Amherst College Admits Record Percentage of First-Generation Students in Class of 2029
2024 Amherst College Orientation. Photo: amherst.edu
by Bridget Campolettano
Among the admitted students, 25 percent identify as the first in their family to attend a four-year college, the most in modern memory.
The following article by Bridget Campolettano, first appeared on amherst.edu on March 22, 2025. It is reposted here with permission.
As the clock struck 6:21 p.m. in Western Massachusetts on March 21, 2025, students from around the world opened their email to learn if they had been offered admission to Amherst College.
Why 6:21? “That’s 1821 hours in military time—the year of Amherst’s founding,” explained Dale Hendricks, Amherst’s new dean of admission. “We love using that time, since it is a nod to our history, as well as a reminder to admitted students that they have been invited to join such a storied and successful institution. For some of the people who read the message, it’s the middle of the evening, while others are just wrapping up their school day. Regardless of what time it is for them, however, I hope they feel the joy and confidence that we feel as we sign each of those admission letters.”
This year’s group of admitted students hails from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam, and 40 countries (in addition to the U.S.). Significantly, there are at least three record highs for the admitted class. The class of 2029 received 15,818 applications—record high #1—for a pre-waitlist admit rate of 7 percent. Among the admitted students, 25 percent identify as the first in their family to attend a four-year college, the most in modern memory—and record high #2 for this class. Record high #3: 35 students were admitted via the QuestBridge National College Match, through which Amherst guarantees a grant covering the comprehensive fee for all four years.
The work of admitting the class started long before any application was received, with admission deans traveling across the world to recruit this batch of stellar students. This was the first year of the College’s participation in the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network, and 96 students in the admitted class have home addresses in rural regions—an increase of 37 percent from the class of 2028. The STARS network aims to build awareness and pathways for students from traditionally underserved areas, and members of the Amherst admission team traveled to rural parts of the Florida Panhandle, Southern Georgia, South Texas, the Navajo Nation in New Mexico and the western slopes of Colorado, as well as some areas closer to home, like the Berkshires and the Hudson Valley.
“We’re always looking for ways to expand the areas where students are aware of and considering Amherst,” said Will Cummins, director of admission recruitment. “In addition to our work with the STARS network and the recruitment travel of our admission deans across the U.S. and the world, we’ve partnered in recent years with our colleagues across the Six Colleges to help students and families learn about multiple liberal arts colleges at a single event. At each location, we discuss the value and affordability of the liberal arts and provide specific information about each individual institution.”
With the newly admitted class, Amherst continues to support its mission of keeping Amherst Within Reach. Nearly 53 percent of the admitted class is eligible for aid, and among admitted students with complete aid applications at the time of decision release, the average need-based scholarship is $72,000. “Amherst’s commitment to financial aid represents an investment in the future of our students and society,” said Gail Holt, dean of financial aid. “We take the partnership of affordability in higher education seriously—working together with families to make an Amherst education possible. As applications for aid are completed, I anticipate a growing number of funded applicants, reinforcing our mission of access and opportunity.”
What’s next for this group of students? Admitted students are invited to campus for either of two Be a Mammoth open house programs on April 7 or April 15–16, and responses to admission offers are due by May 1.
Final statistics for the enrolling students will be available in early fall.
As an alumnus of the College on the Hill, I would hope that this aspect of Amherst College’s functioning in our society, as a driver of social mobility, would factor in the mix when the inevitable attacks on the College’s role in our local community take place. Thank you to the Indy for publishing this piece.