Amherst College
Founded in 1821, Amherst College is a national liberal arts university that has a strong commitment to diversity, intellectual freedom, and rigorous academics. A member of Five Colleges, Incorporated, a nonprofit educational consortium, Amherst gives students the opportunity to enrich their education and take courses at surrounding colleges like Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire as well as the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. It is also unique in that it is a need-blind college, admitting students without regard to financial aid and guaranteeing admitted students with financial aid equal to financial need. Ranked second among national liberal arts colleges in 2012 by U.S. News & World Report, it’s not surprising that this institution has many notable alumni, including four Nobel laureates, many Pulitzer Prize winners, and a U.S. president. At Amherst, students can receive an undergraduate education in the arts, social sciences, sciences, and humanities. Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts in 36 fields of study or create their own interdisciplinary major. It has one of the oldest American studies departments in the country and was the first college to offer an undergraduate major in neuroscience. Amherst programs are unique in that they have open curriculum without core or general education requirements, emphasize community-based learning opportunities, and encourage students to participate in colloquia and special seminars. In addition to degrees, Amherst participates in the Five Colleges program to give students the opportunity to take advantage of 11 certificate programs, two shared departments, and four centers for specialized study. Amherst is regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Amherst is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as one of the more selective institutions and gives more weight to academic transcripts, standardized test scores, and recommendations. Amherst follows a semester-based academic calendar in which first-time freshmen must apply for the fall by the early decision (November 15th) or regular decision (January 1st) deadline, while transfer students can apply for the fall or spring semesters by March 1st or November 1st. First-year applicants are required to submit a completed common application, their high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, two teacher evaluations, a supplement essay, and the Amherst supplement to the common application. Transfer applicants must have earned at least 30 college credits and be in good standing with prior institutions with a minimum 3.5 GPA. Along with an application, they must submit a high school transcript, college transcript, an essay or personal statement, three essays, and three recommendation letters.
Founded in 1821, Amherst College is a national liberal arts university that has a strong commitment to diversity, intellectual freedom, and rigorous academics. A member of Five Colleges, Incorporated, a nonprofit educational consortium, Amherst gives students the opportunity to enrich their education and take courses at surrounding colleges like Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire as well as the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. It is also unique in that it is a need-blind college, admitting students without regard to financial aid and guaranteeing admitted students with financial aid equal to financial need. Ranked second among national liberal arts colleges in 2012 by U.S. News & World Report, it’s not surprising that this institution has many notable alumni, including four Nobel laureates, many Pulitzer Prize winners, and a U.S. president. At Amherst, students can receive an undergraduate education in the arts, social sciences, sciences, and humanities. Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts in 36 fields of study or create their own interdisciplinary major. It has one of the oldest American studies departments in the country and was the first college to offer an undergraduate major in neuroscience. Amherst programs are unique in that they have open curriculum without core or general education requirements, emphasize community-based learning opportunities, and encourage students to participate in colloquia and special seminars. In addition to degrees, Amherst participates in the Five Colleges program to give students the opportunity to take advantage of 11 certificate programs, two shared departments, and four centers for specialized study. Amherst is regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Amherst is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as one of the more selective institutions and gives more weight to academic transcripts, standardized test scores, and recommendations. Amherst follows a semester-based academic calendar in which first-time freshmen must apply for the fall by the early decision (November 15th) or regular decision (January 1st) deadline, while transfer students can apply for the fall or spring semesters by March 1st or November 1st. First-year applicants are required to submit a completed common application, their high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, two teacher evaluations, a supplement essay, and the Amherst supplement to the common application. Transfer applicants must have earned at least 30 college credits and be in good standing with prior institutions with a minimum 3.5 GPA. Along with an application, they must submit a high school transcript, college transcript, an essay or personal statement, three essays, and three recommendation letters.