Amherst College is highly selective, with an acceptance rate of around 13% and an average SAT score of 1520 for admitted students.
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Getting into Amherst College is no easy feat as it is highly selective with an acceptance rate of only 13%. This means that out of every 100 applicants, only 13 are offered admission. To be considered for admission, students must have stellar academic records, excellent test scores, and impressive extracurricular activities.
On average, admitted students have an SAT score of 1520, which is higher than the national average. Additionally, they have a GPA of 4.0 or higher, indicating that they have excelled academically.
As the former Dean of Admission at Amherst College, Tom Parker, stated: “We are looking for intellectual vitality, leadership, and character.” This means that Amherst College is not only interested in a student’s academic achievements but also their personal qualities.
Interestingly, Amherst College has a need-blind admission policy, which means that students are evaluated for admission without regard to their ability to pay for college. This ensures that qualified students, regardless of their financial situation, have the opportunity to attend Amherst College.
To provide a more comprehensive overview, here is a table of data on Amherst College’s admissions statistics for the incoming class of 2024:
| Category | Admitted Students |
|---|---|
| Acceptance Rate | 13.8% |
| SAT Score (Middle 50%) | 1470 – 1570 |
| ACT Score (Middle 50%) | 33 – 35 |
| GPA (Middle 50%) | 4.0 – 4.33 |
In conclusion, getting into Amherst College is a rigorous and competitive process that requires exceptional academic achievements, impressive extracurricular activities, and outstanding personal qualities. As the saying goes, “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.”
Video answer
As a first-gen and low-income student, Lee shares her experience in getting into Amherst College. She attended a highly ranked public high school and was part of the tennis team. Lee took five AP classes in total, but her GPA was good but not at the top of her class. She chose Amherst because of its academic standing and a less competitive atmosphere. Lee also talks about her extracurricular activities such as playing multiple instruments, being part of the marching band and a rock band. She discusses her SAT and ACT scores and emphasizes the importance of studying for these exams. Lee offers to answer any questions and wishes viewers good luck on their college applications.
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What kind of students does Amherst look for? Over 90% of those accepted into Amherst possess an SAT score of 700 or better on the math and reading sections of the SAT; 98% earned an ACT score of 30 or higher. Just about everyone finished at or near the top of their high school class.
Is Amherst College as good as an Ivy? Amherst College is a highly respected and prestigious liberal arts college in the United States. While it is not a member of the Ivy League, it is often considered to be on par with Ivy League schools in terms of academic rigor and selectivity.
In this manner, Is Amherst College a prestigious school? As an answer to this: Amherst College is ranked #2 out of 210 National Liberal Arts Colleges. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.
Correspondingly, Is Amherst or Williams harder to get into? The response is: Overall, it is difficult to say definitively which institution is more challenging to gain admission to, as both Williams and Amherst are highly selective and admit only a small percentage of applicants each year.