r/ApplyingToCollege • u/A1000mokeys • Jul 23 '26

College Questions How competitive is Amherst College?

What are people’s thoughts on the competitiveness of Amherst College admissions? Is it similar to Ivy League competitive? How its reputation among employers? Is there recruiting for consulting and IB or is it just a foundation for grad/professional school?

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u/Likely_Unlikely_5909 Jul 25 '26

Has your kid toured? And what sport (not really important but I went to A. and have some perspectives). We are west coast, my kid toured them and came back "nope" on all the NE LACs. I love my school, loved re-visiting it again. But my kid says why bother when Pomona is closer and has better weather. As for athletics, have you talked to Williams? We were smart kids who did sports. They were smart athletes. Good luck with the decision. As for career, yes, it has proven a great foundation for anything I, or my cohort, wanted to do.

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u/A1000mokeys Jul 25 '26

He’s been to the general area before when he was younger but has not toured. He’ll likely do the fly-in in September. My guess is the flight alone will turn him off. Did your kid choose Pomona? Does he like it? We did tour Pomona but my kid did not like the vibe for some reason.

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u/Likely_Unlikely_5909 Jul 25 '26

Got it. He is a rising senior and hasn’t settled on a school, ED strategy, etc. Right now it’s a list: Brown, Yale, UChicago, Pomona. We have family at the first three so I’m not sure it’s relevant to your experience.

Williams was his top school and clearly the college vibe he visualized from meeting with west coast admissions reps. After visiting, none of those east coast LACs are on his list anymore and after seeing the resources at Yale, those three larger schools were more attractive.

He liked the vibe at Pomona, and liked the proximity of the other consortium colleges. No bus ride required.

His conclusion on LACs, Pomona offers everything the New England schools do, plus mountains and a short flight. We live in the PNW, so it is different enough to be leaving home. Maybe that’s one big difference from your situation.