Amherst College

amherst.md

Amherst College

Admissions (Class of 2029 / Fall 2025)

  • Total applicants: 17,300
  • Overall acceptance rate: 9.0%
  • Early round: Early Decision — 25.0% vs 6.0% RD
  • Class size: 470
  • Yield: 40%

Academics

  • SAT middle 50%: 1500–1560
  • ACT middle 50%: 33–35
  • Avg unweighted GPA: 3.92
  • Top 10% of HS class: 90%
  • Testing policy: Test-optional

Demographics

  • Women: 48.3%, Asian: 13.1%, Black: 12.4%, Hispanic: 13.1%, White: 41.9%, International: 9.6%

Financial Aid / Net Cost

Income Bracket Net Price
$0–$30,000 $4,491
$30,001–$48,000 $7,542
$48,001–$75,000 $11,659
$75,001–$110,000 $19,918
Over $110,000 $43,908

Athletics

NCAA Division III, NESCAC Conference.

Notable

Open curriculum — no core requirements. Need-blind for domestic and international. Among most diverse LACs (Black 12.4%, Hispanic 13.1%). Five College Consortium.

Community Insights (Reddit/Forums)

Admissions Strategy

  • ED advantage is significant (25% ED vs 6% RD, ~4.2x multiplier). Only ~10% of applicants choose ED, so the binding commitment sends a strong signal.
  • Need-blind for both domestic and international applicants — one of very few LACs with this policy. QuestBridge partner, so low-income students have an additional pathway.
  • Holistic review with heavy emphasis on intellectual curiosity. The open curriculum means applicants should demonstrate self-directed learning and broad interests.

Campus Culture & Fit

  • Open curriculum (no core requirements) is the defining feature — students love the freedom but some feel lost without structure. Advisors help, but course selection is largely self-guided.
  • Among the most diverse LACs in the country (~48% students of color). Students frequently cite the diverse community as a major positive.
  • Five College Consortium access (UMass, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire) expands course options and social life significantly. Amherst is more urban-feeling than Williams due to the college town.
  • Smaller than Williams (~1,800 undergrads), creating an intimate but sometimes insular social environment. Greek life was abolished in 2014.

Financial Aid Reputation

  • Exceptional — meets 100% of demonstrated need, need-blind for all applicants including international. Over 80% of Class of 2024 graduated debt-free.
  • No merit scholarships; all aid is need-based. Very generous for low-income families.

Simulation-Relevant Takeaways

  • ED multiplier ~4.2x is comparable to Williams; model both as strong ED-advantage schools.
  • Need-blind international policy could attract more international applicants in simulation.
  • High diversity stats (Black 12.4%, Hispanic 13.1%) are unusual for a top LAC — relevant for demographic modeling.

Sources

  • Amherst College Common Data Set 2024–2025
  • research_colleges.json simulation data
  • College Confidential: Amherst student/campus culture thread
  • The Amherst Student: Open Curriculum pros and cons
  • CollegeVine: Amherst campus life and demographics