火爆社区

Amherst College鈥檚 open curriculum keeps the focus on what undergraduates want, dispensing with general requirements so that students can have 鈥渃ontrol over their own education鈥� and 鈥渢ake classes that they actually love,鈥� forging their own intellectual path in one of the numerous undergraduate majors offered. And while there may not be mandatory core classes, the course catalog offers over 850 options, with more available through partner schools in the Five College Consortium: as one student puts it, 鈥淓very year at Amherst I have gotten more and more intellectually curious鈥�. Add the school鈥檚 numerous research opportunities, and you鈥檝e got an 鈥渁cademically rigorous undergraduate education鈥� that is supported by multiple resource centers to foster awareness and identity. In addition to campus resources, the 鈥減rofessors on campus really care about the academic experience of their students.鈥� They 鈥渇ormat their classes in a way that makes it entertaining and engaging to learn even the most difficult material.鈥� That鈥檚 important to many attendees, for while 鈥渃hallenging鈥� is used to describe the overall education, that鈥檚 matched by an acknowledgment of how 鈥渟upportive and manageable鈥� it all is, thanks to the school鈥檚 resources and its 鈥渧ery flexible and understanding鈥� professors. One student shares, 鈥淭hey really do care about their students; one time I got a personal email from a professor after missing class due to an illness for a couple days.鈥� To these students, 鈥淎mherst feel[s] like a place where I am taken care of and cared for.鈥�

The key qualities of the average Amherst student, regardless of their specific interests (鈥淓veryone has their 鈥榯hing鈥欌��), are being 鈥渄iverse, curious and extremely motivated.鈥� That shared passion creates a 鈥渧ery collaboration-driven鈥� community that some call 鈥渆xtremely non-competitive.鈥� Amherst students are described as being incredibly generous, who 鈥渉elp each other because they want the best for one another.鈥� The productive nature of the school and the 鈥渜uite varied interests鈥� of the student body make for a naturally eclectic group: 鈥淭here are introverts, extroverts, partiers, and those that like to just stay in and play games on the weekends鈥�I would say that Amherst students are kind and accept everyone, even when they are completely different from themselves.鈥�

Students describe weekdays as fairly busy鈥斺�渂alancing our schoolwork, clubs, work-study jobs, sports, and more鈥濃�攕o much so that a lot of socializing is built around study sessions and the dining hall. That said, 鈥淥utside of class, people attend campus events (like watching the improv group every Monday night) and when the weather cooperates, 鈥減eople will be found lounging in the grassy quads, playing Frisbee, [and] going out to nearby towns or ponds [and] mini-beaches.鈥� On the weekends, 鈥渓ife is usually going to a sports event or another event during the day and homework and then going out at night,鈥� or as one undergraduate explains, 鈥淲henever a party can be thrown, there will be a party.鈥� Students also point to the school鈥檚 savvy event planning, which includes mainstays like trivia but also activities like build-a-bear and axe-throwing. The common theme is that students 鈥渁re constantly moving and busy with packed schedules that encompass a variety of activities.鈥�

The Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning at Amherst is focused on empowering students to think about their futures reflectively and strategically. The school鈥檚 flagship Charles Hamilton Houston Internship Program provides students with specialized internship advising鈥攑roviding total support throughout the internship cycle, including preparation and skill development. Other resources like Career Beam and the Liberal Arts Career netWORK list job and internship opportunities for gaining professional experience. Students can easily connect with former grads through the Alumni-in-Residence program that brings alumni back to campus for a series of candid conversations designed to help students explore career options, build relationships, and get real-world advice. Amherst grads who visited PayScale.com report median starting salaries of about $74,900, and 35 percent of graduates are working in a STEM-related field.