Putting the small in small liberal arts school, Amherst College is located in, you guessed it, Amherst, Massachusetts. With an undergrad population of less than 2k and a totally open curriculum, Amherst attracts students who want to dive deep into their academic subject of choice. They’re also a very athletic school – and they claim to have the oldest athletics department in the country since they’ve been requiring physical education since 1860. They also played the first college baseball game ever against Williams. Currently, they are part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), and compete in D3 sports with Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Tufts, Trinity, Wesleyan, and Williams. About 35-40% of the student body competes in a varsity sport.
According to this report on the Amherst athletics program from 2017, athletic skill plays a pretty significant role in admissions, which is good news if you are looking to get recruited to play sports at Amherst. However, it’s not that simple.
Amherst is a D3 school, meaning they're all about putting the "student" in student-athlete. D3 teams don't have huge budgets, their seasons are a bit shorter, and they don't offer athletic scholarships. But don't assume that D3 automatically equals being terrible at sports – less than 3% of high school athletes continue playing in college at any level. It takes some serious talent to make it to the next level, even if it's D3. So if you've got the skills (and all the other stuff), playing a sport could give you that extra edge you're looking for on your Amherst app.
Amherst has 12 men’s and 13 women’s sports, including everything from basketball to squash. We have some advice before you dive in headfirst. Each sport has its own guidelines and regulations for recruiting, including limitations on who can initiate communication through email, calls, or in-person approaches, and limits on when communication can begin during your high school career. Learn the regulations for your specific sport, register with the NCAA Clearing House, contact the governing body of your sport for guidance, and educate yourself on the relevant regulations.
Okay, so that’s all out of the way, but we still need to address the mammoth in the room. The mammoth is Amherst’s mascot. That was an attempt at a joke. Anyways, getting recruited is hard and we’re sure you know that, but getting a support letter from a coach doesn’t mean your B- average from freshman year gets wiped away. In order to get recruited, you need to be able to get into Amherst on your own accord. NESCAC schools like Amherst are very concerned with maintaining the image of being first and foremost an academic institution:
“All NESCAC member colleges enroll students who will enhance and enjoy the intellectual, social, and extracurricular communities our campuses provide. We seek students who are interested in the wide range of rigorous intellectual experiences offered, and value the role that extra-curricular activities, such as music, debate, theater, political action, and athletics, play on campus.”
So what does this mean? Basically, in order to get recruited to a liberal arts school, you need to be a liberal arts student. Let’s talk about what that entails.
Grades
Amherst does not publish the average GPA of accepted students, but we do know they had a 9% acceptance rate for the Class of 2027. Amherst is one of the more selective NESCAC schools, and in our experience with past clients, students who are highly competitive for Ivies are also eyeing Amherst. That means you need to have a perfect GPA, or as close as you can get. According to some 3rd party websites, the average GPA is between 3.9 and 4.07. You need to have excellent grades in the hardest classes your school offers to be competitive, grade-wise.
Scores
Like GPA, Amherst doesn’t publish data on scores, but from some outside research, NESCAC knowledge, and past experience, anything less than 1450 wouldn’t fly and you’d be much, much safer with 1550 on the SAT and you’re looking at between 33 and 35 for the ACT. So, just like with GPA, in order to be competitive you’ll need nearly perfect stats.
Extracurriculars
Being busy with your sport isn’t a good enough excuse for a lacking extracurricular profile. Students who get into Amherst and similar schools have robust extracurriculars that prove to them that they’re interested in the major they’ve claimed on their application.
If you’re interested in poli sci and econ as a precursor to law school, your extracurriculars should reflect that. Have you interned for a law firm? Worked on a campaign? Started your own grassroots movement? Done research with a professor? Found your one, weird niche thing that you’re insanely passionate about? If not, it’s time to go back to the drawing board and add some depth to your application.
A Stellar Essay
Having an excellent Common App essay is mandatory. We recommend writing a unique essay that captures ‘you’ in a way that cliche topics (like, idk, your sport) can’t. Past students have written about everything from hotdogs to hedgehogs, and those creative essays leave a lasting impression on admissions officers.
Amherst also has supplemental essays. Last year, they gave the option to submit a paper instead of an essay. Don’t do that. Do one of the regular questions.
Athletic Talent
Last but not least, you need athletic talent. Time for some tough love, guys. You need to have the athletic talent to get recruited, and we suggest taking a long, hard look at where you’re at and seeing if it’s realistic for you. Be honest with yourself. If you think it’s not going to pan out, we suggest not doing the sport anymore and using that time to go nuts on extracurriculars.
Amherst is not an easy school to get into, nor is it a slam-dunk (haha, puns) to bet on recruitment as your ticket in. Their academic standards won’t lower just because you’re the best basketball player at your high school. If you believe you have what it takes, academically and athletically, then go for it!
If you need help strategizing for college admissions, navigating the process, or writing your essays, reach out to us today.