In June 2023, we formalized our four-year test-optional pilot program as our policy for all applicants. Read more about what this means for applicants on our Standardized Testing Information page.
The following materials must be submitted on behalf of the applicant by a guidance counselor, college counselor or other school official. Typically, these forms are submitted through the application platform (Common App, Scoir or QuestBridge) that the applicant chooses.
Amherst has partnered with slate.org, through which counselors may upload materials directly for applicants. Official documents can also be submitted by email to admission@amherst.edu. We cannot accept official documents that have been emailed to our office by applicants themselves.
Due to processing time, it may take up to a week for submitted documents to reflect on our online system. Please do not submit duplicate documents unless we have notified you that a document is missing.
Students with accomplishments in specific areas may wish to submit optional additional information for consideration.
Students with talents or accomplishments in the arts - music, theater, dance, and visual art - may submit related material for review by Amherst faculty. Please review our Information about Arts Supplements page for additional information. (Please do not send originals to us, as we cannot return to you any material submitted.)
Students who have engaged in significant research in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, social sciences or humanities—undertaken independently of the high school curriculum — may include a brief description of the research project in the “Optional Research Questions” section of Amherst’s Writing Supplement.
Students who wish to participate in varsity athletics may indicate that interest in the appropriate section of the Common Application and may consult the About Amherst Athletics webpage for information about varsity teams and contact with athletic coaches. All prospective student-athletes should review the NESCAC Statement of Common Admission Practices.
If you are a U.S. service member or veteran , a homeschooled student , or an undocumented student , please read our relevant special information pages for additional guidance on the application process.
Amherst takes great care to review every application thoroughly. Each application is read by at least two admission deans before being presented to the Admission Committee for discussion. In evaluating your application, we pay closest attention to your:
Amherst uses a holistic approach to the review of application materials to develop a multi-dimensional perspective of the applicant. We give the greatest weight to your academic transcript. The rigor of the courses you’ve taken, the quality of your grades and the consistency with which you’ve worked over four years give us the clearest indication of how well you will do at Amherst. While there is no specific set of secondary school classes required for admission, most successful applicants have pursued the strongest program of study available at their secondary school—typically including four years of study in English, math, science, social studies and foreign language—and have achieved the highest levels of academic performance. Recommendations, the quality of your writing, and extra- and co-curricular accomplishments also help us draw fine distinctions among very talented applicants.
If you have taken International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement or college courses during secondary school, we view this as significant evidence of your academic ambition, accomplishment and preparation. However, we do not accept such courses for credit or advanced standing, although some Amherst academic departments will allow you to forego introductory-level courses in areas in which you have already completed rigorous work.
If you are admitted to Amherst College, you may request permission from the Dean of Admission to defer your matriculation for one year without reapplying. To do so, you must confirm your intent to enroll at Amherst by submitting the Admission Response Form, along with the online Enrollment Deferral Request Form and a written statement of plans for the gap year; those materials must be submitted by the May 1 response deadline. During the gap year, an admitted student may not apply to or enroll as a matriculated degree candidate at another college or university. Any academic work completed in the gap period between the completion of secondary school and enrollment at Amherst will not be eligible for credit toward the Amherst degree, unless the student reapplies for admission as a transfer student.
