Hello readers,
I hope you all are doing well! Some of you wanted to learn more about academics at Amherst. Specifically, there were questions about course placements and how different high school learning experiences contribute to college classes. Here are my inputs!
Amherst has specific course placements that you can find on the Amherst College website by looking through majors, selecting the dropdown “For Non-Majors and New Students,” and then clicking “Course Placements.” For example, this is chemistry placement information: https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/chemistry/for-non-majors-and-new-students/chemistry-placement-information. For math courses, AP/IB credits or proof of advanced coursework on your transcript can be used to place you into higher-level classes. You also have the option to take a math placement test over the summer. If you are confused about your specific placement into a course or want to place out of a class, you can email department members in charge of placements (also found on the Amherst College website). Generally, humanities courses don’t have specific placements, but there are intensive courses designed to support students with less college-level reading/writing experience.
Remember that being placed out of introduction classes does not generally mean you are ahead in your major. For instance, for the math major specifically, those who place out of courses may have to take graduate-level math courses at UMass Amherst if they exhaust the math options at Amherst College. Also, note that lower-level course placements do not mean you are behind your peers. Placements are only to put students in classes that match/support their high school experiences.
That being said, Amherst students come from various academic backgrounds. Some students have taken college-level courses, conducted research, etc., while others haven’t had the same opportunities. However, Amherst has academic resources available to support students of all levels. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and like you are behind your peers, but you are not. You are exactly where you need to be and have adequate support/resources at Amherst to get to where you want to be.
Thank you for reading! If you have any specific questions, please feel free to reach out to me at ipatel28@amherst.edu.