Amherst College Top Questions

I think Amherst is the perfect size. While you'll be able to recognize most faces on campus pretty quickly, there are always new people to get to know. People know who's who and can be up in each other's business most of the time, but that's only a problem if you do something stupid that gets you more attention than you want. The administration is excellent; they have very specific goals and seem to do a lot to accomplish them. There's very little red tape and even the important people are pretty accessible. You'll occasionally see deans and even the president of the college in the dining hall or the gym.

My favorite aspect of Amherst is its flexibility. There is a saying among students that "there are no real rules at Amherst," because it often seems that so-called "rules" are really more like guidelines, for they are often open to interpretation. The administration is eager to make each student's experience as good as possible, and is willing to make the necessary changes to suit everyone's personal needs.

Amherst is an awesome place! The size is just right...small enough to provide support but large enough to not be smothering. School spirit is through the roof, but this does not manifest itself only in athletic support. Students are really excited to support all aspects of life here because everyone loves this place!

Best thing--- Small enough that its easy to get involved Thing to change--- Dining hall food is pretty bad, and has limited hours School is a little too small... it would be nice if I went out to parties and actually met new people more often. College town is pretty good for a small liberal arts school, mostly because of the presence of UMass. Most people are just fine sticking around and partying on campus, although its good to have restaurants and stuff around. Biggest controversy--- some people think that Amherst isn't accepting of different races and cultures just becuase of one or two isolated racist/homophobic incidents, but this is kind of ridiculous. Compared to probably every other school, Amherst is incredibly diverse and accepting. The school pride isn't big compared to a Michigan or Ohio State, but people get really psyched up for any competition against Williams. Also, the men's basketball team is a perenial National Championship contender, and the whole school gets excited and school spirited around playoff time.

I'm from the South where most people either haven't heard of Amherst or they think it's a small community college. My private high school was quite small (350 in the hs) so Amherst seems big to me. I think the size of the school and the classes are perfect for learning and connecting with professors, which is something that can't happen at a large university with classes of hundreds of students taught be grad students. I spend most of my time in my dorm, at the cafeteria or down at the pool/gym, especially during season. I like the college town atmosphere, especially with the 5 college consortium. Although Amherst is small, it feels like a big school with thousands of kids with the other schools present. The administration is usually very fair and helpful. Their alcohol and drug policies are also very reasonable and actually work to deal with alcohol maturely by setting parameters and dealing with it as needed rather than terrorizing everyone with rigid policies. There is alot of school pride, especially with the rivalry with Williams. It is interesting because Amherst students are proud of Amherst for its fame as a top liberal arts academic institution rather than having a top 10 Div. 1-A football or basketball program. Students complain about the cafeteria alot. The food is not very good, and it closes at 7:30 which does not leave very much time for athletes with afternoon practice that goes until 7 pm. Also, when the cafeteria closes there is no place on campus for students to use their meal plan to get food, which is pretty terrible.

best thing: the people. so much diversity of backgrounds, interests, and accomplishments. i feel privilaged everyday to know the people at my school. one thing i'd change: more student input on how money is spent at the school. size: yes, it's small, but I love the amherst bubble. When i needed a break i went abroad for a semester, and i appreciate it all the more now that i'm back. there are plenty of outlets to other schools and cities if you start to feel constrained on campus. school pride: there is a lot of school pride but i don't think it's as visible as it may be at other schools. students love amherst but a lot of people are not the loud jock type that will parade it. i find that students are really good about supporting eachothers activities. concerts, sport matches, and charity events are always well attended. experience to remember: there are lots, but a telling one is having alums from 10 years ago who lived in my room party with us during homecoming most frequent student complaint: repetetive food choice

School in unreal. Small but I love it that way, you get to know everyone and parties are always much better when you know the majority of the people there. The kids here are awesome, everyone is intelligent and gets their work done, but everyone also likes to enjoy college and have a good time. Classes are just ok.

A lot of people are skeptical of attending a school with a student bpody as small as Amherst's. I was a little bit concerned that Amherst would be too small, but I really do think that going to a small school has a lot of benefits that people don't realize. People are afraid that with a small school there wont be as many opportunities to make friends, but in reality, you recognize so many people on campus, and see people so frequently that it is easy to maintain relationships. It is easy to maintain contact with someone if you want to. The smaller size also allows students to appreciate a lot of groups on campus, because there will be a good chance that you will know someone that is a participant. Amherst really has an ideal college town. It is within walking distance of the campus, only a few minutes, and has a variety of restaurants to choose from. Just a few minutes away there is a large movie theatre as well as big stores such as target, where you can absolutely get whatever you need. And Northampton is only a 15 minute drive, and provides a change of scenery with a lot of restaurants and shops. When I tell people that I go to Amherst, if they have heard of it they are almost always genuinely impressed, and have high opinions of the school. However, since it is smaller, not everyone has heard of it. There is a lot of school pride at Amherst. There are large turnouts for all kinds of events on campus, athletic and nonathletic. I know I personally am always on the lookout for all things purple to buy just to show a little extra Amherst spirit.

Amherst is a little small - it feels like high school. The size is also one of it's greatest benefits as you get to know everyone and meet a lot of interesting people. The administration is wonderful - everyone is very friendly and accommodating.

The best thing about Amherst is the people. The collective intelligence is staggering, but there's little competition between students. Yes, the work is rigorous, but not exactly high-pressure if you play your cards right. So you make your friends - people you never thought you would be hanging out with back in high school. They're great. I love that Amherst is small, but the gossipy, everyone-knows-your-business atmosphere is definitely stifling sometimes. I just wish that part would go away, but then again, that would mean making the school larger, which I don't think is a good thing. The size (1600) is JUST RIGHT. While some people are pretty impressed to hear that I go to Amherst, honestly, most people have never even heard of it. Or they'll just assume it's UMass Amherst. Most of my time on campus is spent in my room, at the dining hall, and at the newspaper office. Definitely the newspaper office. College-town! It's so great to be in an area where most of the stores are not chains and actually owned by real people, not corporations!!! Amherst's administration mostly runs like butter, but can sometimes be a little deaf to student's requests, especially with issues pertaining to affinity groups. The recent biggest controversy on campus revolved around the administration's underwhelming response to hate crimes on campus and the demand for the establishment of a Multicultural Resource Center. I think there is a lot of school pride from some people, but mostly apathy from others. We're too busy getting our work done. Amherst is unusual in that pretty much everyone knows everyone else and the fact that our campus is more like an estate than the usual conception of what a typical campus looks like. I will always remember Valentines Day 2008 - when my friends and I sneaked at 5 o'clock in the morning to the dorm of the guy who thought my friend was stalking her to tape a rose and an intentionally creepy note to his door. It was a lesson, haha. Most frequent student complaints - bad food at Val, badly constructed recital hall, no Multicultural Center, ugly library, outdated laboratories, getting kicked out of classes during registration period.

i love the size of amherst, great for relationships with professors and getting to know a diversity of students more intimately. it seems like class and work is taken more seriously here than other schools, i definitely appreciate that about amherst. i feel like im getting a better education than most people in the world. people either think im talking about UMASS amherst or are very impressed that i go to amherst. the town of amherst is actually really cute and convenient, but its not a college town the way Penn State has a college town. A frequent complaint is the school's funding of different programs and how they spend their money. we have a huge endowment and all the students know this, so when athletic teams suffer due to a lack of funds, we tend to feel really overlooked and under-appreciated.

The best thing about Amherst is the people, i've already met a lot of really nice people who i know will be lifelong friends. I would definitely change the food at val. It might be a little small, i feel like i know most people already, but i like it. when i say i go to amherst people usually say wow what a great school. It feels like i spend most of my time at the gym, especially surind basketball season, but probably the dorm, i usually do work there and just hang out with friends. I love the town of amherst, there's enough to do on campus that it doesn't need to be anything more than it is. I haven't had much experience with the administration. I've met our class dean and he was very nice and personable, the secretaries, offices, etc are pretty helpful. the big controversy this year was the start or amherstconfessional.com where people starting posting obscene and cruel comments. there's a fair amount of school pride, people come to big games and we drew some decent crowds at some of our big games. I feel like amherst student have a certain quirkiness to them, in a very good way, but it's nothing specifically unusual. one experience i'll always remember was winning the nescac tournament by beating tufts for the second time that season. the most frequent student complaint is far and away the food.

Prospective students always seem to worry about the size of Amherst as it's only 1600 or so students. Some people think this sounds entirely too small, but when you're actually at Amherst it doesn't normally feel that small. Just like at a big university students find their group of friends and hang out mainly with that group. The smallness is actually an advantage most of the time because it's easy to meet new people and make new friends since you are constantly bumping into people at the school. It's not like a big school where you might never see someone you meet one night again. The town is great! Being so close to UMass-Amherst, a big university, means that there are good restaurants, a nice little variety of bars, and the best pizza joint in the east all within walking distance from the college. Plus, there's incredibly easy access just two minutes away in a car to all the stores you would ever need: Target, Walmart, Stop and Shop, Blockbuster, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc. The most frequent student complaint is that we only have one dining hall and that its hours are minimal. It is only open from 4:30-7:30 for dinner. Still, this guarantees that when you go in there you'll always find someone you know to eat with.

Amherst is a bit small, but that creates a real sense of community and close relationships with people around you. The five college system makes the town of Amherst very accepting of students. The food at val is not great.

The best thing about Amherst is the open curriculum. If you never want to take an English or science class, you don't have to. Although some might consider Amherst to be too small, coming from a smaller high school, I think the size is just right. A lot of times when I tell people I go to Amherst, they either have no clue what college I am talking about or think I must be extremely wealthy (which I am not). I spend most of my time on campus at the Frost Library and at the gym. Amherst has the quintessential college town with lots of small shops and restaurants. The biggest recent controversy on campus has been hateful and even racist postings on the site Amherst Confessional.

One of the best parts about college is the professors. The first time I wrote a college paper, I had a lot of trouble. So my professor sat down with me for an hour and taught me how to write a paper. Other times, she and I just sat in her office to discuss literature and culture. I came to Amherst, knowing that I was inadequate and not as prepared as the other students. Naturally, I was intimidated. But the resources and the professors provide limitless opportunities to learn, catch up, and thrive. Furthermore, there are five colleges within the Amherst area; so using the 5 college system, students can take an enormous variety of classes. The students and professors are unique, tolerant of all backgrounds, and supportive. There is little to no discrimination on campus. My friends and I come from radically different backgrounds and hold opposite views at times. For starters, I come from a very traditional, neo-Confucian background. However, I found that meeting people of different cultures, economic backgrounds, and views challenges my beliefs and helps me grow as a person. Coming here entails achieving academic excellence but also learning to interact with people outside of your comfort zone. It is an amazing experience.

The campus is easily the best thing. It is absolutely gorgeous, to start with, and just the perfect size. You see familiar faces every day, but there are still enough people to feel that you're not in a fish bowl. Val. I'm pretty sure everyone will say this. The selection stinks. The food itself stinks. The repetition stinks. And it is way too small. When it gets crowded, it's unbearable. And we should have better fro yo flavors. The size of the school is just right for me. It's big enough that you don't know everyone and you can meet new people every day, but you still don't feel lost because you can bump into a teammate or a friend on the way to class or Val. Half the people I tell either assume that I am talking about UMass or ask me "That's the University of Massachusetts, right?" The other half nod and say "That's impressive." I spend most of my time in my room. The dorm I live in is absolutely gorgeous, and I do most, if not all, of my work in here. I also spend a lot of time at the gym because I am an athlete. The town is a little bit too small. I wish there was a place where you could get fresh food without getting your car and going to Whole Foods. There is a ton of school pride. You can't go a day, maybe even an hour, without seeing someone wearing a piece of clothing that says "Amherst" on it.

The best thing about Amherst are the professors. As someone who never developed close relationships with teachers in high school, I have been so pleased to find so many wonderful, caring, inspiring people teaching here; I often spend 20-45 minutes in a professor's office chatting about everything from work to politics to art. The depth and breadth of interest of the professors is also wonderful. The professor of my poli sci class - Cuba, Politics of Extremism - started each class last semester by playing for us part of a podcast on the musical theory of Beethoven's Fifth. He was also thrilled to hear that I wanted to double major in Art History and Poli Sci. I think the size is a little small, but I wouldn't give it up for anything since the atmosphere is really great. I spend most of my time on campus in the library or my room, or when the weather is nice, hanging out on the quad. Everyone LOVES the administration here. Our president, Tony Marx, is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. He listens to the students and truly tries to incorporate their opinions and desires into his decisions. He is also simply a wonderful human being. There is a fair amount of school pride. I wish there was more, but it is nice that the sports teams don't run the school. One experience I will always remember: going out to dinner with my professor, several Amherst Alums from the fifties, two other students and a lecturer whose talk on "Building Community in Latin America" we had just attended - Dr. Joseph Tulchin, former Director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program and Amherst alum. We spent the evening eating delicious food and discussing everything from Venezuelan rhetoric to the Chilean glaciers to what the fraternity life was like when Dr. Tulchin attended Amherst. Another wonderful experience: my 15-person seminar on Renaissance Marvels (a colloquium taught by an english professor and an art history professor) took a field trip to Washington DC (flown there and back - and the entire trip was paid for by the school!) to look at original manuscripts in the Folger Shakespeare Library and to get a private gallery talk with Nicholas Penny, the former Senior Curator of Sculpture at the National Gallery in DC (and current Director of the National Gallery of London). We also went out to eat with our professors and grew incredibly close as a class.

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.)

Seniors are scared as hell coming out of Amherst; it's like leaving your mother's arms for the first time. Everything we want, we can get here if we work for it. I'd love to think that's the real world, but it's not. We have a wonderful career center, but let's be honest - half or so of the English majors want to teach, and only one or two got jobs. Nobody wants to leave here, and people find just about any excuse to stick around for a year or two in the Valley. It's a wonderful place, but it's addictive. Just a warning.

Amherst is very small, which has its ups and downs. There is definitely a community feel to the campus which is often great, but it can be stifling at times. There isn't that much interaction with the town (sometimes there is, but not too much -- and rarely anything negative). Overall, I really like Amherst. There are many incredible people here. The only downside is when they don't push themselves to achieve the most that they can.

I feel a certain freedom to pursue what I want to pursue, when I want to pursue it, and the only things holding me back time and my own willingness at Amherst. Since the school is well endowed, I never feel like I am missing any opportunities my friends at larger missing. Although the school is unquestionably small, this is something to embrace. Life at a small college, in an area with many colleges, does create the "bubble" mentality. However, schools like Middlebury and Williams are far more guilty of this than Amherst. One can venture out of Amherst with relative ease if he or she wishes. Moreover, when one leaves, the name recognition of Amherst is known by the right people. Sure the school does not carry the national fame of Harvard or Yale, but the right people know about Amherst, and it often says a lot about one's familiarity with good schools if one knows about Amherst. Students frequently complain about dining services; students congregate at our one dining hall on campus. But they are more than adequate. Most of the complaints come from the silly hours they still employ. The college is undergoing a HUGE renovation of all its dorms, so at times, it feels like things are in flux. However, all the freshmen dorms are now completed. School pride reached a high when the men's basketball team captured the D III National Championship in 2007. On the whole, students feel connections to the school in a variety of ways, not just athletics.

In general, I love attending Amherst College. My only "problem" is a lacking school spirit. Outside of our better publicized sporting events, students can be really passive when it comes to supporting each other's events.