Please have your school counselor send any available senior year grades by email at QuestBridge@amherst.edu as soon as possible so that your application can proceed through the evaluation process. Even if official grades for senior year are not yet available, please have your counselor send progress report grades to date for each of the classes you are taking this year.

Amherst is test-optional. The test-optional policy applies to all applicants - domestic and international - applying for first-year admission. At their own discretion, students may choose to submit SAT/ACT test scores for consideration in the application review process. Once Amherst receives your QuestBridge Application, your required Test Preference Form will be available for you to complete on your Application Status Portal. Amherst will not consider SAT Subject Tests.

Students can choose to submit scores by self-reporting them on their QuestBridge Application or on their Application Status Portal, having them emailed to questbridge@amherst.edu from a high school counselor, or sending them directly from College Board/ACT.

You can learn more about Amherst’s test optional policy here.

First-year applicants who have completed the two most recent years of secondary education at a school with English as the primary language of instruction are eligible for a waiver of the English proficiency requirement. Students who speak English as a native language are also eligible for a waiver.

Any international applicant whose first language is not English is required to take and submit score reports from English proficiency testing: either TOEFL (iBT, Home Edition), IELTS Academic, or the Duolingo English Test (DET), unless the applicant satisfies the waiver eligibility conditions above. Amherst does not provide coupons for DET. 

Note: Only those applicants who satisfy the waiver eligibility criteria stated above can be exempted from Amherst's English language proficiency testing requirement. Additionally, students may not request approval of a waiver prior to submitting an application for admission. After a student has submitted an application for admission, the student will be assigned an individualized applicant portal where they can access a form attesting to eligibility for an English proficiency testing waiver. Amherst does not provide preliminary determinations of waiver eligibility prior to application.

Learn more about English proficiency requirements.

If you would like to include an arts supplement (music, dance, theater, or visual arts) to your application, you may do so through your Amherst Applicant Portal. You can learn more about submitting optional arts supplements here.

Please select "Early Decision" or "Regular Decision" as your admission application type. 

If your parents are divorced or separated:

• Both of your biological/adoptive parent(s) will complete their own CSS Profile. Each parent will access the CSS Profile with different log-in credentials. The secondary household (non-custodial parent) will need to create a College Board account before providing their information. It's highly recommended that the student and primary household (custodial parent) start the CSS Profile first, as the secondary household cannot submit information until the student selects a school that requires the submission of secondary household information.
• If you do not have any contact with your secondary parent, then you may submit a request to waive the requirement of their financial information. Download the Noncustodial Parent Waiver Petition.

Both parents must also submit copies of their 2023 federal tax returns with all schedules, attachments, W-2 Forms, and other earnings statements to IDOC. Include personal and/or corporate and partnership tax returns..

Submit directly to IDOC. You will receive information about submitting tax documents to IDOC after completing the CSS Profile.
 

Submit as soon as available

Please complete the FAFSA as soon as it is available and submit it directly to Amherst by February 1, 2025.

U.S. Citizens and Eligible Noncitizens only. Canadian and other international students do not complete the FAFSA. 

To be considered for the federal student financial aid, complete the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You will report your 2023 federal tax information on the 2025-2026 FAFSA. Your eligibility for all federal aid will be based on the results of your processed FAFSA.

Finalists who ranked Amherst for the Match and were not matched with a QuestBridge partner school may apply to Amherst College Early Decision.

Students must submit first marking period grades (sent directly from your school to questbridge@amherst.edu, the signed Amherst College Early Decision Agreement Form and the Amherst College Early Decision Supplement to the QuestBridge Application by Friday, December 6 by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

All Finalists who ranked Amherst for the Match, but did not match to a binding college will automatically have their applications moved into the Regular Decision process. Students will need to complete additional Regular Decision application requirements.

If you no longer wish to be considered, you must contact the Admissions Office to withdraw your application (email questbridge@amherst.edu or see Contact Information below).

Finalists who ranked Amherst and submitted all materials (but did not match to a binding college)

Finalists who did not rank Amherst

Update including first trimester/first semester senior grades

Update including first trimester/first semester senior grades

Only if new scores to report

Only if not included in Match Application

Finalists who ranked Amherst and submitted all materials (but did not match to a binding college)

Finalists who did not rank Amherst

U.S. Citizens and Eligible Noncitizens