Visit Report by jackson17 (Member since November 19 2005 with 1067 posts) Visit Date - July 2005
Visit to Amherst College in July 2005 by jackson17 (Student, HS Class of 2006)
Visit Activities:
Information Session:
Yes - The session was very informative, but very few people were there to ask more detailed questions. Campus Tour:
Yes - The campus is beautiful and mostly New England style, although there are some more modern buildings.
Amherst College Campus:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Students: 3 - Good -
Our tour guide was nice, but I barely saw any other students (summer visit).
Friendliness/Courtesy of Staff: 3 - Good -
In the info session, the teacher seemed rush but otherwise nice.
Appearance of Campus: 4 - Very Good -
There was A LOT of construction going on, but overall, the place was very visually appealing.
Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness: 4 - Very Good -
Everything was clean and well-maintained (that wasn't being worked on, that is).
Dormitories: 3 - Good -
The dorms we saw were small doubles, but I would guess they're typical.
Security/Safety: 5 - Excellent -
Amherst seemed like a safe campus in a nice town. Security didn't seem to be a concern to anyone.
Overall Campus Impression: 5 - Excellent -
The school was pretty great and seemed like the epitome of a LAC.
Off-Campus:
Area Immediately Around Campus: 4 - Very Good -
The area immediately around campus was residential and clean and the town was about two minutes away.
City/Town/Community: 5 - Excellent -
Great college town!
Campus Visit Notes for Amherst College:
Visit Description:
One of the best qualities Amherst has going for it is the community. It's part of the Five-College Consortium, and UMass is literally five minutes away. The town is great (at least on the main drag) and we saw a brochure with tons of advertised places to eat. It would take only a few minutes to get from any point on campus into town. I was a little concerned that the campus was snobby. Our tour guide was nice, but seemed a little pretentious. That was kind of the general feeling I got about most people, but everyone still seemed mostly nice. I love the fact that Amherst doesn't have a core curriculum and that a lot of students have been able to take advantage and design their own majors. There were a few triple majors they talked about, too! Boston is about a few hours away by car, and Northampton is about an hour away. Apparently, it's a great little college town with an artsy feel.
Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:
Drove through, so no hotel.
Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:
We ate at Johnny's, I believe, which is a great little burger joint with dozens of french fry varieties. Apparently Antonio's pizza is great and popular too.
Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):
Parking was said to be horrible, but a person could walk through most of the town anyway.
-
Our tour guide was nice, but I barely saw any other students (summer visit).
-
There was A LOT of construction going on, but overall, the place was very visually appealing.
-
Amherst seemed like a safe campus in a nice town. Security didn't seem to be a concern to anyone.