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Amherst College Profile

Amherst, Massachusetts

The Basics

Founded in 1821, Amherst College is a small private liberal arts and sciences institution located in the residential community of Amherst Massachusetts. The footprint of the site is split into 2 large open spaces, one being the south/eastern edge of the campus adjacent to the Wildlife Sanctuary, the second being the western, eastern edge of the campus off South Pleasant Street (Route 116 South). Amherst’s map also separates the college into a north, and south side with Johnson Hall linking both sides of the campus together with several large grassy areas in the middle of campus. Amherst is unique because it has a small suburban school feel to it, while still being large in regard to student activities. The school is also popular because it’s located in driving distance to Boston, approximately 2 hours, which is considered one of the best large cities in the U.S. for students to enjoy. The campus is very big, but it feels smaller than the observed geographical footprint.

The college has a large footprint of approximately 1,015 acres of park like property within the northwestern area of Massachusetts. The physical layout observes numerous historic buildings shared by students, and local residents. The campus itself has approximately 75 buildings including lecture, residential, research, and dining facilities. The overall campus map is typical for a college setting with wide sidewalks, grass field meeting places, and park like benches. The pedestrian flow of traffic within the facility was centered between Keefe Campus Center, Frost Library, and the Merrill Science Center due to the time of day. My student tour guide also told me that classes are taught outside the science center during comfortable weather days with the help of several large outdoor blackboards. Memorial Field also gets busy at all hours of the day when school is in session according to my student guide.

The campus buildings and open spaces were very clean and well maintained during my observations. These open spaces allow students the ability to interact with each other in a non-educational manner due to the high number of observed meeting places on campus. Amherst students, faculty, and employees enjoy a community, within a community lifestyle in regard to on, and off campus activities and resources. The college also provides several critical student resources including student housing on campus for all 4 years, which helps students connect with each other throughout the year.

The published demographic information for the college describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. Amherst College has developed a large campus community to offer students a Liberal Arts and Sciences educational format to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors.

Amherst College: The College is home to relatively small campus population of approximately 840 male, and 790 female full time students. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 19% of students are from Massachusetts. Others are from 50 states, and 31 foreign countries. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including 50% of students are white, 34% Asian Americans, 10% are Black, and 6% are Hispanic.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

Amherst College has a large educational system for a small private school, which offers Liberal Arts, and Sciences programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Freshman Class: 6,680 applied, 1,175 accepted, 474 enrolled. SAT Verbal 780, SAT Math 750. ACT 34 Application Deadline January 1.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Amherst College guarantees on campus housing for all four years through a lottery system. Students who have filed their intent to reside on campus by the stated deadline and who have continuously registered as full time students receive housing. The school has started upgrading housing resources for all students through it’s capital improvement initiatives. Amherst College removed fraternity houses from around campus and developed beautiful suite style dormitories for students to enjoy. The buildings may look old from the outside but they are well appointed on the inside. Amherst also has a unique way of providing housing for students.

The college doesn’t have freshman dorms, it has upperclassmen living on the floors so new students can learn, what they need to learn about the school in a more relaxed fashion. Information about housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Off Campus Housing

Amherst has been described as a small private college within a small residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community is to re-assert the point that Amherst’s network of facilities has encapsulated it’s real estate holdings within the area. The campus footprint allows every student to have housing within walking distance to college facilities. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other university housing demands. The college itself has 98% of it’s student population living on campus which reduces the need, or demand for off campus housing. Students who want off campus housing can find information about available resources on the quick links page.

Campus Life

Amherst College is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an outstanding social, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the world. The local town of Amherst Massachusetts only adds to the college’s international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. Amherst also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way. The physical campus environment borders a nature preserve with trees and bushes that are individually named by type, and species. The college has also built a state of the art (Green) science building that incorporates several green technologies including clean ground water technology. And finally, the campus is clean and well maintained and the economic conditions are favorable to students and local residents due to the available services in walking distance to the school.

The emotional climate of the entire community is positive because students are involved with local community, and campus groups. An observation of this very positive emotional climate can be found by looking at the endless student flyers posted throughout the campus on walls, doors, windows, and light poles. These flyers describe upcoming activities and they invite all students to enjoy the clubs, performing arts, and public discussions on world events. Amherst’s students went as far as hanging banners outside residence halls to invite students to attend social events on campus, which was very nice to see.

Social networking beyond the campus walls is also a very important issue to be observed at Amherst. Students at the college are encouraged to participate in externships with alumni to gain real world experience. These programs, along with internships and global learning centers offer important information about studying abroad. These types of programs help to round out educational activities on campus.

This issue of school culture and emotional attachment is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. Amherst has done a great job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 110 academic clubs, student organizations, and over 12 intramural sports activities. Amherst also has 13 NCAA teams for men, and 14 for women.

Campus life at Amherst can be considered very active due to several notable student venues including the Lefrak Gymnasium, which is the main student recreational center on campus. The college also has a student run performing arts venue within the Holden Experimental Theatre, and a modern style campus center within a short walking distance to the residence halls. These on campus facilities allows students to enjoy more than academic excellence, it gives them the opportunity to develop social relationships by experiencing school sports, performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums together.

Amherst has also developed a “Five-College Consortium” with U-Mass Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Smith Colleges that allows students from each of these institutions to share educational, and social resources throughout the year. These schools are located within the Pioneer Valley of northwestern Massachusetts. Students receive daily shuttle services to these schools to maintain these newly acquired relationships. Amherst also provides it’s students with cross-registration educational resources with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the school provide additional social resources within the bigger university.

Students at Amherst also have the ability to enjoy suburban sports activities within the Pioneer Valley including it’s consortium schools and they also have the ability to enjoy big campus life within the city of Boston. The Boston schools participate on the big stage in regard to Division I NCAA sports including the Big East Conference. Students can enjoy these big campus sports events within several local colleges throughout the year.

Public Transportation

The college uses the Pioneer Valley Transit System (PVTA) for reliable bus transportation to students who don’t, or can’t have vehicles on campus. The college has a very large number of out of state students who don’t know the streets and highways very well. Knowing the area is key because students who come from local states may know the area better and may be able to walk or drive to local destinations. Foreign, and out of state students might opt to take a bus or train to their destination because they don’t want to risk getting lost on local roads.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a college experience. Amherst Township enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. Massachusetts also gets it’s share of rain during the spring and summer months as well. A strong indicator of pedestrian traffic around the college can be identified by the northeast weather patterns. Student parking within close proximity to university buildings and student shuttle services help reduce the exposure literally and figuratively.

Community Profile

Amherst Township has been described as a quiet suburban town that was built around it’s local college with students, and local residents enjoying the Hampshire County Massachusetts landscape. The township has also been described as a family centered residential community within striking distance to Boston. The Town of Amherst also has an intellectual side due to its historical neighborhood architecture and close physical relationship to Amherst College, and U-Mass Amherst. The town is favorable to students and local residents because it offers a local pedestrian walkway onto South Pleasant Street (Rt. 116), which links students, and local residents to a several restaurants and local shops within the northern edge of town.

The community has a small town feel to it when you are walking to neighborhood eateries on the northern edge of town. Residents and students also enjoy several social destinations when walking, or driving to Hadley Township from Northampton Road including several strip malls featuring several national food, and consumer chains. The walk from Amherst’s northern edge to the above-mentioned meeting places is approximately 20 minutes from the campus. The Town of Hadley is more rural than Amherst with several roads connecting to local shopping areas. Downtown Amherst Township is the opposite because it offers a real downtown commercial resource for students and local residents.

The township itself is located within the northwestern area of the state, which makes it convenient to several suburban communities and highway networks. The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) provides local bus service in the community. This 5 College bus corridor links to U-Mass and the other 3 schools in the consortium, this vital transportation link also connects to downtown Amherst. The local commuter bus also links to U-Mass Amherst’s regional bus service provided by Peter Pan Bus Lines, which provides daily bus service to Boston & Springfield where students can link to several different commuter trains and the northeast corridor including Amtrak and the Massachusetts Transit Authority (MTA).

Amherst also has several main roadways that connect the community to major state highways including Route 91 that links to the Massachusetts Turnpike, and Interstate 95. Shopping, restaurants, and hotel chains can be found within these major transportation networks after a short drive from the campus. Appendix #1 on the back page of this profile lists several of observed resources in close proximity to the school.

The following demographics for Amherst Township describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 34,874 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Amherst College has strong relationships with the township because they share community services including public safety, and cultural resources. An example of this commitment can be observed through the college’s community services handbook that describes educational programs, health care programs and services, legal programs and services to local residents who may require community help.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 48% residents are male, 52% are female. 79% of residents are white, 5% are African American, 6% is Hispanic or Latino, and 9% are Asian. The median age of population is 29 years old. 87% of residents are 18 years old or over,57 % are over 21, and 6% of township residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Amherst is also interesting. 97% of all housing units within the township are occupied. 55% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 45% of units are owner-occupied. Only 3% of total available housing was vacant.

Amherst College Quick Links Page

Amherst Area Hotel and Bed & Breakfast Quick Links Page

Courtyard Marriott
423 Russell Street
Hadley MA 01035
Hampton Inn
24 Bay Road
Hadley MA 01035
Holiday Inn Express
Route 9
Hadley MA 01035
Comfort Inn
Route 9
Hadley MA 01035

Bed & Breakfast Accommodations

Amherst Inn
257 Main Street
Amherst MA 01002
Allen House
599 Main Street
Amherst MA 01002
The Black Walnut Inn
1184 N. Pleasant Street
Amherst MA 01002

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Amherst Massachusetts. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found off Route 116 in Hadley, and Interstate 91 & 90 (Mass Pike) on the way to Boston to the north, and Springfield to the south.

Complete information about hotels, restaurants, shopping, museums, and general tourism activities in the Boston area can be found in the document “ Everything Boston” on the Your College Profile web site.

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