Please have your school counselor send any available senior year grades by email at [email protected] by November 1 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 SAT and ACT test-optional for 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. On this form you will indicate whether or not you want Amherst to consider your SAT or ACT scores. For full consideration, this form must be submitted by November 1.

Students can choose to submit scores by self-reporting them on their QuestBridge application or on the Unofficial Test Scores form on their Application Status Portal. You may also have scores emailed to [email protected] from a high school counselor or sent directly from College Board/ACT.

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

Any international applicant whose first language is not English is required to take and submit official or self-reported scores from any of the following English proficiency testing: TOEFL (iBT, Home Edition), IELTS Academic, or the Duolingo English Test (DET), unless the applicant satisfies the waiver eligibility conditions below. We do not provide coupons for DET.

Waiver Eligibility: Only those 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.

Note: After a student has submitted an application for admission, the student can access a form on their Amherst Application Status Portal attesting to eligibility for an English proficiency testing waiver. Amherst does not provide preliminary determinations of waiver eligibility prior to application.

Learn more about Amherst’s 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 complete and submit the CSS Profile by November 1, 2026.

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

If your parents are divorced or separated:

• Each of your biological/adoptive parent(s) will complete their own CSS Profile. Both parents will access the CSS Profile with separate log-in credentials. 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.The secondary household (non-custodial parent) will need to create a College Board account before providing their 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 2025 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.
 

Available Oct. 1

Please complete and submit the FAFSA by November 1, 2026.

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 2027-2028 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You will report your 2025 federal tax information on the 2027-2028 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 the signed Amherst College Early Decision Agreement Form and the Amherst College Early Decision Supplement to the QuestBridge Application by Friday, December 4.

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 for Regular Decision, you must contact the Admissions Office to withdraw your application (email [email protected] or see Contact Information below).

Regular Decision Requirements: Admission Materials
Deadline: January 5

Step 1: If you did not participate in the Match or rank Amherst in the Match process, select Amherst College on the QuestBridge Regular Decision Form on your QuestBridge Application Management page between November 4 - December 10. Only check the box if you fully intend to submit a complete application to Amherst College (including all of the materials detailed in the table below).

Step 2: Activate your Amherst College Application Status Portal. QuestBridge will send Finalists’ applications to Amherst College within a week after the QuestBridge Regular Decision Form deadline. Within a few days of receiving your QuestBridge application, Amherst College will email you instructions to log in and activate your Amherst College Application Status Portal (ASP). Use the Amherst College ASP to track the status of your materials you submit to Amherst College.

Step 3: Submit all additional required application and financial materials by the applicable deadlines directly to Amherst College as detailed in the table 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