Visit Report by littleathiest (Member since December 09 2006 with 770 posts) Visit Date - July 2006
Visit to Amherst College in July 2006 by littleathiest (Student, HS Class of 2007)
Visit Activities:
Admissions Interview:
No - Amherst doesn't offer interviews and believes that students can express what they'd usually express in interviews through the supplementary essay. Information Session:
Yes - Very informative, it was led by a current student (sophomore) and an admissions officer. Both were very friendly, particularly the admissions officer who was the Director of Admissions at the college. Campus Tour:
Yes - A beautiful campus. The tour guide was the student who sat in on the information session which helped ensure that he didn't just repeat information already covered in that session.
Amherst College Campus:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Students: 4 - Very Good -
I went during the summer so there were very few students around, however, the student who gave the tour was very friendly, knowledgable, and normal-seeming.
Friendliness/Courtesy of Staff: 5 - Excellent -
I've been on approximately 15 school visits and the Admissions Office was definitely one of the friendliest I've been in. Particularly friendly was the Director of Admissions (he ran the inf
Appearance of Campus: 5 - Excellent -
New buildings, very clean, turf fields, very beautiful both architecturally and naturally.
Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness: 5 - Excellent -
Granted it was the summer, but the campus was pristine.
Dormitories: 5 - Excellent -
Amherst just built new dorms (opened in 2006) and they're pretty fantastic. Very spacious and comfortable seeming.
Security/Safety: 5 - Excellent -
They have the blue light system and student cards are necessary to get into the building. According to the student guide, the only time the system has been used is when a student slipped on the ice.
Overall Campus Impression: 5 - Excellent -
I absolutely fell in love with the campus. Minus the snow and the rural surroundings, its pretty much perfect.
Off-Campus:
Area Immediately Around Campus: 3 - Good -
Its definitely a rural campus, however, this is aided somewhat by the fact that its part of a 5 college consortium. From my understanding, that really helps improve Amherst's social life.
City/Town/Community: 3 - Good -
As I said, the campus is rural. Nevertheless, the town is very nice (traditional New England middle class) and quaint.
Campus Visit Notes for Amherst College:
Visit Description:
Amherst was my third stop on one of my summer college tours and out of the four colleges I visited on that trip (Yale University, Trinity College, Clark University were the three others) it was BY FAR my favorite. Upon arriving on the campus it was initially hard to find the Admissions Office; it was not well-marked. Once there, however, everything rapidly improved. The information session was very informative and the added touch of having a student sit in on it to answer any questions about daily life at Amherst was very welcome. The Director of Admissions who led the session was also very friendly and very laid-back; from his demeanor one could almost forget that he was sitting in an information session of one of the most selective colleges in the United States.
The tour was also very informative. The student (a sophomore) was very competent and at the same time laid back. I felt, through the course of the tour, that I was gaining a very solid understanding of what it was like to live at Amherst. We were taken into most of the major buildings on campus and shown a "typical dorm" which turned out to be very spacious. Furthermore, the tour made a point of letting its viewers see the sports fields (all turf), something that many of the other colleges I toured did not do.
Overall it was a very positive visit and did nothing but further my interest in the school.
Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:
I stayed overnight at the Lord Jeffery Inn which was conviniently located near the campus. It was a bit on the expensive side, but was well worth the money.
Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:
The Lord Jeffery Inn has a pub and restaurant connected to it which are open to the public for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Both were excellent, however, the restaurant was on the more expensive side
Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):
Amherst is part of a 5 college consortium; during the school year transporation is provided to the other schools and Boston. The town is small and walkable so a car isn't necessary for students.
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I went during the summer so there were very few students around, however, the student who gave the tour was very friendly, knowledgable, and normal-seeming.
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I've been on approximately 15 school visits and the Admissions Office was definitely one of the friendliest I've been in. Particularly friendly was the Director of Admissions (he ran the inf
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Its definitely a rural campus, however, this is aided somewhat by the fact that its part of a 5 college consortium. From my understanding, that really helps improve Amherst's social life.