Why do students choose to apply and, if accepted, choose to come to Amherst College? To answer this, questionnaires were sent to: (1) matriculating members of the Class of 1987; (2) students interviewed at Amherst College who chose not to apply, and (3) selected secondary school guidance counselors to discover factors they thought important in choosing a particular college. Several questions were asked concerning the strengths and weaknesses of Amherst College with special attention to matters of financial aid and coeducation. The strongest points in favor of Amherst College were size, academic quality, academic reputation, location, and Five College Cooperation. Among Amherst's negative features, lack of coeducation was very widely held to be the strongest, although not always an overriding factor. Location, financial expense, small size, lack of diversity, competition, selectivity, and the nature of social activities were mentioned by some respondents as possible deterrents. (Author)