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miss_murd3rmiss_murd3r Registered User Posts: 804 Member
edited January 2010 in Amherst College
Greetings esteemed CC'ers.

Soooo, Dramacratic and myself want to drive up to Amherst together (cause we live like, right next to eachother -kidding!). We wanted to do it during Mid-Winter Recess - Second week of February.

For people that actually go to Amherst...when is the best time to visit? Why? And would you be available to give "insider" tours? :D

I know a Sophomore at the 'herst. The only problem is that he's on the Lax team so if DC & I only stay for like one day and not do an overnight, it would be hard for him to show me around because he'd have Lax Pre-Season practice.

Also - how are overnights arranged? I know that Amherst doesn't offer overnights but I remember reading something that says you can arrange it with actual students who are at the school. Can anyone confirm this?

Ohhh! And is it practical to take the Amtrak from NYC? I'm fairly certain that one would need to hail a cab from the station to go to the campus...so that's a good amount of money for just one visit.

Thanks!! Any other information regarding visits (what's a must to see, etc) will be greatly appreciated.
Post edited by miss_murd3r on
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Replies to: Visiting!

  • GA2012MOMGA2012MOM Registered User Posts: 5,440 Senior Member
    This is GA2012MOM's daughter (sophomore)

    I'd reccommend coming on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning and staying until Sunday morning, that way you have enough daylight hours to tour around (which I would be happy to do!), see the town, etc., as well as get a taste of Amherst's Saturday night scene, to see if you like it. I've never heard of arranging overnights unless you're a recruited athlete, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Hopefully someone else can answer that one for you. A lot of NYCers take the Amtrak, just be prepared for a long trip!

    You should talk to lots of students (we're friendly!), go to a sporting event on Saturday, and look around the beautiful freshman dorms/the newly renovated upperclassman dorms while you're on campus. The gym has old pictures of all the sports' teams from the beginning of the school's existence, which is neat.
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  • CatfishCatfish Registered User Posts: 725 Member
    The Amtrak station is like 2 feet from the Amherst campus, and about a 10 minute walk from the freshman quad (see this map, which puts you right in front of James and Stearns). I've never taken it myself, but getting from the station itself to campus is not a problem.

    Best way to organize an overnight is to ask the guy you know to see if any of his friends would be willing to help you out.
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  • miss_murd3rmiss_murd3r Registered User Posts: 804 Member
    GA2012MOM's Daughter;

    Thanks so much for that piece of advice. DC and I were thinking of leaving early on February 13th...getting to campus at around 12ish and leaving in the afternoon on the 14th (Valentine's Day - hahaha).

    And Catfish, thanks for your reply. I had no idea that the Amtrak was that close! Annnd, regarding the overnight - it's common for people to buddy up with current students and arrange overnights, independent of the school's administration?

    Also - is it more practical to drive there from NY or take the Amtrak? The Amtrak is 96 bux, roundtrip...the only thing is that the times that it leaves and arrives are not practical.

    THANKS!
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  • GuiltyBystanderGuiltyBystander Registered User Posts: 1,586 Senior Member
    Great that you guys are visiting! Have you ever been to Amherst before? I loved it when I visited in the fall... Especially with the Indian Summer! Although I think it would also be great covered in snow... or in the spring... Any season really! Useless information.

    Anyway, make sure to look around Amherst a bit, I haven't seen much of the town, but I really liked the little bits I saw! And make pictures for me XD Which I could visit like that... only a 9 hour flight away...
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  • GA2012MOMGA2012MOM Registered User Posts: 5,440 Senior Member
    I think it's pretty normal to stay with friends independently of the school and what not. I knew a lot of people who did it in freshman year. I'd say drive from NYC.
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  • miss_murd3rmiss_murd3r Registered User Posts: 804 Member
    GA2012MOM's D,

    If it's impossible for us (Lauren and I) to find a host, would you be opposed to hosting us for a night? That is, of course, if my parents give me the green light with doing an overnight and if all other options for hosts fail.

    Also, we're contemplating whether it's more practical to:
    1. Drive from NYC just for a visit.
    2. Drive from NYC for an overnight. (With this option, Drama's dad would either stay in a hotel or drive back home - not too sure. So, it would, at most, be 2 round trips, for expense purposes.)
    3. Amtrak for visit. (Which I think is extremely impractical)
    4. Amtrak for an overnight stay.

    Thanks!!
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  • DramacraticDramacratic Registered User Posts: 708 Member
    Thanks for all of the responses, everyone!

    I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that an overnight happens, personally, considering that adds a whole other dimension to the prospective student experience.

    Regardless, though, I'm beyond excited to finally visit campus!

    Oh, MM, you might as well eliminate #3 from the list. It's the mot inconvenient option there, and the money spent on Amtrak wouldn't be worth the few hours we'd be able to spend on campus. :P
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  • kwukwu Registered User Posts: 4,759 Senior Member
    Amtrak for an overnight stay.

    If you drive, these are the costs:
    1. Fuel costs from NYC to Amherst $20+
    +
    2a. Drama's dad staying at a hotel $100+
    3a. Fuel costs from Amherst to NYC $20+
    TOTAL: $140+

    or
    +
    2b. Drama's dad driving home, fuel costs $20
    3b1. Drama's dad driving back to Amherst pick you up, fuel costs $20
    3b2. Drama's dad driving everyone back to NYC, fuel costs $20
    TOTAL: $80+

    Amtrak ticket for two adults, round trip: $100~
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  • GA2012MOMGA2012MOM Registered User Posts: 5,440 Senior Member
    miss_murd3r, I PM'd you!
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  • QuasiProfoundQuasiProfound Registered User Posts: 7,623 Senior Member
    Fackfackfack, I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo jealous. :( :( :(

    But I think I've told you that 586868686 times already.
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  • DramacraticDramacratic Registered User Posts: 708 Member
    We'll make a quick detour to India and come pick you up. No worries. ;)
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  • miss_murd3rmiss_murd3r Registered User Posts: 804 Member
    GA2012MOM's D...

    You are the epitome of awesomeness. I PMed you back!! :D

    Quasi...but you are going to be there...In spirit. :)

    HAHA.

    Kwu - thanks for the quantitative pro's and con's for Amtrak vs. Car. Since you live in NY, how do you usually go back and forth?

    My mom's only thing against the school is that she doesn't want to end up paying around 100bux round trip to visit me. *sigh*

    (DC, I <3 your location. HAHA)
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