Amherst College Need-Based Financial Aid for International Students

On the Road Image W e welcome first-year and transfer applications from international students! Approximately 13% of our students are non-U.S. citizens and come from more than 76 countries. As a college that follows a need-blind policy in admission for international students and awards financial aid to international students on the same need-basis as domestic students, Amherst is in an exceptional position to admit the most accomplished and promising students from around the world without regard for ability to pay. Our Admission Committee is familiar with various education systems around the world. In reviewing your application, we consider grades, standardized test scores, comprehensive exam predictions or results, essays, recommendations, independent work, the quality of your current academic program and your achievements outside the classroom. No one aspect will determine our decision; instead, we look at the sum total of your experiences. International Students at a Glance 13% International students 82% International students with aid 76 Countries represented 63 Languages spoken Our International Students Travel to Amherst From: Image Application Requirements for International Students For the 2026-27 Admission Cycle Optional testing: SAT or ACT Required testing (for non-native English speakers who have not had the most recent two years of school curriculum delivered in English): TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, Duolingo English Test, and IELTS Academic Regardless of your citizenship or geographic location, you should follow the same first-year or transfer application process that other students follow. The only additional application requirement for international student applicants (both first-year and transfer) is demonstration of English proficiency. Please note that Amherst College does not offer interviews for prospective students. If you have already conducted an interview with InitialView you are welcome to send it our way. English Proficiency Requirements Given the considerable academic demands placed on Amherst students, proficiency in the comprehension and expression of both spoken and written English is required and must be demonstrated prior to admission. Amherst does not offer provisional admission for applicants, nor do we provide English-as-a-Second-Language instruction. Testing Requirements Testing: Image Any international applicant whose first language is not English is required to take and submit score reports 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. Waivers: 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. Similarly, to be eligible for a waiver, an international transfer applicant must have completed the most recent two years at schools using English as the primary language of instruction (a combination of secondary school and post-secondary education equaling two years of study at schools with English as the primary language of instruction). Students who speak English as a native language are also eligible for a waiver. Note: Waivers are not granted on any other basis and there are no exceptions beyond the waiver criteria stated above. Students applying via Common App (first-year on