Amherst College

About Me

Intro

Not to sound arrogant, but you probably already know my name. I'm always on those "top liberal arts college" lists. Some might say I'm a classic overachiever, but there's a lot more to me than good grades.

Sure, I get my thrills from Shakespeare and Faulkner, but you're just as likely to find me in the science lab or on the playing field. Just call me a Renaissance college. My small size and open curriculum means I'm up for nurturing any interest, and I also like to keep my classes small to make sure my professors and students are really getting to know each other. Since I'm a member of the Five College Consortium, my students can take classes at four other nearby schools, just in case there's something I don't happen to offer.

I'm not always stuck in the library, though—I'm just as excited about the activities happening after class. My sports teams are great, and I've got barely enough time in the day to check out all the clubs on campus. Oh, and singing. Have I mentioned the singing? Well, now I have.

Even though my interests span a wide range, one thing's for sure: Whatever I do, I do it with passion. I think it's important to be the best, but it's even more important to love what you do.

Name

Lord Jeffrey Amherst. Call me Lord Jeff—we're all friends here. Yes, the Lord Jeff is my mascot. Which means our female athletes are Lady Jeffs. No, I'm not kidding. Really.

Hometown

Amherst, MA. One tiny town for my itty bitty student population.

Birthdate

1821

Body Type

1800 students, which is pretty cozy. I like it that way. There's plenty of room to roam on my 1000 acre campus, right next to the adorable town of Amherst, MA. If you want the quintessential New England college experience, look no further. Amherst is postcard-perfect, with church steeples, a town common, and a yearly explosion of fall color.

Current Living Situation

I hope you like dormitories, because chances are, you'll live in one for all four years. All freshmen are required to live on campus, and they're clustered around what we like to call the Freshman Quad. With a whole new class in one place, it's easy to bond and make friends.

The freshman dorms are surprisingly nice, and in recent years I've picked up a few brand new dormitories, meaning that your living space will probably improve each year. I'm a fan of traditional New England brick and stone, but upperclassman can also get rooms in the huge houses near town that used to be fraternities back in the day.

Even though you're technically allowed to move off campus after freshman year, practically everyone lives in campus housing, which is determined by a room lottery. Options range from the aforementioned frat houses, to 1960s "social dorms" with suites—if you happen to like parties—to theme housing and even a longstanding student co-op dubbed "The Zu."

Relationship Status

I'm pretty tight with my Five College siblings, UMass Amherst, Smith College, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire College. After all, we've got a free bus service that shuttles students in between all five of us. Anyone enrolled in one of the five can take classes at any of the others.

UMass is much bigger than I am, but he doesn't mind if I hang out at his basketball games or go to his classes. The other three have really cool classes, too, so even though I'm small, it's like I have a huge course catalog. There are definitely advantages to being from a big family.

Urban legend has it that the Scooby-Doo gang was based on our little Five College Consortium. Not to perpetuate stereotypes, but I'm totally Fred.

I'm also part of this really old club called the Little Three. We like to get together for sporting events. Wesleyan University and I get along great off the field, but Williams College...oh, don't talk to me about Williams. I like to think of Williams as my evil twin. We started out as the same school, but split into two colleges a really long time ago. Since then, he's been my biggest rival in just about every contest. Let's just say the best way to get me worked up is to put those purple Williams uniforms on my football field.

Politics

I'm a liberal arts college, so I like to think I'm pretty liberal...well, unless you compare me to Hampshire down the road, in which case I look really straight-laced.

You should apply to me if...

you love academics, you're passionate about your hobbies, and you can't wait to get to know your professors.