The Basics

What is my Application Status Portal?

Your Application Status Portal (ASP) is a secure online applicant system that allows you to monitor the status of your admission application, including whether all your required application materials have been received by Amherst. It's also the place where we release our admission decisions.

What is my Financial Aid Portal?

The Financial Aid Portal (FAP) is a secure online system that allows applicants to monitor the status of financial aid applications. If you've indicated an intention to apply for financial aid from Amherst, you can use your Financial Aid Portal to check your personalized document list to be certain that you have submitted all the material needed for a financial aid determination. It's also the place where decisions about your financial aid eligibility and financial aid award are posted.

What’s the difference between the Application Status Portal and the Financial Aid Portal?

The Application Status Portal allows monitoring of admission applications, whereas the Financial Aid Portal allows monitoring of financial aid applications. All applicants for admission to Amherst will have an Application Status Portal, but only students who have also indicated an intention to apply for financial aid from Amherst will have a Financial Aid Portal (in addition to an Application Status Portal).

How do I access my Application Status Portal and Financial Aid Portal?

The Application Status Portal and the Financial Aid Portal are secure, password-protected sites. In order to access these portals, you must first establish user credentials for your Amherst online applicant account. Once your application has been submitted, the Office of Admission will begin the process of creating a personalized Application Status Portal for you. Within a week of receiving your application, we will send you a detailed email explaining how you can establish your Amherst user credentials to access your ASP. Similarly, if you have indicated an intention to apply for financial aid, the Office of Financial Aid will create a Financial Aid Portal for you. The same set of Amherst user credentials are used to access both your Application Status Portal and your Financial Aid Portal.

I never set up my Amherst user credentials. Help! What do I do now?

Help is on the way! See the "Accessing the ASP and FAP" information below.

Accessing the ASP and FAP

Soon after submitting my application, I received the email with instructions on how to establish my user credentials and access my Application Status Portal, but I never actually did that and I can't find the email now.  What can I do?

To establish your online Amherst applicant account user credentials:

  1. Go to the Amherst College Password Request page.
  2. Enter the email address that you provided in your admission application and click the “Submit” button. An email will immediately be sent to that address with a link to the College’s password reset system. When you click the link, you will see your Amherst username (make note of it!) and you will be able to create an Amherst password.
  3. Create a new strong password that satisfies the College’s password rules.

If you have any problems establishing your online applicant account user credentials, please email us at admission@amherst.edu for assistance.

I already set up my user credentials for my Application Status Portal, but now I can’t remember my password. What should I do?

Don't worry!  Just follow these easy steps:

  1. Go to the Amherst College Password Reset page.
  2. Enter the email address that you provided in your admission application and click the “Submit” button. You will immediately be sent an email that will include your username, a temporary password, and a link to the “Change Password” screen. (Make note of the temporary password before moving on to the next step.)
  3. At the "Change Password" screen, enter the temporary password sent in the email. (The temporary password is time-sensitive, so it is important to complete this step promptly.)
  4. Create a new strong password that satisfies the password rules.

More FAQs for Current Applicants

Once I’ve submitted my application online, when can I expect to hear something from Amherst?

We don't begin downloading applications from the Common Application and the Apply Coalition with Scoir platforms until late September or early October, so - if you submitted your application before then - don't worry! Once we begin downloading submitted applications, we send a brief email to each applicant confirming that we've received your application. A few days later, we will send another longer, more detailed email with important instructions on next steps. If your email server uses a filtering system, be sure to add admission@amherst.edu to your list of acceptable email senders, to ensure that you receive these important emails.

I’m an applicant to Amherst and I want to be sure that I’ve submitted all the documents required. How do I do that?

Within a week of downloading your application, we will create a secure online Application Status Portal for you and send you an email explaining how you can establish your user credentials. (If your email server uses a filtering system, please be sure to add admission@amherst.edu to your list of acceptable e-mail senders, to ensure that you receive this important email.)  The credentials that you establish will allow you to log into your Application Status Portal, where you will find a handy checklist of required application materials and information on the status of each item: received, awaiting, or waived. At the same online portal, you will be able to review the contact information we have downloaded from your application and you will also be able to make any changes in that information that may be needed.

What if my online account indicates that Amherst has not received application materials that I believe were sent?

Don't panic! Remember, it can take some time for your application materials to be processed and entered into our database after they have been received (electronically or physically), especially in the period just after our applications deadlines, so please check your Application Status Portal again later. If you think we've had plenty of time to process your materials and they are still listed as missing, feel free to contact us by e-mail at admission@amherst.edu.

How can I be sure that my personal contact information in Amherst's database is correct?

At your Application Status Portal, access your Applicant Contact Information Change Form (https://admission.amherst.edu/register/changeform). The pre-populated fields for name, email address, mailing address, permanent address, cell/mobile phone number and alternative phone number will display the information currently in our database. If any of that information is incorrect, follow the instructions on the form to submit the necessary changes. Remember that you should fill in only corrections on that form; don't make any entries in any field containing information that is already accurate.

What happens if I change my email address during the application process?

Throughout the admission season, we will send emails to you with important updates, notices and other information concerning the status of your admission and financial aid applications. (We do not send emails to parents, only to you!) It is extremely important that you provide an accurate, reliable email address that you monitor regularly. You should notify us promptly of any change to your email address. To do so, use the Applicant Contact Information Change Form available at your ASP.

Note: Your Amherst account username is initially linked to the email address that you submitted with your admission application. Should you notify us of a change of email, it may take 24 hours for the email change to be processed through our system and linked with your username. During that 24-hour transition period, you may not be able to log into your ASP or FAP.

What if I have other questions that aren't covered in this FAQ?

We want to be certain that you have the information you need, so don't hesitate to contact us!  If you have any problems accessing your Application Status Portal or if you have questions about your admission application, please contact us by email at admission@amherst.edu or by phone at (413) 542-2328 for assistance. If you have any problems accessing your Financial Aid Portal or have questions about your financial aid application, please email finaid@amherst.edu. We are ready to help!