How to get into Amherst
What 132 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 484 Amherst results that students posted for the 2016 to 2027 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
Applying to Amherst? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.
Amherst admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
4.00
Middle half 3.93 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,550
Middle half 1,520 to 1,570
Median ACT
35
Middle half 34 to 36
Median weighted GPA
4.60
Middle half 4.40 to 4.75
Results posted: 132 admitted, 264 rejected, 88 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Amherst acceptance rate; the official rate is in Amherst’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 4.00 | 3.90 |
| SAT | 1,550 | 1,530 |
| ACT | 35 | 34 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Amherst admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service61%
- Tutoring/Teaching42%
- Work/Job37%
- Research36%
- Music36%
- Internship34%
- Advocacy/Politics33%
- Debate/MUN/Speech33%
Held a leadership role
86%
Founded something
39%
National or intl. award
83%
Did research
36%
Intended majors of Amherst admits
- Political Science20%
- History9%
- Economics8%
- English/Writing6%
- Math6%
- Computer Science5%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 20% first-generation, 25% low income, 17% underrepresented minority, 11% legacy, 0% recruited athlete and 10% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 18% chose Amherst.
Three recent Amherst admits
2027 cycle · RD · Political Science
Los Angeles applicant whose essay examined the inequality between his commute's two worlds.
GPA 3.98 UW · SAT 1520 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Economics
Debate champion and civic organizer who co-founded a national debate organization and runs student education outreach.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post
2026 cycle · Economics
Debate-focused student with public speaking coaching, nonprofit vocational-school work abroad, and law-related research.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1550 · Original post
Where else Amherst admits got in
Amherst admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Amherst?
- Among 132 applicants who posted a Amherst admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 4.00 and the middle half reported 3.93 to 4.00 (95 reported a GPA). Amherst sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Amherst?
- Among 132 applicants who posted a Amherst admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,550 and the middle half scored 1,520 to 1,570 (100 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 35.
- What extracurriculars do Amherst admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (61%), tutoring/teaching (42%), work/job (37%), research (36%). 86% held at least one leadership role and 83% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Amherst acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Amherst in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Amherst?
A Specialist who got into a school like Amherst can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2027 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Amherst. All colleges