How to Write the Amherst College Supplemental Essays

As a liberal arts institution, Amherst values students who are interested in the diverse intersections between disciplines and who are motivated by a genuine passion for learning in all its forms. This prompt is therefore your opportunity to showcase your own curiosity and the questions that animate your pursuit of further education. As you respond to this prompt, consider questions such as: What does curiosity feel like in your life? What kinds of questions or problems light you up? How do you respond when you’re intrigued, confused, or inspired? Have you ever lost yourself in research? What is a topic that you can’t seem to read enough about? This is your chance to offer an introspective and dynamic reflection that captures how you think and what motivates you to learn.

Because this question asks you to describe your experience of curiosity, a strong response won’t just describe curiosity in the abstract—it will show curiosity in action. One of the best approaches is to hone in on a particular experience that demonstrates your curiosity before zooming out to examine what the experience says about your pursuit of learning more broadly. The experience you choose to write about could be academic (a research paper that led you down a rabbit hole, a concept in calculus that made you rethink whether you were truly “not a math person”) or entirely outside the classroom (your obsession with decoding bird calls, learning three different ways to make ramen, or tracing your family’s migration history across generations). What matters more than the object of your curiosity is how the experience showcases your personality, perspective, and approach to learning new things. Finally, keep in mind that your essay should not only show that you felt curious about a topic, but that your curiosity motivated you to act: to learn more, to experiment, to pick up a book or connect with fellow enthusiasts. Be sure to highlight your active role in your continued learning.

To answer this prompt effectively, you should first consider the unique elements of your background, personal experiences, and perspectives. Think about your cultural background, family history, personal values, and formative experiences; then, make a list of the key experiences and factors that have shaped your identity.

In your response, clearly articulate how these unique experiences align with and reinforce Amherst College’s commitment to diversity and the belief that diverse perspectives enrich an academic environment.

Rather than offering vague platitudes or general statements about diversity, provide one specific example from your life experiences that demonstrates your potential to enhance understanding of our nation and the world. For instance:

• Share an anecdote about an event, relationship, or encounter that was profoundly influenced by your unique perspective or background.
• Discuss a cultural tradition or practice that is significant to you and has broadened your understanding of cultural diversity.
• Reflect on a time when your unique experiences provided a different perspective on a complex issue or challenge.

Finally, demonstrate that you understand the reciprocal nature of this exchange. Just as you can enrich others’ understanding, acknowledge how your experience at Amherst can further develop your own understanding of different perspectives. This mutual exchange of knowledge and growth is at the heart of Amherst’s values.

This question—a variation on the “disagreement question”—is aimed at understanding how you interact with different viewpoints. Your response to this prompt will tell admissions officers a lot about who you are not only in the classroom, but also as a member of Amherst’s diverse living and learning community. A strong essay will showcase two core attributes: first, it will demonstrate a confident grounding in your own convictions. You should choose an experience of disagreement that reflects an issue that matters to you and demonstrate your thoughtful opinions about the topic. This could be a conversation with a family member about politics, a classroom debate about a controversial text, a group project that revealed differing cultural values, or a community experience (like volunteering or activism) that opened your eyes to another way of thinking. Amherst admissions officers want to see that you are principled and thoughtful and that you will bring a clear and confident perspective to the discourse on campus.

At the same time, college is all about learning and growing by engaging with a diversity of opinions and ideas. It is therefore important to also show your open mindedness and willingness to critically consider your own beliefs. While it is not necessary to share a story in which you fully changed your mind, you should illustrate your willingness to self-reflect, to charitably consider the opposing viewpoint, and to be teachable. You may not have resolved the disagreement, but you should have walked away with a more mature outlook on your own convictions.

The moment I picked up a camera, I felt an immediate connection to the world around me that I had never experienced before. Through that 35mm lens, I learned to observe, to be patient, and to appreciate the complexity in simplicity. What began as a curiosity about the camera itself turned into an intense questioning of the world I saw through the lens: what stories were being told and which ones were going untold.

Capturing raw, unfiltered moments in time—whether children playing in the street or the resilience in the eyes of a protester—challenged me to think critically about the narratives images tell. I realized that every photo carried the weight of perspective, and it was my responsibility to be curious not only about my subjects, but also the preconceptions that I brought to them. This realization propelled me to conduct further research into visual ethics, taking an online course through the Photography Ethics Center and starting a YouTube channel where I explored media literacy topics in digital essays.

Ever since discovering my love for photography, curiosity has become synonymous with the view I have through the lens. I’ve learned to interrogate the world with both empathy and rigor, and I carry that mindset with me beyond the camera—into the classroom, into conversations, into community. As a member of the Amherst community, I will continue to use my voice—and my lens—to invite new perspectives, foster curiosity and compassion, and contribute to a more socially aware generation of media consumers.

This option is not generally preferable to Option A. When writing an essay specifically for a college application prompt, you have the opportunity to tailor your argument and narrative to be as precise and impactful as possible. This level of personalization is harder to achieve when submitting a pre-existing paper.

However, there are a few reasons that a student may elect to submit a paper. First, if they can submit college-level coursework in their field of interest, Option B can be a prime opportunity for them to showcase their preparedness for collegiate study in their major. Particularly if you’ve already completed a paper that received an A in a college-level course, such as a community college class or a dual-enrollment program, this option could be a strong choice.

This option could also be a strong choice if you have a strong high school paper that is closely aligned with your intended major. For instance, if you’re passionate about Russian and Eastern European Studies, submitting a paper that delves into a topic within that field could elegantly showcase your specific interests and academic focus. The benefit of doing so is that the paper has already been edited, so you can ensure that you put your best foot forward.

When in doubt, consider asking your teacher for feedback on whether the paper you are considering showcases the quality and depth of work Amherst expects. If you’re unsure, it might be more advantageous to craft a fresh essay in response to one of the other prompts, allowing you to directly address Amherst’s questions.