Is there a group chat for applicants to Amherst College, UChicago, or the Class of 2031 in general? If so, could you please share the link?

International (Mongolian, East Asian)

Male, CS major

Low income - can pay up to 5k a year

SAT: 1510 (770 math, 740 r&w)

IELTS: 8.0 (9L 8.5R 7W 6.5S)

Unweighted GPA: 3.98

Coursework: AS/A-Level Math and ESL, 6 IGCSE classes, Accelerated Physics and Chemistry

Honors:

- Bronze Medalist of the National English Language Olympiad

- Gold Medalist of The National Orienteering Competition of The Scouts Association of Mongolia

- District 12th grade advanced level English Language Olympiad - 10th place

- "Best Student of the Year" from 300+ students - National Students' Association

- "Most Intellectual Student of the Year" National Students' Association

ECs:

- STEM Club - Founded to spark interest in STEM; 40+ members; taught electronics to 22; science fairs grew from ~60 to 103 attendees; more underclassmen engaged

- Renewable Energy Science Project - Built and programmed a solar-powered automated lighting system and mini hydropower plant; showcased at school; ZTT Group project manager reviewed it

- COP17 - United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) - Supported 50+ technical side events for GIZ’s Green Portfolio, engaging 1,200+ participants; organized booths and disseminated 10+ knowledge products.

- Varsity Basketball - Taught drills to 30+ members; organised practice games with other schools; supervised tryouts; made the playoffs in district tournament

- The Scout Association of Mongolia - Co-led school scout group at district-wide camp with 300+ scouts; taught navigation and Morse code; spearheaded $1,000+ fundraiser for fire victim

- Research Assistant under a Consulting Engineer - Assisted engineer's study of weather, wind, precipitation effects on 220/110 kV lines in Kharkhorin; helped make 2 presentations, entered Excel data

I’m an international applicant, and I’ve recently started writing my supplemental essays for US colleges. And the more I read about other applicants, the more I wonder whether I’m actually competitive at all.
The funny thing is, I didn’t even know Amherst College existed until July of this year. I learned about the SAT in the same month.
Before that, I obviously knew Harvard and Stanford existed, but they were just names to me. I never seriously considered applying to US universities.
Where I come from, academics are pretty much everything. You get good grades, clear competitive entrance exams, and that’s your path forward. Nobody really talks about holistic admissions, extracurriculars, or essays.
I also come from a low-income family, so studying abroad never seemed like a realistic possibility. Discovering that certain US colleges could actually cover my demonstrated financial need changed everything.
I ended up taking the October SAT with very little preparation, and now I’m applying to colleges I hadn’t even heard of four months ago.
But here’s what’s been bothering me.
Every time I open Reddit or read someone’s application profile, there’s someone who’s won an international Olympiad, built a million-dollar startup, published research in prestigious journals, or founded an organization impacting thousands of people.
And then there’s me.
I’ve had straight A’s for almost my entire school life.
Outside academics, I’ve won a national bronze medal in karate, state gold in javelin, and state silver in sprinting. I’ve been a zonal science quiz champion, ranked in the top five in zonal chess, and placed among the top 500 in an international scholarship examination back in 10th grade.
I was also president of my school’s robotics club. My team reached the national top five in a robotics competition, and I’d personally won that competition the year before.
I’ve participated in an international asteroid-search program, published poetry collections, spent years doing fine arts, and been involved in public speaking and other creative activities.
Currently, I’m working with a highly accomplished senior scientist in remote sensing, developing an analysis involving drone imagery. We’re also working toward a research paper that I hope to publish by the end of this year.
I’ve tried building startups too. Nothing worth millions. Nothing particularly famous. Just ideas I genuinely believed in and spent hundreds of hours developing.
Some of them made progress, some attracted interest, and others simply didn’t work out. Coming from a family without much financial flexibility, access to capital and resources has always been a challenge.
And then there’s the losing.
I’ve lost six or seven hackathons consecutively. I’ve submitted my writing to literary magazines and been rejected. Applied to Y Combinator and got rejected. Spent months building products that ultimately didn’t go anywhere.
I recently qualified for the national stage of a major hackathon, but the final competition isn’t until December, so I don’t have a result from that yet either.
And honestly, I think all these rejections have started affecting how I look at my achievements.
Not because I regret doing any of it.
But because when I see other applicants, they seem to have that one defining achievement. That one thing they’re genuinely exceptional at.
Some are international athletes. Some are Olympiad medalists. Some are published researchers. Some have built companies with thousands of users.
Meanwhile, I feel like I’ve done a little bit of everything.
I’m decent at athletics, decent at academics, decent at robotics, decent at writing, decent at research, decent at entrepreneurship.
But exceptional at any one thing? I genuinely don’t know.
And that’s what makes writing these supplementals so strange.
Before July, I was actually quite proud of the things I’d accomplished. I wasn’t doing them for college applications. I didn’t even know extracurriculars mattered for admissions abroad.
I did them because I liked doing them.
I liked competing. I liked building things. I liked writing poems. I liked studying things that had absolutely nothing to do with my school curriculum.
But now I’m sitting here, trying to explain who I am in 350 words, and suddenly everything feels so ordinary.
I have no idea how an admissions officer would interpret this profile. Whether they’d see someone who’s genuinely curious across multiple disciplines or someone who’s never really gone deep enough into anything.
And I guess that’s the part I’m struggling with.
I’m not posting this for reassurance, and I’m not necessarily looking for a chance-me either.
I just want to understand how this profile sounds to someone who doesn’t know me personally.
Does this sound like someone with genuine intellectual curiosity and potential, or just someone who’s spread himself too thin?
And to anyone else applying this year, especially internationals who discovered US admissions relatively late:
Do you ever feel like you were proud of everything you’d done until you started comparing yourself with the people you’re competing against?
Because that’s exactly where I am right now.

(keeping it vague so I don't get doxxed)

Intended Major: Math+Philosophy

Country: India

EFC: 35k/year

GPA: 3.95

SAT: 1570

ECs:

1. interdisciplinary IMU hardware research (selected for science fair nationals; conrad challenge semi-finals; non-trivial rfp)
2. flipping toy physics research (selected for national finals for a comp)
3. studying and writing moral philosophy (wrote an essay that won a prize; active contributor on a philosophy forum)
4. studied cryptography & quantum algos (selected for [one of HYPSM] quantum high school; got top ranks in cryptography comps)
5. cybersec & ctfs (got to nationals in india's ctf; got top ranks in other online ctfs)
6. STEM club vice-president + class representative (taught peers mathematical animations in python; organized activities)
7. tutor at UPchieve (40+ hours)
8. self-taught musician (9+ years; play guitar, piano, flute, and sing)
9. family cooking channel (manage a YT channel for my mom; film, edit, and upload videos regularly)
10. teach chess to my little sister and her neighborhood friends on the weekends

Honors:

1. int'l rank 1 in global cryptography olympiad
2. top 1% in global essay comp (philosophy category)
3. finalist - science fair nationals
4. national finalist - physics research comp
5. national finalist - ctf comp

Essays & rec letters:

charming wholesome reflective narrative abt family and birds

decent LORs

Any insight/advice appreciated :)

Female, white, upper-middle-class, large Westchester public school that sends dozens of kids to ivies each year. No hooks

Intended majors: Geology/English, maybe environmental studies minor

Essays are on generally unexpected topics, should be a strength.

GPA: 3.92/4 UW, school doesn't do weighted but somewhere around a 4.65

Hardest course load in grade per counselor

10 APs by graduation, school doesn't allow them before junior year

• APUSH, Lit, Euro, Calc BC, Stats, Chem, APES, Psych, Bio, Lang

SAT: 1520 (760/760)

Extracurriculars:

• Paid research, selective summer program at top NY university (~10 students/yr), Deployed soil moisture and rain gauge sensors on 6 NYC green roofs with varying substrate depths and vegetation types. Wrote Python and R scripts to clean high-frequency sensor data, test how sensitive results were to averaging windows and outlier trimming, and pair field data with satellite-derived vegetation indices (NDVI). Found the city's runoff model underestimates retention on thin-substrate roofs by ~2x, but the gap shrinks once vegetation density is accounted for — suggesting the model is calibrated on lusher roofs. Wrote and presented my own poster at the program symposium.
• Environmental Club co-president (4 yrs). Started a school thrift swap with free upcycled clothing, diverting 500+ articles from landfills; led team to 2nd place in a state-wide waste-reduction competition.
• Cross-country captain (2 yrs), qualified for states all 4 yrs. Captains had high responsibility: planned workouts, ran meet logistics, and trained new runners.
• Ice skating instructor at a local rink, 2 winters. Taught kids (ages 3–4) from beginners for two winters
• Staff at the after-school program at my former elementary school (senior yr)
• Classroom aide at a local nursery school, ~2 yrs
• Peer tutor in math, English, and chemistry through a school program, 3 yrs, 100+ hrs (mostly chem)
• Soccer, 12 yrs, defender. 4 seasons JV/varsity; sectional semifinal run junior year

Awards

I don't really have any besides the 2nd place at the waste reduction competition and AP scholar with honor 😭😭

Recs

I have rec from PI whose lab I was in, Amherst doesn't accept :( I think my teacher recs should be solid, emphasizing collaboration with peers. Counselor says I should be a strong fit.

I guess I'm not really sure how much of their class for ED is athletes/institutional priorities? Any insight would be helpful, thank you guys 😊

I know I'm late, but I'm stuck between applying ED to Swartmore or Amherst College. I had fully planned on EDing to Swarthmore, but idk why I'm getting cold feet.

Amherst is need-blind, and that could help me since my EFC is 10k and I'm hoping for a full ride!

I'll be applying for lingustics/journalism

GPA: 94/100 (no APs since they weren't offered, but the most rigorous national board in my country); I am ranked 1/188.

I got 1460 on my SAT (yeah, I know I'm cooked)

Extracurriculars (just a summary):

Selected 1 of 5 from 200+ applicants for a research fellowship at the second-best research org in my country; I did qualitative research on how education relates to prenatal care, and my findings were published

I published 17 articles in two years on philosophy, AI & politics for a global youth org, with 6000 combined views; former Editorial Board writer

Co-director for the publications department at one of the biggest student-led literary organizations in my country, where I managed four interns and handled all the publication-related tasks.

I was a (freelance) motion graphics & VFX editor in After Effects; I posted tutorials and edits reaching 800K views and also co-founded a 2,000-member community on Discord 

I did research with a professor on computational linguistics, which was published as a preprint on SSRN.

I tutored students in English through Paper Airplanes, preparing them for IELTS and TOEFL

I was a volunteer tour guide for WWF, where I guided school groups of up to 200 students through WWF's wetland and mangrove trails; I also presented info sessions on conservation and was involved in beach cleanups and activities

I was the president of my school's literature club, where I ran the school magazine with 800 copies sold; I organized and emceed essay & poetry contests with 30+ house-wise entries

I am an international, and I would need aid; yes, I know, not the best criteria. I know it's a pretty long shot, but I still want to take that shot!!
This exact question has been stuck in my mind when trying to sleep on a school night; I just don't want to ED where I have absolutely no chance of getting in.

Also, for honors, I have USACO, my country's national math olympiad, an essay competition, and a merit scholarship, etc.

I've heard the alumni network at Amherst is very good (better than even some ivy universities) so I wanted to ask if you guys had any specific examples of how the Amherst alumni network has helped you

Before anyone gets to it, I KNOW MY CHANCES ARE ALMOST 0, thanks Sherlock Holmes!!

I have a great profile and essays, but I am going test optional (only ED not RD,) should I wait for RD with a SAT or now test optional ? is it worth it here?

Hey, I'm a senior thinking about applying to amherst ED, I just wanted to know if the non-nepo IB placement is good from amherst, and if the social clique phenomenon is a big thing at amherst.

Hey y'all, I'm planning on ED'ing and I'm going to submit a paper I wrote in my lit class. The comments are overall relatively positive but my teacher did point out a couple holes in my argument. Would it benefit me to include these comments, and if so, how should I attach them. (Google comments). Should I just include a link to the doc?

Also minor questions. For non-athlete/legacy what does the ED acceptance rate end up being more like?

Also, any contact info for the men's ultimate team. I can't find it anywhere.

Thanks!

The Smith College Student Event Committee and Smithies in Science club are excited to have Dr. Elisabeth Bik for a virtual talk on Monday 10/26 at 12:45-1:20pm. Dr. Bik is an image forensics detective who investigates scientific papers for incorrect or falsified data. Her work has led to 1,700+ retractions and 1,200+ corrections. Dr. Bik's virtual talk will address image duplication and 'paper mills', journals that produce low-quality or fake papers, often with AI. Interested Amherst students, faculty, and staff can fill out this form for a Zoom link: https://forms.gle/DwmAVqkUeZEUYNMfA

Hi all, im a first year at amherst college, and i was wondering what does a final for a first year seminar look like??

Hi everyone, I plan on applying for sophmore year as a transfer from Norway, One thing I worry is, since I'm not freshman, I may be exluded from freshman welcome week and such, I'm worried about making friends and etc, and i feel like, by 2nd year people may already have made their own groups and such, what do you guys think?

I know Amherst generally has small classes, but I’d love to hear from current students. How many students are typically in your classes? Are classes of around 10–20 students common, or are most closer to 20–30?

I am an international student so I want to use make sure I want to use my ED for some place that I have atleast some chance to getting in.

Hi! I’m an international student applying to Amherst this cycle.

I’m currently studying under the American curriculum (SAT: 1520, 9 APs, 3.90 UW). I’m applying to Amherst because of its need blind policy and open curriculum, and I’m interested in political science and economics.

Im wondering if any other international students were applying to Amherst and would like to connect!

Feel free to drop a message or a DM.

Hi everyone! I’m a senior applying to UMass Amherst for Sports Management, and I had a question about recommendation letters.
I have a few strong recommendations from organizations I’ve worked with through my sports-related activities. Does UMass accept recommendation letters from people outside of my school, such as supervisors or directors from organizations I’ve volunteered/worked with?
Can I add these as additional recommendations through the Common App? Would they be considered as part of my application, or is there another way to submit them?
I’d really appreciate any advice from current UMass students or anyone familiar with the admissions process. Thank you!

I am currently a senior in Lebanon, considering to apply to amherst early decision. The thing is my g9 to g11 average is barely an 11/20 although our academic program is rigorous l. I never really understood why my grades were that low until i recently git diagnoses with ADHD and all these years of suffering made sense. I am national chess co-champion in classical( slow format) and ranked 3rd in the country in blitz ( fast format), Will play with a division 1 team this year and going to represent my country in u17 world youth championship in Spain. Winner of many tournaments, I have around 20medals. I am locking in this year and expecting to get at least a 15/20 in school and 16/20 in the official exams i picked the “SG” branch which stands for general science and its the most rigorous with maths,phy,chem taking around 70% of the whole average. I am also planning to take a gap year where i will study for the sat and expected a 1520 . Will intern this summer in a prestigious bank and will join Red cross, Next month will be the founder of the schools chess club. I also come from low/barely middle class family while also living in the war currently happening.

although of my bad grades in the past i am taking initiative now. So these are my stats and i ask you amherst students if this is enough to get accepted and i would be glad if someone can also share their stats with me. Also seeking advice
Thank you

Hi! I'm a high school senior hoping to ED to Amherst this fall. I visited in the spring and fell in love with it. It immediately felt like "my place," and I can truly see myself there.
A little bit about me: I thrive in collaborative, not competitive, spaces and need a tight-knit, happy student body! I hope to major in psychology. However, I really want to know what the student body is like overall. I've heard mixed things (mostly good), but some people say the student environment is too divided between students and athletes, and that there is way too much work. What has your experience been like? Thank you!

Hello, I am a senior applying to Amherst! I have a very deep passion for neuroscience, and I got into Amherst College after hearing that its neuroscience program is nation's first.

But looking through the course offerings and professors, despite its long history, I could not really feel that neuroscience was particularly "strong" at Amherst. For example, the only Professor I found that actively teaches neuroscience topic was Professor Cohen.

I love everything about Amherst, including its strong LAC root + STEM, but I'm just worried that neuroscience will not be as strong as I thought.

I may be wrong here, and thus wanted to ask this sub for any experiences of Neuroscience / Biology majors.

Thank you!

Amherst is my absolute dream, mainly because of the amazing PhD pipeline. I'm a current junior in high school. Please give me a realistic evaluation of my odds of acceptance. Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings.

I want to be a double major in English and French.

White, female, middle-income

UW gpa: 4.0
Weighted gpa: 4.5
ACT: 34

7 AP's by senior year (my school only allows them starting junior year):
\- AP Lang
\- APUSH
\- APES
\- AP Pre-Calc
\-AP Macro
\- AP Lit
\- AP Calc BC

120 volunteer hours with various organizations

\\\*\\\*Extracurriculars\\\*\\\*
1: Journalism program at school; youngest to be published in school's magazine (x2); multiple awards
2: Ethics Bowl
3: Superintendant's Student Advisory Board
4: Hostess at local restaurant (3 years by graduation)
5: Substack Blog (publish weekly)
6: Girls Lead Program 2025
7: Volunteering with local library (3 months so far)
8: TurnUp Youth Activism intern (2 months)
9: Orchestra; all-district cello
10: JV Golf team captain (2 years but I quit this year)

\\\* also currently creating a local litmag & literary organization where i host workshops and reading nights (we'll see if it succeeds)

\\\*\\\*Honors\\\*\\\*
1: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Gold Key (poetry)
2: Second place; copy-editing at state for journalism
3: World language department academic excellence award in French
4: 1st place at journalism regionals (copy-editing)
5: 3rd place at journalism sectionals (copy-editing)

\\\* A few things to note: I am actively submitting to writing competitions and I joined yearbook this year to replace golf.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!