What's the appeal for Amherst?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But the new science building is very cool. What's the culture around sports? Also, PP, can you share info about the lax team and what led to the action against it?

DP. There were years of problematic behavior by members of the mens lacrosse team under coach Jon Thompson. Lots of racism, homophobia, and inappropriate conduct toward women by a handful of players who knew Thompson would protect them from consequences. Most of it did not get public attention, but there were a few incidents that did, like when a couple of members of the team drew a swastika on the forehead of an unconscious student, took photos and then posted them on social media. They also had a group text chat where they would make fun of LGBTQ staff members and students. The college told Thompson to get his house in order, but all he did was give the team a wink-wink nudge-nudge talk while continuing to look the other way and protect favors players from consequences. It all culminated in an incident where three lacrosse players gathered outside the dorm room of a black teammate and chanted the n-word, which led to a physical fight between the four students. In addition to individual discipline for each of the three teammates who started the incident, the entire team was banned from post-season play and Thompson was fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were seriously interested in liberal arts colleges. I found their faculty in CS and STEM to be second rate (look at how many CS faculty they have).
I know research is not its main focus.. then what’s the difference from good private high schools?

You were seriously interested in LACs and you found Amherst lacking?

Bullshit.

ps I count 8 CS faculty. How many should a liberal arts college with less than 1,800 students have?

Out of 8 CS faculty, two of them are on leave. Amherst certainly can teach introductory CS classes, but what else can they teach? CS is quite broad, but Amherst simply doesn’t have enough faculty to teach advanced CS courses. You might be able to learn more from free online CS classes.
Amherst can be great for majors like English, Philosophy, maybe math.. they say you can take courses at uMass, then why do you pay high tuition if you are going to take classes at state school

Why would someone go to a SLAC for CS? Sounds like a poor fit.

If PP didn't like CS at Amherest, s/he needs to scratch off all the ivies - they are all liberal arts schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were seriously interested in liberal arts colleges. I found their faculty in CS and STEM to be second rate (look at how many CS faculty they have).
I know research is not its main focus.. then what’s the difference from good private high schools?

You were seriously interested in LACs and you found Amherst lacking?

Bullshit.

ps I count 8 CS faculty. How many should a liberal arts college with less than 1,800 students have?

Out of 8 CS faculty, two of them are on leave. Amherst certainly can teach introductory CS classes, but what else can they teach? CS is quite broad, but Amherst simply doesn’t have enough faculty to teach advanced CS courses. You might be able to learn more from free online CS classes.
Amherst can be great for majors like English, Philosophy, maybe math.. they say you can take courses at uMass, then why do you pay high tuition if you are going to take classes at state school

Why would someone go to a SLAC for CS? Sounds like a poor fit.

If PP didn't like CS at Amherest, s/he needs to scratch off all the ivies - they are all liberal arts schools.

The ivies are all universities. All are also classified as R1.

They have liberal arts schools within them, as nearly every university in the USA does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the new science building is very cool. What's the culture around sports? Also, PP, can you share info about the lax team and what led to the action against it?

DP. There were years of problematic behavior by members of the mens lacrosse team under coach Jon Thompson. Lots of racism, homophobia, and inappropriate conduct toward women by a handful of players who knew Thompson would protect them from consequences. Most of it did not get public attention, but there were a few incidents that did, like when a couple of members of the team drew a swastika on the forehead of an unconscious student, took photos and then posted them on social media. They also had a group text chat where they would make fun of LGBTQ staff members and students. The college told Thompson to get his house in order, but all he did was give the team a wink-wink nudge-nudge talk while continuing to look the other way and protect favors players from consequences. It all culminated in an incident where three lacrosse players gathered outside the dorm room of a black teammate and chanted the n-word, which led to a physical fight between the four students. In addition to individual discipline for each of the three teammates who started the incident, the entire team was banned from post-season play and Thompson was fired.

Does this tend be the lax culture at other nescacs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the new science building is very cool. What's the culture around sports? Also, PP, can you share info about the lax team and what led to the action against it?

DP. There were years of problematic behavior by members of the mens lacrosse team under coach Jon Thompson. Lots of racism, homophobia, and inappropriate conduct toward women by a handful of players who knew Thompson would protect them from consequences. Most of it did not get public attention, but there were a few incidents that did, like when a couple of members of the team drew a swastika on the forehead of an unconscious student, took photos and then posted them on social media. They also had a group text chat where they would make fun of LGBTQ staff members and students. The college told Thompson to get his house in order, but all he did was give the team a wink-wink nudge-nudge talk while continuing to look the other way and protect favors players from consequences. It all culminated in an incident where three lacrosse players gathered outside the dorm room of a black teammate and chanted the n-word, which led to a physical fight between the four students. In addition to individual discipline for each of the three teammates who started the incident, the entire team was banned from post-season play and Thompson was fired.

Does this tend be the lax culture at other nescacs?

There are significant issues in this country with sports culture generally, but that is a subject for a separate discussion. Just avoiding lacrosse teams or NESCAC schools will not solve it, because it is everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were seriously interested in liberal arts colleges. I found their faculty in CS and STEM to be second rate (look at how many CS faculty they have).
I know research is not its main focus.. then what’s the difference from good private high schools?

You were seriously interested in LACs and you found Amherst lacking?

Bullshit.

ps I count 8 CS faculty. How many should a liberal arts college with less than 1,800 students have?

Out of 8 CS faculty, two of them are on leave. Amherst certainly can teach introductory CS classes, but what else can they teach? CS is quite broad, but Amherst simply doesn’t have enough faculty to teach advanced CS courses. You might be able to learn more from free online CS classes.
Amherst can be great for majors like English, Philosophy, maybe math.. they say you can take courses at uMass, then why do you pay high tuition if you are going to take classes at state school

Why would someone go to a SLAC for CS? Sounds like a poor fit.

If PP didn't like CS at Amherest, s/he needs to scratch off all the ivies - they are all liberal arts schools.

The ivies are all universities. All are also classified as R1.

They have liberal arts schools within them, as nearly every university in the USA does.

DP. This is a distinction without a difference. Being a university rather than a college does not inherently mean an institution has a stronger computer science program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the new science building is very cool. What's the culture around sports? Also, PP, can you share info about the lax team and what led to the action against it?

DP. There were years of problematic behavior by members of the mens lacrosse team under coach Jon Thompson. Lots of racism, homophobia, and inappropriate conduct toward women by a handful of players who knew Thompson would protect them from consequences. Most of it did not get public attention, but there were a few incidents that did, like when a couple of members of the team drew a swastika on the forehead of an unconscious student, took photos and then posted them on social media. They also had a group text chat where they would make fun of LGBTQ staff members and students. The college told Thompson to get his house in order, but all he did was give the team a wink-wink nudge-nudge talk while continuing to look the other way and protect favors players from consequences. It all culminated in an incident where three lacrosse players gathered outside the dorm room of a black teammate and chanted the n-word, which led to a physical fight between the four students. In addition to individual discipline for each of the three teammates who started the incident, the entire team was banned from post-season play and Thompson was fired.

Does this tend be the lax culture at other nescacs?

There are significant issues in this country with sports culture generally, but that is a subject for a separate discussion. Just avoiding lacrosse teams or NESCAC schools will not solve it, because it is everywhere.

Ugg. I am going to take that as a yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the new science building is very cool. What's the culture around sports? Also, PP, can you share info about the lax team and what led to the action against it?

DP. There were years of problematic behavior by members of the mens lacrosse team under coach Jon Thompson. Lots of racism, homophobia, and inappropriate conduct toward women by a handful of players who knew Thompson would protect them from consequences. Most of it did not get public attention, but there were a few incidents that did, like when a couple of members of the team drew a swastika on the forehead of an unconscious student, took photos and then posted them on social media. They also had a group text chat where they would make fun of LGBTQ staff members and students. The college told Thompson to get his house in order, but all he did was give the team a wink-wink nudge-nudge talk while continuing to look the other way and protect favors players from consequences. It all culminated in an incident where three lacrosse players gathered outside the dorm room of a black teammate and chanted the n-word, which led to a physical fight between the four students. In addition to individual discipline for each of the three teammates who started the incident, the entire team was banned from post-season play and Thompson was fired.

Does this tend be the lax culture at other nescacs?

There are significant issues in this country with sports culture generally, but that is a subject for a separate discussion. Just avoiding lacrosse teams or NESCAC schools will not solve it, because it is everywhere.

Ugg. I am going to take that as a yes.

It’s not a yes. I am not familiar with every lax program at every nescac school to answer your question either way. But there are issues in sports programs generally. At one school it may be lacrosse. For another it might be football or basketball or soccer or ice hockey. There may be schools out there whose sports programs are all truly issue-free, but those are very few and far between. No school can guarantee all their programs will be problem-free, so you need to look to the broader culture of the school and how they handle these issues when they arise.

The parent of the 2020 Amherst grad felt that Buddy responded too harshly to the lacrosse team issues. Some people agree with that poster. Other people feel that, if anything, the lacrosse team was given too much leniency over the years and Amherst should have taken action much earlier. Only you know where you stand on that.

[Anonymous]

My DH and all of his friends who are Amherst alums are very close. The Amherst network is strong. DH has reached out to numerous alums with no warm introduction and nearly all reply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were seriously interested in liberal arts colleges. I found their faculty in CS and STEM to be second rate (look at how many CS faculty they have).
I know research is not its main focus.. then what’s the difference from good private high schools?

You were seriously interested in LACs and you found Amherst lacking?

Bullshit.

ps I count 8 CS faculty. How many should a liberal arts college with less than 1,800 students have?

Out of 8 CS faculty, two of them are on leave. Amherst certainly can teach introductory CS classes, but what else can they teach? CS is quite broad, but Amherst simply doesn’t have enough faculty to teach advanced CS courses. You might be able to learn more from free online CS classes.
Amherst can be great for majors like English, Philosophy, maybe math.. they say you can take courses at uMass, then why do you pay high tuition if you are going to take classes at state school

Why would someone go to a SLAC for CS? Sounds like a poor fit.

If PP didn't like CS at Amherest, s/he needs to scratch off all the ivies - they are all liberal arts schools.

The ivies are all universities. All are also classified as R1.

They have liberal arts schools within them, as nearly every university in the USA does.

DP. This is a distinction without a difference. Being a university rather than a college does not inherently mean an institution has a stronger computer science program.

It is by no means a distinction without a difference. And your other point is not one anyone is arguing. Swing and a miss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were seriously interested in liberal arts colleges. I found their faculty in CS and STEM to be second rate (look at how many CS faculty they have).
I know research is not its main focus.. then what’s the difference from good private high schools?

You were seriously interested in LACs and you found Amherst lacking?

Bullshit.

ps I count 8 CS faculty. How many should a liberal arts college with less than 1,800 students have?

Out of 8 CS faculty, two of them are on leave. Amherst certainly can teach introductory CS classes, but what else can they teach? CS is quite broad, but Amherst simply doesn’t have enough faculty to teach advanced CS courses. You might be able to learn more from free online CS classes.
Amherst can be great for majors like English, Philosophy, maybe math.. they say you can take courses at uMass, then why do you pay high tuition if you are going to take classes at state school

Why would someone go to a SLAC for CS? Sounds like a poor fit.

If PP didn't like CS at Amherest, s/he needs to scratch off all the ivies - they are all liberal arts schools.

The ivies are all universities. All are also classified as R1.

They have liberal arts schools within them, as nearly every university in the USA does.

DP. This is a distinction without a difference. Being a university rather than a college does not inherently mean an institution has a stronger computer science program.

It is by no means a distinction without a difference. And your other point is not one anyone is arguing. Swing and a miss.

This tangent is specifically about the computer science program. If you are trying to derail it into something else, that’s a separate issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town. No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc). Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves. Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots. This struck us because the students we met at Yale and Brown were so much more friendly and humble. They tout small classes but only 62% are under 20 students- every other top ranked SLAC and nearly every top 20 university is ahead of them. They themselves said few utilize the 5 College consortium, so that's a moot benefit.

What is the big hype behind this school? I don't get it.

We felt the same and couldn't justify paying full cost. It has generous need based financial aid so likely a better value for others and a good alternative for wealthy rejected or intimidated by Ivies and academically challenging schools (MIT, Cal Tech, Chicago, Hopkins, Rice, CMU type T20).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were seriously interested in liberal arts colleges. I found their faculty in CS and STEM to be second rate (look at how many CS faculty they have).
I know research is not its main focus.. then what’s the difference from good private high schools?

You were seriously interested in LACs and you found Amherst lacking?

Bullshit.

ps I count 8 CS faculty. How many should a liberal arts college with less than 1,800 students have?

Out of 8 CS faculty, two of them are on leave. Amherst certainly can teach introductory CS classes, but what else can they teach? CS is quite broad, but Amherst simply doesn’t have enough faculty to teach advanced CS courses. You might be able to learn more from free online CS classes.
Amherst can be great for majors like English, Philosophy, maybe math.. they say you can take courses at uMass, then why do you pay high tuition if you are going to take classes at state school

Why would someone go to a SLAC for CS? Sounds like a poor fit.

If PP didn't like CS at Amherest, s/he needs to scratch off all the ivies - they are all liberal arts schools.

The ivies are all universities. All are also classified as R1.

They have liberal arts schools within them, as nearly every university in the USA does.

DP. This is a distinction without a difference. Being a university rather than a college does not inherently mean an institution has a stronger computer science program.

It is by no means a distinction without a difference. And your other point is not one anyone is arguing. Swing and a miss.

This tangent is specifically about the computer science program. If you are trying to derail it into something else, that’s a separate issue.

Stop being pedantic. I directly responded to a stupid comment that "the ivies - they are all liberal arts schools."

[Anonymous]

Amherst is completely or partially free for lower and middle income, has huge endowment, good faculty and tight alumni network.

It has a fragmented student body and you may end up having a miserable experience topped with horrible winter and geographical isolation compared to schools with cohesive student body and warm metropolitan setting.

Its certainly not a school for doughnut hole upper middle class, not a good value for the price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:not a good value for the price.

Since Amherst costs the same as essentially all LACs, and is more generous with need based aid than nearly all, how do you justify this claim?