Amherst College
- 4 Year
- AMHERST, MA
Amherst College Reviews
Rating 3.87 out of 5 324 reviews
Tough institution, but prepared me for real world. Here I learned to think critically and independently.
I am an international student at Amherst College. I am enjoying how welcoming classes are and student community of my year. The departments hold interesting opportunities for research.
It's been pretty chill since I came here as an international student. The campus diversity, however, makes one forget that your'e a foreigner and gets you included in the warm community of like-minded people
Alright...so sure, the schools a bit small, the food is definitely a C, and amherst is no city. But after a year here, I'm not sure I could've been happier anywhere else. A year ago I feared how homesick I'd be, and now I cant wait to go back to school. This might be in part because I had a freshman workload, but I found a great balance of academics, extracurriculars, and fun (with some of the best friends I've ever had). There are social divides, but if you find the right people, they can blur. My stem classes tended to be fun environments with professors who really cared for their students. Some opportunities are limited because of how small the school is, but they can be fulfilled through the other colleges in the consortium or through local opportunities. I know my experience is only one, and that it definitely would differ if I hadn't found the people I did. But I would recommend amherst in a heartbeat :).
Amherst claims they're going to give aid to parents with no income. Don't believe it. When my dad lost his job, my sister got significant financial aid at her HYPSM because our income became 0. Amherst gave $20k, which is only 25%, and not very generous, in my opinion, considering the cost of education here is $80k. Thus, my sister paid 25% to attend her college and I had to pay 75% to Amherst. Not only does Amherst cost more than other colleges, they are stingier with financial aid. That's been our experience. And, unfortunately, financial aid isn't very nice here either.
Amherst College is a great place to study! I switched my major in my sophomore fall, and the transition was super easy. Because Amherst does not have any graduate programs, all the professors are there primarily to teach, and it is much easier to get research experience with professors over summers or during the semester. Summer research at the college helped me figure out that I wanted to switch majors. The open curriculum still let me keep taking classes in my former major, as well as in pretty much any other department I wanted to. Pretty much my only complaints are that housing is a little tight, especially for freshmen and sophomores, and that the dining hall isn't great.
I had a really intimate college experience. The campus was small, about 1800 students total. Although I still didn't know everyone's names by the time I graduated, I was able to recognize people on campus. B/c of the small class sizes, you're able to get to know the professors really well, which was one of my favorite aspects. The professors really care about students and that they not only succeed academically but also personally.
I loved the access to faculty and staff. Due to the small class sizes, students were really able to connect with their professors in an intentional way.
The atmosphere at Amherst is very welcoming and studious. There are so many programs and extracurriculars here that you will never get bored.
Amherst is located in a wonderful college town with a lot of bright students. The best thing about Amherst is its individualized experience. The school is small with about 2,000 students so it is hard for anyone who may be struggling to get left behind. The administration is extremely supportive and often responsive to the needs of both individuals and student groups.
Incredible school. You can tell that Amherst invests and prioritizes its academic experience above all. Admittedly, this may come at the price of other "bells and whistles"-- its not flashy, so do not expect a great dining experience, wide merchandise selection, or hype around sports... but your academic career will be worth it! Great professors, small class sizes, diverse student body, and incredible support.
This college will damage your mental health and gaslight you into believing that this is what the "elite" college experience entails. There is nothing elite about Amherst other than the decaying brand name and its recognition, especially regarding the quality of services this place offers. The workload is unreasonable, and most classes move at a pace that forces kids into ADHD prescriptions not to fail, especially in STEM. If you plan to apply to law/med school/grad school, you won't have anything else in your life other than your studies. This place fails to promote healthy balance, and instead of making structural changes, overmedicates kids. The dining hall is humiliating, small, and serves subpar slop, and rich kids order food 24/7. The income and culture divide on campus is unbearable, and unless you are from the tri-state area/Cali and play a sport, don't expect to fit in. The administrators and staff are on their high horse promulgating left-wing wokism and could not care less.
I really appreciate the way in which many of my STEM-based courses are constructed to cater to the learning needs and goals of all students. This "flipped" style of teaching has been different from most STEM classes that I've taken here throughout my educational journey, but I find that I'm preferring it over the traditional textbook/lecture-focused courses. This collaborative, active-style of learning closely simulates the type of learning that you do in scientific research, and I'm glad that we're able to experience this in a scientific classroom.
Solid education at the cost of terrible campus culture. Everyone follows the woke mob mentality, and although they preach inclusion, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Close-knit community with friendly teachers many of whom enjoy helping you grow and are easy to meet with. Some are far more dedicated than others. Many of the facilities are well maintained while others feel a bit neglected. It is up to the student to make coming here worth the cost.
I have found Amherst to be a hugely disappointing , and is really only suited to a certain type of person, of which I am not.
Athletes have a dominant role on campus, making up 35% of the population despite being a DIII school. Rape, criminal damage and drug use are big ongoing issues propagated by student athletes.
Academics are generally good, though workloads vary massively between majors. Classes are small, and professors thoughtful.
Amherst is not a social place and COVID restrictions excessive for the Colleges size and location have really crippled the social scene further. Mental health is bad, with no clear path set out to improve this. You either form a clique or live alone here. The student body is racially diverse, but is among the wealthiest in the country, which shapes the culture.
The real value of Amherst is its name and money. Students who are poor, seek to pursue prestige jobs and can stomach a poor social experience will thrive here.
Avoid Amherst.
Athletes have a dominant role on campus, making up 35% of the population despite being a DIII school. Rape, criminal damage and drug use are big ongoing issues propagated by student athletes.
Academics are generally good, though workloads vary massively between majors. Classes are small, and professors thoughtful.
Amherst is not a social place and COVID restrictions excessive for the Colleges size and location have really crippled the social scene further. Mental health is bad, with no clear path set out to improve this. You either form a clique or live alone here. The student body is racially diverse, but is among the wealthiest in the country, which shapes the culture.
The real value of Amherst is its name and money. Students who are poor, seek to pursue prestige jobs and can stomach a poor social experience will thrive here.
Avoid Amherst.
Excellent professors who teach and research with students. Classes are interdisciplinary, colloquy-focused, and open. Amherst has a beautiful campus, especially in the fall. Students listen to each other closely. Plenty of opportunities to engage in extracurricular activities. Strong alumni base. Amherst has just announced to expand financial aid.