Amherst College
Admissions
Interested in attending Amherst College?
On this page, you'll learn how difficult it is to get into Amherst College, we'll dig into high school grades and test scores, and you'll find out the factors the school considers when reviewing applications.
Admission Rates
Is it difficult to get into Amherst College?
Using the most up-to-date data on record, Amherst accepted 10% of applicants. We classify this as most selective.
In the most recent year, 11,919 people applied and 1,250 were accepted.
Applied/Accepted
Acceptance rates at colleges can change over time, with some becoming more competitive and others accepting more students. Here’s a look at the acceptance rate trend for the past 3 years at Amherst College:
Acceptance rates at schools can vary depending on if the student is in-state, out-of-state, or international.
Of those accepted, 38% ended up enrolling at Amherst College, making their yield rate High. The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who enroll at the school. You can use the yield rate to find out how coveted a school is for the students who apply to it.
Application Factors
You can increase your chances of getting into Amherst College by looking at what the school considers during the application process.
Here are the things Amherst considers:
Very Important
- Academic GPA
- Application Essay
- Character/Personal Qualities
- Extracurricular Activities
- Recommendation(s)
- Rigor of Secondary School Record
- Talent/Ability
Important
- Class Rank
- First Generation
- Volunteer Work
- Work Experience
Considered
- Alumni/AE Relation
- Geographical Residence
- Standardized Test Scores
Not Considered
- Interview
- Level of Applicant's Interest
- Religious Affiliation/Commitment
- State Residency
Grades & Testing
Do you have the grades and test scores to get into Amherst College?
Grades
90% of freshmen who attended Amherst were in the top 10% of their graduating high school class, and 97% were in the top 25% of their graduating high school class.
Amherst is Test Optional. This means scores are considered if they are submitted, but applicants do not need to submit scores.
Applicants submitting SAT Scores
Applicants submitting ACT Scores
SAT Math Scores
SAT Verb Scores
SAT Composite Scores
Application Deadlines
These are the deadlines for applying to Amherst College. Application deadlines are subject to change, so please verify all deadlines with the school.
Regular Admissions
Early Decision
Early Decision is a program in which students commit to attend a school if they are accepted. Some schools have a higher acceptance rate for Early Decision than regular decision. Amherst's Early Decision acceptance rate is 27%, compared to 10% overall. If you’re sure you want to attend Amherst College, you might consider applying Early Decision.
Mistakes were made
(But not by you!)
These are the top 10 mistakes people make when searching for colleges
Get the free guide
