Amherst Admission Requirements

How hard is it to get into Amherst and can I get accepted? The school has a 13% acceptance rate ranking it #3 in Massachusetts for lowest rate of acceptance. Last year, 1,198 out of 9,285 applicants were admitted making Amherst a very highly competitive school to get into with a low chance of acceptance for typical applicants.  Academically, it has exceptionally high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 2 percent. Only 39% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top ten percent of their high school class.

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SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Amherst College?

Amherst College typically requires applicants to be in the top 2 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1450 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1390. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1510 out of 1600. The school ranks #5 in Massachusetts for highest average SAT composite score. 33 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into Amherst?

Admission data indicates that Amherst regularly accepts students with ACT's of 32 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 3 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 31 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 33 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 34 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #3 in Massachusetts for highest average ACT composite score. Scoring well on the ACT is very important as 67 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to Amherst College.

Amherst College has not reported high school GPA data for its accepted students.

83% of Amherst College freshman were in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class.

What are the requirements for admission to Amherst College and what considerations affect admission decisions?