Many college applicants aspire to a challenging liberal arts education. Founded in 1821, Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts is consistently ranked among the very top liberal arts colleges in the United States. The college boasts 203 full-time faculty for 1,697 students and an endowment per student ration of over $740,000.
Here is a 2009 interview with Katie Fretwell, Director of Admission at Amherst College.
What do you consider the most important part of the application process?
From the student perspective, thoughtful, thorough and honest self-presentation and research regarding an appropriate match or “fit” are at the center of a successful application. From the college/university perspective, thoughtful assessment of a student’s credentials in the context in which she or he has achieved are most important in determining if that self-proclaimed “match” is appropriate.
Describe the ideal candidate for your school.
The best candidates for admission to Amherst are those who have made the most of their opportunities, academically and otherwise, whatever their circumstance. Because we seek to build a diverse class each year, there is no one “ideal candidate.”
Can a candidate compensate for a sub-standard record or SAT scores?
True excellence is often achieved at the expense of something else, so, yes. Individual circumstances (for example, native language, issues of disadvantage or adversity) may also account for sub-standard credentials.
What do you want prospective applicants to know about your school?
The College’s Mission Statement: Amherst College educates men and women of exceptional potential from all backgrounds so that they may seek, value, and advance knowledge, engage the world around them, and lead principled lives of consequence.
Amherst brings together the most promising students, whatever their financial need, in order to promote diversity of experience and ideas within a purposefully small residential community. Working with faculty, staff, and administrators dedicated to intellectual freedom and the highest standards of instruction in the liberal arts, Amherst undergraduates assume substantial responsibility for undertaking inquiry and for shaping their education within and beyond the curriculum.
Amherst College is committed to learning through close colloquy and to expanding the realm of knowledge through scholarly research and artistic creation at the highest level. Its graduates link learning with leadership – in service to the College, to their communities, and to the world beyond.
What are the key characteristics you seek in an applicant?
Successful candidates for admission to Amherst have documented records of achievement and passion and an enthusiasm for participating in a residential, intimate, diverse learning environment.