally social as well. There is a great mix of personalities and backgrounds at Amherst.

People here dress pretty casually in t-shirts and jeans for the most part. Although many are into the button up preppy look. So, I would say half and half. Most would say that Amherst is mostly liberal, but I would say that there are more moderate, conservative students here than many might think. What kind of student will feel out of place here? Well at a school where most people are into a lot of Indie things and shun things that are commercial in nature, if you are the opposite you might feel a little out of place. And might acquire a bit of a prejudice for all things literary and indie if you didn't have one already. (That was part truth, part exaggeration. Take it how you want to take it.)

A student answers three questions: What’s your favorite movie? What’s your favorite class? What do you like to do when you have an hour to kill?

A sophomore answers three questions: What’s your favorite movie? What’s your favorite class? What do you like to do when you have an hour to kill?

A sophomore answers three questions: What’s your favorite movie? What’s your favorite class? What do you like to do when you have an hour to kill?

A senior answers three questions: What’s your favorite movie? What’s your favorite class? What do you like to do when you have an hour to kill?

A senior answers three questions: What’s your favorite movie? What’s your favorite class? What do you like to do when you have an hour to kill?

Amherst is extremely diverse. No student would feel out of place because there are students from all over the world and from all socio- economic groups. The campus is generally liberal, but a conservative side is slowly gaining more stride.

Amherst student body is diverse, but diversity doesn't necessarily mean interaction. I'm pretty sure that's true everywhere. Students wear everything from perfectly manicured outfits to sweatpants/sweatshirts. Sweatpants are pretty popular during the winter time. But once the weather gets warmer finally, people start dressing up more even to go to class. People are surprisingly not very politically active....or most of them aren't. There is our share of saving-the-world crowd though. In the dining hall, there are athletes, black/hispanic kids, and the rest is hard to identify.

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

There are a fairly diverse bunch of people at Amherst, but because people tend to self-segregate, it might not always seem that way. Four tables in the dining hall: 1. In the front or West room, there is a table of people, guys and girls, though maybe a couple more girls, with many majors represented, some of them probably work on a publication like the political magazine, none of them are athletes, and they tend to have more serious conversations than average students. They disdain athletes and lack school pride, enjoy mocking the school mascot. Some of them are down-to-earth, but taken as a unit they come off as very pretentious and think highly of themselves for their elevated discourse and for the fact that they are not the kind of people that start food fights and talk about how big their muscles are. 2. There is frequently a table or two where a lot of international students and their friends sit. I don't really know them well enough to describe what the social climate is like at that table 3. In the large room in the annex where there are rows of long table, at dinner you will always see sports teams eating together after practice. The stereotype is that they are loud and obnoxious and cliquish. The topics of conversation are probably the same as what you would expect any group of college age kids to be talking about. 4. Early in the year you will frequently see groups of freshman sitting together and awkwardly talking about their classes and other people they know and what dorm they live in. Its sort of amusing to look at being an upperclassman, but its also endearing to see.

Diversity is the most popular word here. Although there are also problems with the administration not adequately supporting the diverse student body, the school is working hard to change that, with the new Multicultural Resource Center opening this semester.

Amherst is not a place where many people go out of their way to stand out (physically) in a crowd. Few students dress in overtly attention-grabbing clothes (for example, there are no black-and-chains gothic students, no hardcore punk rockers, etc). There are two or three consistently cross-dressing men, but I think this is mostly for the attention and avant-guardness. Students are mostly liberal, but politics and assertiveness vary. However, as I said, no student will ever back down from a political debate, even if they are not outspoken about their views. Students are of all different backgrounds, financially, ethnically, regionally, etc. Amherst currently boasts better "diversity" statistics than any other liberal arts college (greater percentages of minorities, foreign students and low-income students).

There are no types of tudents who would feel out of place. Different types of students interact all o fhte time, there is no segregation. My brother, who also goes here, is a debater, and he is rooming with a vasrity pitcher next year. However, while some students are not politically active, everyone is politically aware. I could tell you whether each person in this school was a Republican, favored Obama, or favored Clinton. People do talk about how much they will earn in the future, after all, we go to Amherst, and we brag about it. The student body here tends to be pretty athletic and way more attractive than at the other elite schools.

Fairly diverse in race and mindset

Amherst as a whole is liberal and a little preppy, but it is also very open minded. Some very religious or very conservative students might feel slightly out of place, but they would not be alone, and most people would be appreciative of their viewpoints. Most students come from relatively wealthy families, but money is rarely discussed and it isn't easy to tell the rich and poor students apart. I'm from a low-income family in rural West Virginia, and I've never felt excluded or discriminated against in any way at Amherst. I actually chose Amherst because of its incredibly generous financial aid, and it has only improved during my time here--All aid is in the form of grants with no loans, so it is a good choice for lower-income students.

Diverse, people dress very differently, students from all over the country and the globe. It's a very liberal place.

We don't like christians. No set styles around campus. Lots of political knowledge, and lots of rich kids.

I feel like the students here are really diverse. There are tons of international kids, and pretty much everyone is able to find a good group of friends. Most people are liberal, many are from New England, and generally wealthy, but I think about half of us are on financial aid.

Although most of the Amherst student body is theoretically liberal, there is very little activism on campus. At the same time, however, there is pretty much no discrimination. The LGBTQ group on campus is probably the most active in terms of social issues, but overall people are fairly apathetic. A lot of social groups are formed out of sports teams and ethnic groups, although they all interact freely with each other. There are definite cliques, but they don't necessarily dislike those not involved in it. Students are fairly diverse, and there are a lot of international students. Amherst works really hard to attract minority and international students, and they're fairly successful.

Very diverse in every way despite our size (geographically, financially, ethnically, etc). Moreover, everyone's view is respected and appreciated. As an RC, I would know about racist, sexist or other negative incidents but I've heard of very few if any involving Amherst students. You would, however, feel out of place at Amherst is you were a hard-core conservative. You might also have a tough time with the social life if you don't drink, simply because most people do and they tend to act like silly buffoons as a result. Students wear anything to class -people definitely aren't obsessed with dressing up for class or social or sporting events. We do what we want and what we feel comfortable with -that runs the gamut from sweats, to khakis and polos, to torn jeans and tees, to dresses... Mainly, whatever in your closet is clean. No one talks about money even though many students have a lot of it. I feel bad for people who go to schools where money is an important value.

The student body is surprisingly diverse for such a small school. However, because of the size of the school, ethnic/cultural organizations don't put on huge events and tend to host parties or small food events throughout the year. Many students tend to self-segregate into their ethnic/racial groups although everyone has friends who are very different from them. Mainly, you see one major divide at Amherst: white, preppy kids on one side and everyone else on the other. That doesn't mean that people aren't friends across this divide, it's just that everyone tends to spend time with their own kind. Most people have opinions on politics and society, (even if their opinions don't seem that intelligent) and most people tend to be moderate to liberal. Kids on this campus are not hippies but they're also not all jocks. It might surprise you to talk to a person you thought you had categorized and find that they don't fit the mold at all.

I think this answer will really vary on who you ask, but I think that there's a lot of interaction by all groups of people on campus. The only problem is that sometimes there's some tension when it comes to socio-economic backgrounds and the school doesn't really do much to help with the integration of people from vastly different economic backgrounds (they're working on it though...).

Amherst is traditionally an elite, preppy school-i.e. the student body was mostly white and rich. The Marx administration is doing away with that stereotype though. It has launched an initiative to increase Amherst's racial and socioeconomic diversity. Depending on their social circles, some people might tell you otherwise, but in my experience the student body is fairly diverse in many ways. I have friends from all over the place, of various races, religions and sexual orientations. Of course, there is still room for improvement, but I think it's on the right track. There have been tensions on campus about both race and class, most recently over the opening of a multicultural resource center. I recently attended a lunch that was an open discussion on class; it was clear from the opinions expressed there that people do feel that class is an issue on campus and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can often feel excluded or marginalized. Nevertheless, the fact that these conversations are taking place is a positive step and nobody is completely alone. The one area where there is little diversity is political views; both the town of Amherst and the College are very liberal. There is, however, a small but vocal conservative contingent that has actually been quite active lately (we are currently in the middle of Pro-Life week, although I don't think the majority of the campus cares.)

The student body at Amherst is becoming more and more racially and socio-economically diverse. The school has been really good with recruiting international students as well. However, it seems that people are often picked based on external qualities that would make them diverse rather than based on diversity in opinions, lifestyle and beliefs, which makes the community more homogeneous than it might appear at first. Most students are still from very wealthy backgrounds, more than 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} are liberal.

There are tables in the dining hall that are pretty much designated for the sports teams, who always eat together. But across the room could be a table of international students, hip indie kids who work for the radio station, a table of girls all carrying the same designer hand bags, and then of course the racially affinitive tables. But this isn't always the case. Lots of people intermingle with each other but there's also a lot of cohesiveness among similar people. People aren't quite as accepting of those who have experienced lives different from their own. There are many openly gay people and an active LGBQT club that has respect on campus but we've had numerous reported incidents of intolerance towards gay students. Most students here are upper/middle class from the New England area (and a lot from California) and aren't always socially conscious of others economic situation. When talking to a fellow freshman about his $300 Prada sunglasses, he was somewhat disgusted to hear that I paid only $89 for my prom dress.

most groups on campus are fully aware that they hold significance as an affinity group, because amherst loves itself an affinity group. people involved in these groups tend to be gung-ho. most kids feel out of place at amherst. it's how you know you fit in. jeans & a tshirt is normal. uggs are an infestation. north face is standard. 'course, you don't have to rock that... just as long as you're warm in the winter. the thing about amherst is that while everyone claims there are different types of students, there aren't, not here. everyone is a high-achiever, most people went to private/charter schools and most people have the same SES. hypothetical 4 tables: jocks. mostly white. if male, very large, very hungry. often rude. if female, very skinny, wearing some weather inappropriate outfit. often rude. // auxillary. similar to the jocks, except that they don't actually play sports. // ethnic. the black/latino/everybody else kids who are/can pass off as hood. // awkward. the ones who take it upon themselves to be the single representation of every awkward characteristic of every amherst student. most amherst kids hail from CA, NY or MA. most kids are rich. some kids are politically aware, but activism is hard to tell because everyone's crazy about obama. most kids are left; republicans feel discriminated against here. future plans are not in style.

Amherst is a fairly diverse campus, with a large community of foreign students and students from every socioeconomic background. I don't think there's a way you couldn't feel out of place! The only clique-y activity I've noticed around campus is the slight tension between the competing interests of our two all-female a cappella groups. Students are very politically and socially active, lending to an environment highly focused on information and action. It's really a charging atmosphere!

I joined DASAC, mainly an all-black hip hop and stepping group at Amherst and felt very welcome. It was a lot of fun, and I definitely met more students from that crowd than I would have met otherwise. I've never felt excluded from anything, and I cannot think of any negative interactions that I've had with any other student regarding race, religion, or LGBT issues. Students wear anything from sweatpants/pj's to dresses and heels (women) and khaki pants and button down shirts (men) to class. Some people are more stylish, some more practical. I tend to wear athletic gear when I haven't done laundry in a while, but most days I wear jeans and a t-shirt. Most students are either very wealthy or not well-off at all. I haven't found many people from middle class families like my own, but it has not affected my happiness level at all here at Amherst, and I've enjoyed visiting the vacation homes of my wealthy friends and meeting their distinguished parents.

Most people are rich white people, but there are significant numbers of affluent African-Americans, well-off Asian-Americans, and of course wealthy international students.

no one feels out of place, unless you are unsure of yourself or not comfortable with your sexuality. But then again you could just find others in the same boat as you. Wear anythign you want. Yea all ppl interact, just not a lot. Separated by sports...usually. All over. Rich ppl. yea some. predominantely left. no

Many of my LGBT friends feel really marginalized here, or even actively discriminated against by some elements of our student body. These elements are small, but that can be enough to ruin someone's experience here. Most Amherst students come from a Prep-school background, and most are very well off. Some people are quite snobby and judgmental, but I've found many wonderful friends here.

Students are mostly left. However, because of the privileged nature of Amherst, it seems to me that most people are more interested in talking about left-y, political things than actually doing anything direct about it. The focus is so much on the academics here that I think it ignores the context of the world in which these ideas live. Really I think Amherst is a pretty accepting place. The one thing that is critical is to really dig into the place and be willing to meet people, or at least place yourself in situations where people will meet you. There are people here who don't do that and consequently have very few friends, but this is entirely their own lack of initiative (or it seems that way to me).

Racially diverese,. Everyone finds their own cligue. Kids are relatively relaxed about attire. Students are from everywhere. Very diverse backgrounds. Politically diverse as well. Everyone seems to be geared towards becoming successful.

Amherst students are from all over the country--and world. There are lots of students from New York, California, and Boston area however, and they show their pride. Particularly when it comes to sports. Amherst does a great job bringing in diversity but once all these diverse students get here unfortunately often they hang out with like people.

fairly homogenous, but as liberal arts colleges go, more diverse than most. really, as long as people can keep up academically and speak coherently, i think that they find a way to be comfortable and accepted here. i don't really know much about people's financial backgrounds- its not really relevant when you're in college to know how much money someone's family has. money isn't discussed as a big issue, especially now that the school has eliminated loans.

All different kinds of people go to Amherst. Part of my education here has been learning how to live with over 1600 different people. If we were all the same it would be pretty boring. It is never boring at Amherst.

Very few students would feel out place. there is typically a niche for most groups of people. you dont find many goths, and anyone too much like hampshire students tend to be slightly ostracized. people where fairly regular clothes, t-shirts, pants, not many polo shirts, a bunch of sweat shirts. people tend to come from the northeast and west coast. a great deal of students are on financial aid

People are pretty smart here and generally good at everything, so I have learned not to compare myself to others at amherst. I just remember that being a part of this community is a huge accomplishment on its own.

Nobody should feel out of place at Amherst. There are so many different types of people here, despite the size of the place. This is because everyone has more than one thing going for them: the science whiz might also be an a cappella singer, the soccer star a poet, the student body president a jazz guitarist, and so on. The great thing about Amherst is that its size allows people of different types to come into close contact and form far more interesting and heterogeneous social dynamics than you would find elsewhere. Most students have healthy, controlled egos; they have good self-esteem but don't talk about themselves too much.