Hi everyone, I hope you are well! I know admitted students are in the thick of deciding which college to commit to right now, so I thought I would use my blog this week to answer some questions I would’ve wanted to ask current Amherst students when I was considering Amherst. If you have any questions, please email me at sgoldsmith24@amherst.edu!
Why Amherst?
I originally committed to Amherst because of the new science center (I thought I wanted to pursue a career in biology research) and because of Amherst’s proximity to some family friends I have in Springfield. I knew when I was applying to Amherst that I wanted a small liberal arts college with a high student to faculty ratio and an emphasis on undergraduate research, but in deciding between Amherst and our peer institutions, those two reasons were my deciding factors.
But having spent four years at Amherst, my answer for why I like Amherst and why I’m glad I chose Amherst is different. The relationships I’ve formed with my friends and professors have fundamentally changed me. I love the person I have become at Amherst – I’m a runner now (second marathon coming next weekend!!), which is a huge part of my identity. I’m more thoughtful. I think critically. I’m a better writer. And I’m leaving Amherst looking forward to spending a gap year teaching English in Dijon, France, and feeling confident in my goal of attending medical school (having completely pivoted from a career in biology research).
Why not Amherst?
As an institution, Amherst does have it problems. I don’t think Amherst is always good at addressing student concerns (for example, regarding in which stocks our endowment is invested in), and tenured professors are not subject to any review once they are granted tenure. Dining at Amherst is tough, especially as someone with dietary restrictions, but they are building a new dining hall which will be opened in a couple years.
I’m happy with my choice of Amherst, though, and have as a whole enjoyed my time here. I maybe would’ve decided to take a gap year after I graduated high school so that I didn’t have to spend my freshman year during COVID at Amherst, but other than that, I have had a wonderful experience.
Thank you for reading! Please email with any questions!