Congratulations to the Class of 2029! Welcome to the Herd!
I can’t believe it’s been a year for me since I was in your shoes! The decision day for Amherst felt like yesterday… I’ve been through your days, so I know some of you might be having a tough time deciding where you want to spend the next four years of your life.
So, here are some helpful tips to consider when you are choosing between your options:
1. Reach out to current students and/or alumni!
This was actually my biggest reason for coming to Amherst. Many people have asked me: Why did you choose Amherst? How did you even know Amherst as an international student? I always replied: because I see myself being a part of it and being welcomed by it. I recalled that even before the application season began, during my junior spring in high school, I reached out to several Amherst tour guides via email, asking them about their experiences studying at Amherst. I asked about their academics (e.g., What’s your favorite class? How are the faculty? Additional support and opportunities for your major and/or careers?), extracurriculars (e.g., I saw you are engaged in x, how is x? I saw you had this research opportunity at x, how did Amherst assist you?), social life (e.g., How’s the cafeteria (i.e. Val)? Are there any good Asian restaurants around? How convenient is it to get to Boston and New York?), and many more. I was surprised that they all replied with extreme details, helping me to visualize being a student at Amherst although I could not visit the campus in person.
In addition, when I was admitted, I even received an email from a current student proactively offering help to answer any concerns I may have in the decision-making process, particularly regarding Amherst. I also talked with many upperclassmen from my country for more specific questions about major and career planning considerations, who may be more familiar with my situation and were once in my shoes.
These interactions convinced me that Amherst is a welcoming family that I can belong to and I sincerely hope to continue spreading this spirit to more students in the future, strengthening the connections between the Mammoths. 🙂
2. Attend the college experiential program for admitted students!
If you are not aware of Amherst’s Be a Mammoth program for admitted students, please please please check it out in your inbox and come! It’s one of the best opportunities you could get to experience how you would feel being a student at Amherst by attending classes and events, talking with current students, meeting professors, eating at Val, walking around campus, sleeping in one of our dorms…
However, if you could not make it, don’t worry! As an international student, you would receive invitations to some virtual events that you can attend to talk more with our admissions office, professors, financial aid office, immigration services office (for visa support), career resource center (a.k.a. Loeb), and students! Bring your burning questions to these sessions so you can have a better idea of what kinds of support (other than your peers) can provide you at Amherst! If you can’t make it to any of these events, again, don’t shy away… Write your questions and email them to the people who may help you with your concerns. Feel free to reach out to any of the bloggers on this site as well! We’d try our best to answer your questions or direct you to the correct people who are more credible in answering your questions. 🙂
3. Reflect on YOUR interests.
Besides trying to know as much as the place you might be going to, remember to take some time to reflect on your thoughts. After all, YOU are the person going to college, not your parents, counselors, friends, etc. This may be the first time for you to be (far) away from home and be the first major decision you make for yourself in deciding what you want to do and what kind of person you want to be. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself:
- Why did I apply to this school? How do these reasons align with my academic, career, extracurricular, and personal interests?
- What kind of community do I expect to have in college? Can I visualize this from the information I know about this school?
- What kinds of opportunities and support will I have at the college and beyond?
- Are there any “disadvantages” of this school that I need to take into consideration? Are they tolerable? If so, why?
- How’s the work-life balance and social life at this school? Does it align with my personal habits?
- …….
There are a lot more you can take into consideration, and I hope you take as much time as you need and reach out to as many resources as you can to reach some thorough reflections. Please feel free to reach out to me via email (cji28@amherst.edu) or any of our bloggers on this site! We’d all be happy to help you through the decision-making process. 🙂
Again, congratulations!