From its open curriculum to its commitment to fostering a diverse student body representative of the multicultural fabric of America, Amherst is all about giving its students options. And it shows in its supplemental prompts—each offering you a chance to demonstrate not just who you are and what you value, but how you think. In the spirit of freedom of choice, school officials are even giving you the opportunity to skip the first (and longer) of the three essays and instead submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year. While that may be tempting (one less essay to write—yes!), we’d recommend you choose Option A, responding to Amherst’s own prompt. Why? Because 1) it shows initiative, and 2) Option A invites you to write a response that’s personal to you—an excellent chance to give Amherst a deeper glimpse of your values/insights/experiences. Why pass that up? And—bonus!—you may be able to save yourself some time and still show initiative by writing a “super” essay. More on that, and Amherst’s other two prompts, below.
But first, if you want a better sense of what Amherst is looking for, you can get an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. For deep insights into how this private liberal arts college wants to grow and evolve, read its strategic plan.
What are the Amherst College supplemental essay prompts?
OPTION A
Respond to one of the following quotations in an essay of not more than 350 words. It is not necessary to research, read, or refer to the texts from which these quotations are taken; we are looking for original, personal responses to these short excerpts. Remember that your essay should be personal in nature and not simply an argumentative essay.
Quote #1: “Amherst College is committed to learning through close colloquy and to expanding the realm of knowledge through scholarly research and artistic creation at the highest level. Its graduates link learning with leadership—in service to the College, to their communities, and to the world beyond." – from the Mission of Amherst College
Quote #1 Question: What do you see as the benefits of linking learning with leadership and/or service? In your response, please share with us a time where you have seen that benefit through your own experience.
Quote #2 “We seek an Amherst made stronger because it includes those whose experiences can enhance our understanding of our nation and our world. We do so in the faith that our humanity is an identity forged from diversity, and that our different perspectives enrich our inquiry, deepen our knowledge, strengthen our community, and prepare students to engage with an ever-changing world.” – from the Trustee Statement on Diversity and Community
Quote #2 Question: In what ways could your unique experiences enhance our understanding of our nation and our world?
Quote #3 “Strong commitment to the freedom of inquiry lies at the heart of Amherst College’s mission to create a home in which the liberal arts may flourish. As a small residential liberal arts college that prides itself on the ability, curiosity, and diversity of its students, Amherst seeks to create a respectful environment in which members of its community feel emboldened to pursue their intellectual and creative passions.” – from the Amherst College Statement of Academic and Expressive Freedom
Quote #3 Question: Tell us about an intellectual or creative passion you have pursued; what did you learn about yourself through that pursuit?
Option B
Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should not submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay. Also, if you have submitted an analytical essay in response to the "essay topic of your choice" prompt in the Common Application writing section, you should not select Option B. Instead, you should respond to one of the four quotation prompts in Option A. (FAQ here)
OPTION C
If you were an applicant to Amherst’s Access to Amherst (A2A) program, you may use your A2A application essay in satisfaction of our Writing Supplement requirement. If you would like to do so, please select Option C on either the Common Applications or the Coalition Application. However, if you would prefer not to use your A2A essay for this purpose and you wish to submit a different writing supplement, select either Option A or Option B. (Please note that Option C is available only to students who were applicants to Amherst’s A2A program.)
Additional Personal Information
If you would like to share more about yourself that is not captured elsewhere in your application, please tell us more here. (175 words)
Activities (Required)
Please briefly elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience of particular significance to you. (Maximum: 175 words)
Research Essay (Optional)
If you have engaged in significant research in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, social sciences or humanities that was undertaken independently of your high school curriculum, please provide a brief description of the research project. (75 words)
🤔🤔 Wondering which essay prompts your schools require?
We’ve been keeping a running list. Head over to our new 2023-2024 School-Specific Supplemental Essay Prompt Database to find your school.
How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Amherst College
How to Write Amherst Supplemental Essay Option A
Respond to one of the following quotations in an essay of not more than 300 words. It is not necessary to research, read, or refer to the texts from which these quotations are taken; we are looking for original, personal responses to these short excerpts. Remember that your essay should be personal in nature and not simply an argumentative essay.
Before we get to the quotes, a few things to think about when approaching this option and choosing which quote to write about:
Ask how this essay adds to your Amherst application as a whole. That likely will require you to brainstorm and choose your topics before you start writing, not just for Option A, but for the Additional Personal Information and Activities prompts too. Why approach it this way? With each application you submit, you want to show as many sides of yourself as possible; each prompt is yet another chance to show your schools of choice why you’re a great fit for their campus. What experiences/skills/values/insights do you want Amherst to know about that you haven’t already shared in your Common App personal statement? If there’s a cool extracurricular activity you want to talk about, for example, maybe save that for the Activities prompt, and talk about a different set of experiences or activities here—one that doesn’t overlap too much with what you want to write about in the Additional Personal Information essay.
Make it personal. Take Amherst officials seriously when they go out of their way to urge you to write an essay that’s “personal in nature.” They’re telling you they don’t want an academic dissertation on the meaning of empirical analysis or achievement; they want to know more about you—how that big brain of yours sorts through big ideas, how those ideas connect with experiences you’ve had, skills you’ve developed, and the ways in which you’ve grown, as a student and a human. The goal here is to get a deeper sense of you and the contributions you’d make to the Amherst community in terms of fresh ideas and perspectives. To that end ...
Choose the quote that most resonates with you and generates the most material for an essay about your experiences/values/skills. Pick out keywords you can build an essay around—whether it’s leadership and service (Quote #1), diversity and community (Quote #2), or intellectual and creative passions (Quote #3).. If what you end up writing is tangential to the quote, that’s OK. By expressly saying you don’t have to research the entire text the quote is excerpted from, Amherst officials are leaving it open to your interpretation and its application to your life, whatever that may be. So, there’s no “right” way to answer this prompt. There are a gazillion right ways.
Consider writing a “super” essay. Look at the essays you’re writing for other schools. Is there a topic you’re already writing about that could fit one of these quotes? If so, save yourself some time and write a “super” essay. And by that, we don’t just mean a Really Great essay. We mean an essay that can work for a number of prompts, with some modest, necessary tweaking to answer the specifics of each prompt. For example, Stanford’s “meaningful” prompt or numerous schools’ “community” prompts might overlap nicely, depending on which quote you respond to. Sign me up, you say? Check out this full guide to the “super” essay.
Now, to those quotes, and a brief discussion of each ...
Quote #1
“Amherst College is committed to learning through close colloquy and to expanding the realm of knowledge through scholarly research and artistic creation at the highest level. Its graduates link learning with leadership—in service to the College, to their communities, and to the world beyond."
– from the Mission of Amherst College
Prompt 1 Question: What do you see as the benefits of linking learning with leadership and/or service? In your response, please share with us a time where you have seen that benefit through your own experience.
This isn’t your traditional leadership or service essay, because the focus here isn’t really on what you’ve done. And it's not necessarily on how you learned to become a better leader or community member, either. Rather, it’s a chance for you to highlight the unique connections and insights you’ve made and gained through those accomplishments.
You learn so much from the people you surround yourself with. So Amherst uses this prompt to gauge the degree to which you’re open to new perspectives and perspective shifts—because that openness signifies your willingness to be wrong, to change, and to realize there’s a whole big world out there that needs leaders who understand how to grow. So take this chance to look back on a leadership or service opportunity and how you benefited from the growth that occurred. (But in case: a heads up to be wary of the stereotypical “I went on a mission trip to help others but really they helped me” essay.)
Quote #2
“We seek an Amherst made stronger because it includes those whose experiences can enhance our understanding of our nation and our world. We do so in the faith that our humanity is an identity forged from diversity, and that our different perspectives enrich our inquiry, deepen our knowledge, strengthen our community, and prepare students to engage with an ever-changing world.”
- from the Trustee Statement on Diversity and Community
Prompt 2 Question: In what ways could your unique experiences enhance our understanding of our nation and our world?
Even if you don’t think you’re bringing unique experiences to the Amherst table, we assure you that you are. While there will likely be similarities (sometimes many of them) between your experiences and those of others, the things that have happened to you have happened to only you. So every member of the potential student body—you included—can help foster a better understanding of those around us.
While some students have religious, socioeconomic, or race-based experiences to share, not all do. So if you find yourself unsure of what you’d contribute, think about the activities and experiences that have been particularly memorable. How have they contributed to some sort of fundamental shift in your thinking, and could you use them to foster the same shift in others? For even more tips on writing this kind of essay, check out our “How to Write the Diversity Essay” guide, and be sure you’re thinking about how you want to address the “enhance our understanding” aspect of the prompt (one way to approach this is to treat it as a “how will you contribute” question).
Pro tip: If you’re wondering if what you’re writing is really speaking to the prompt, sprinkle in a few keywords from the quote to show how you’re incorporating its concepts. Just don’t overdo the references, as that may seem overly gimmicky.
Quote #3
“Strong commitment to the freedom of inquiry lies at the heart of Amherst College’s mission to create a home in which the liberal arts may flourish. As a small residential liberal arts college that prides itself on the ability, curiosity, and diversity of its students, Amherst seeks to create a respectful environment in which members of its community feel emboldened to pursue their intellectual and creative passions.”
– from the Amherst College Statement of Academic and Expressive Freedom
Prompt 3 Question: Tell us about an intellectual or creative passion you have pursued; what did you learn about yourself through that pursuit?
We love that Amherst gives you the freedom on campus to pursue the things you’re curious about and interested in, and this prompt is a great way to show them the curiosity and passion you’ll be bringing to campus. In some ways, this could be considered an extracurricular activity essay (which we’ve got top-notch instructions for in this guide). But Amherst doesn’t just want to know what you did. Instead, this is for some deep introspection about how you’ve changed because of your pursuits. How did you grow because of your experiences?
Pro Tip: Cover an intellectual or creative passion and a lesson you haven’t covered anywhere else in your application. You want to make sure you’re covering a breadth of topics to cover as many sides of you as possible! (And side note that we’re wary about the word “passion”—if you feel you don’t have one, that’s totally fine, and generally standard; it may be more useful, and healthier, to think in terms of what kinds of driving curiosities you have, rather than “passions.”)
With that guidance in mind, here are some sample essays. Note that because these prompts are new this year, we don’t have examples written specifically for them, but the essays below demonstrate how you can approach these prompts (and also illustrate what we mean by a “super essay”).
Example:
“Amherst College is committed to learning through close colloquy and to expanding the realm of knowledge through scholarly research and artistic creation at the highest level. Its graduates link learning with leadership—in service to the College, to their communities, and to the world beyond."
– from the Mission of Amherst College
Prompt 1 Question: What do you see as the benefits of linking learning with leadership and/or service? In your response, please share with us a time where you have seen that benefit through your own experience.
Example essay:
When I started Tang Soo Do (Korean Martial Arts) in 3rd grade, I didn’t know I would find a role in serving the community through the structure, discipline, and traditional customs.
Sharing my skills with others drives my service. As I moved up in ranks, I loved showing younger students my skills because I knew the significance of having a role model in class. I often demonstrated the proper form of a flying side kick to students having trouble. I also helped my fellow older students persevere through tough workouts, whispering words of encouragement and sparring with others to improve our collective skills. Transitioning from kid to adult classes, I encountered a lack of motivation due to tougher workouts and drills. However, through these experiences, I learned to teach without being overbearing, to stick with a commitment, and to communicate better with students when fists are being thrown around.
Tang Soo Do instilled confidence in my abilities to accomplish many of my goals. Outside of the studio, I used my improved teaching skills to help younger kids in my school's mentoring program, teaching them respect and organization. I also entered Green Key, my school's ambassador program. In this program, I lead groups of prospective students around campus, providing an example of what a model student looks like by using my organization, communication, and knowledge.
Martial arts has developed some of my core values: organization, guiding others, and effective communication. It has also served as an incredibly enjoyable outlet for exercise. (250 words)
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Make outside connections. Your response should include how you’ve incorporated these “lessons learned” into other areas of your life. In the example above, the student connects what they’ve learned through Tang Soo Do and how they’ve really internalized that lesson and used it in other ways—from participating in mentoring programs to engaging in ambassador programs.
Dig deeper. Think about what you really got out of the leadership and service activities you were involved in. We’d bet it goes far beyond just leadership and service. While the student above focuses almost exclusively on how they developed their leadership skills, for an Amherst-specific response, they might’ve also considered what respect looks like for different populations and what they learned about respect. Or how communication needs to be different when addressing fist-wielding martial arts students versus prospective academic students.
SHOW, don’t just TELL. There’s a difference between telling a reader that you are something and giving the proof that backs it up. Consider this: You can tell people you’re a millionaire, but until you back it up with bank statements and deeds to your 10 vacation homes, people might not believe you. Same thing in your essays. Consider the student in the essay above. While they tell us they learned and taught respect and organization, they could take their essay up to black-belt level by describing (showing) how they did it.
For quote 2, here’s an essay that was actually written for another school: UT Austin. But notice that if the author just shifts the few phrases and details specific to Austin (we’ve bolded them) the essay can fit this Amherst prompt perfectly, since like all good essays, the focus is the student and their values, qualities, etc. We’ve left the original so you can see how it would double up. This is what we mean by writing a “super” essay.
Example 2:
“We seek an Amherst made stronger because it includes those whose experiences can enhance our understanding of our nation and our world. We do so in the faith that our humanity is an identity forged from diversity, and that our different perspectives enrich our inquiry, deepen our knowledge, strengthen our community, and prepare students to engage with an ever-changing world.”
- from the Trustee Statement on Diversity and Community
Prompt 2 Question: In what ways could your unique experiences enhance our understanding of our nation and our world?
When someone hears Alabama, or specifically my hometown of Birmingham, they might think of the epicenter of the Civil Rights movement, college football hysteria, and controversial laws. I’ll be the first to admit: my home state is far from perfect. Born and raised in Alabama as an Indian-American, I have experienced the positives and negatives. Yet, the lessons I have learned growing up have shaped me into who I am and taught me values I wish to evolve at UT Austin.
Every morning I walk to my blue-eyed godfather’s garage to get my car; he lets me use it because he has an extra spot. When I drive through the neighborhood, it’s normal to smile and wave to strangers. When a crisis arises, like my grandmother falling while she and I were home alone, neighbors immediately came to help, some I had never met before—the famous Southern hospitality revealed.
Volunteering at TechBirmingham, I’ve developed a responsibility to give back to my community. As a Longhorn, I look forward to continuing my impact in Austin through the CS outreach programs. In addition to being an avid member of Code Orange, I wish to be an instrumental leader in developing and implementing new programs and initiatives to further educate the budding STEM youth.
Growing up in Alabama, I have learned the value of community. Whether it is helping our neighbors in a time of need or educating and mentoring kids in the community that need guidance, I know that a strong community creates strong leaders. I wish to bring my perspective and value of community to the Longhorn family—ensuring that all my peers are supported and successful.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Think beyond the traditional. While the prompt itself mentions diversity and differing perspectives, remember that the differences we embody encompass a wide range of things—from holding certain religious beliefs to calling fizzy drinks soda, pop, or Coke. While the student above briefly mentions their Indian-American heritage, they choose to not focus on the unique experience they’ve almost certainly had and to instead focus on the value of community they’ve developed from living in the South.
Maybe add some “Why us?” elements. Amherst doesn’t have a “Why us?” prompt like many schools do. So consider using Option A as an opportunity to sprinkle in those Amherst-specific details—reasons why you’re drawn to the school and what you’d do with the opportunities there. Notice that in the following sentence, the Austin details can be changed to details specific to Amherst (or just about any other school …): “As a Longhorn, I look forward to continuing my impact in Austin through the CS outreach programs. In addition to being an avid member of Code Orange, I wish to be an instrumental leader in developing and implementing new programs and initiatives to further educate the budding STEM youth.” Why do this? It helps Amherst admission readers envision you on campus, not just learning but contributing. Here’s a full guide to the “Why us?” essay for more tips.
Use details to bring your story to life. Details are the chalk and blackboard to the “show me, don’t just tell me” school of thought. By providing color, anecdotes, and examples, you help your reader take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the story you’re trying to tell. That not only makes your essay more engaging, it makes it more memorable. Like this: “Every morning I walk to my blue-eyed godfather’s garage to get my car; he lets me because he has an extra spot. When I drive through the neighborhood, it’s normal to smile and wave to strangers. When a crisis arises, like my grandmother falling while she and I were home alone, neighbors immediately came to help, some I had never met before--the famous Southern hospitality revealed.” Those “show me” details do a beautiful job of illustrating, and paying off on, this “tell me” thesis statement: “Yet, the lessons I have learned growing up have shaped me into who I am and taught me values I wish to evolve at UT Austin.”
Here’s a great example essay for Quote #3:
“Strong commitment to the freedom of inquiry lies at the heart of Amherst College’s mission to create a home in which the liberal arts may flourish. As a small residential liberal arts college that prides itself on the ability, curiosity, and diversity of its students, Amherst seeks to create a respectful environment in which members of its community feel emboldened to pursue their intellectual and creative passions.”
– from the Amherst College Statement of Academic and Expressive Freedom
Prompt 3 Question: Tell us about an intellectual or creative passion you have pursued; what did you learn about yourself through that pursuit? (350 words)
Example:
Sensing the colors and details of the world, I’ve held paint brushes since the beginning of my memories and for years, have carried my camera wherever I go. In short, the eye—what we see, feel, and create through it—has always fascinated me.
Sophomore summer, photographing the Cochabamba streets, I was mesmerized by the colors, stories, and personality expressed through street art. Beginning to understand art as a means of self-expression and belonging to the streets, I saw a future not simply in creating art, but in understanding its significance, by pursuing art history.
Junior year, I produced a paper “Street Art in NYC: Breaking the Boundaries Between Art and Life,” delving into art’s potential to connect many individuals.
Since then, I’ve initiated a Bolivia photojournalism showcase, helped organize an exhibition on Beijing’s gentrification, and exhibited my pictures and articles on Ojai. Staring at the portrait of Oziel, a burrito shop owner, a classmate commented, “I only knew he made the best burritos. Thank you for sharing who he is.” Inspired, I again discovered art’s power to connect individuals.
Last summer in Beijing, I curated a Bolivian Mural Art exhibition, showcasing street artist Puriskiri’s paintings. Working with the artist, gallery, and teammates while designing layouts and programs, I became even more motivated to understand the inner-workings of curation.
I’ve also taken Studio Art and Art History and was lucky enough to attended YYGS’s Creative Arts & Media program. There, I examined punk and low theory, John Turnbull and romantic poetry, dance as a way of research accessible to all, and ultimately produced a film conveying different cultures’ perception of “home.”
Over the past years, almost every single step has pointed me to Art History. Again and again, I’ve imagined examining art in NYC and furthering my appreciation of cultures around the globe.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Convey that passion. Again, with the caveat that it’s totally fine to not have a “passion,” and to focus instead on things you have a deep curiosity about, if you’re truly passionate about a topic, that passion should come through in your writing. One way to do that is through uber-specific examples. In this sample essay, the student shows us their passion through the topics they explore—Beijing’s gentrification, Cochabamba’s streets, and Puriskiri’s paintings, to name a few. These topics—and the fact that they’re slightly obscure ones at that—show us the student really knows their stuff.
Address the values in the pre-prompt quote. Amherst is looking for passionate students, sure, but they also pride themselves on students’ “ability, curiosity, and diversity.” So make sure you consider ways to convey those values, too. The student above shows curiosity and diversity by diving into different mediums of art, aspects of its creation and curation, and its history. Going in deep on a topic while also going wide shows that you’re just as emboldened as this student in pursuing your curiosity.
Make sure you address the learning side of the prompt. While this (obviously talented) student has been able to connect their interests (art and photography) with what they’ve learned (the power to connect individuals), we don’t clearly see what they learned about themselves along the way—and that’s an important part of the prompt. One way the student might’ve addressed that part of the prompt, had they been writing this essay for Amherst, would be to explore what they learned about connection or curation specifically and how that applies to other areas of their life.
How to Write the Amherst Additional Personal Information Essay
If you would like to share more about yourself that is not captured elsewhere in your application, please tell us more here. (Maximum: 175 words)
You probably caught that “if” at the front of the second sentence, and thought: I don’t have to write this one. And you’d be right—technically (Amherst does love its options). But (you guessed it) we’d recommend writing it anyway, because … (see reasons 1 and 2 listed in the intro on why to choose Option A).
The beauty of this prompt is that it’s wide open in terms of potential topics. Identity, background, family, culture or community—you’re bound to have an interesting story to tell (or likelier, several). And odds are high that it’ll be unique to you, which is a great way to stand out. Because you’re working with such a small word count, though, it may be better to focus on one (identity, community, etc.), so you can give it the attention it deserves, rather than writing more briefly about several.
Below are some ideas for brainstorming a topic. As you think through your options, ask yourself: Which best allows me to speak to my identity and isn’t something I’ve already shared in my application?
Identity: List out all the ways you identify. Is there something on the list that's particularly important to you, or maybe one you've struggled with? If so, what have you found challenging about it? It could be something like being an ambivert, or coming out as LGBTQ+, or having a “natural mom vibe.” Pro tip: Try to a) choose something that’s uncommon (the closer it is to something only you can write about, the stronger), or b) if it’s more common, offer details that are unique to you.
Background: This could be your family background, your cultural background, your own personal background (hobbies, interests, friendships, educational experiences)—in other words, “background” can be defined however you want it to be. Just think about how it would relate to your identity.
Family: Is there something unique about your family that you haven’t yet shared with Amherst? It may be something that’s central to your identity—maybe it’s a story about immigrating to America, or being the latest in a long line of coders in the family. Or it could be an interesting family story that you connect with on a deep level—how your grandfather’s Menonite upbringing taught you the power of giving back, or how your great-grandmother escaped from a Nazi concentration camp. Just make sure that you’re still the main character of the story: how does it illuminate an important influence on how you came to be … you?
Culture: This can be defined rather broadly, so think through which aspects resonate with you and your experiences (race & ethnicity, socioeconomic class, learning a new language, etc.). It could be how rolling spanakopita with your Yiayia taught you the value of attention to detail, or how you were the only one in your generation to learn Polish, because you couldn’t stand the thought of that family connection dying out.
Community: This tends to be our favorite option, because many schools ask about communities you’ve been a part of, how you’ve contributed to them, and what you’ve gained from them. So chances are you may be writing this essay for another school, giving you another opportunity for a “super” essay. Here’s a step-by-step guide that offers a short exercise to help you think through all the communities you’re a part of that might make a good topic for this particular essay.
Here’s a great example for this one:
Example 3:
Liberating: the instant I fully submerge underwater as bubbles rush towards the glassy surface. From synchro, to swimming, and finally to water polo, aquatic sports have defined each stage of my life. My focus shifts from my daily concerns to moving in the water whether I’m competing with seven other girls, slicing through choppy waves during laps, or passing the ball. I’m free to embody what I truly value.
In synchro, I go from upright to upside down, but I always finish with my head held high, since perspective and confidence are key. While racing, I respect the boundaries of my lane and balance my arms and legs to swim efficiently. From water polo, I learn to stay afloat and scan for those blocking the goal, remaining resolute as I overcome obstacles. My qualities in the pool define who I am today, and are reflected in my academic and daily experiences on land.
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Tips + Analysis
Try to choose a single but elastic topic. Again, you have a tight word count, so it’s probably best to pick one identity to write about, but one that allows you some breadth to talk about other areas of your life. This student chose aquatic sports, which allowed her to write not only about multiple sports (synchronized swimming, competitive swimming, and water polo) but also how the lessons she’s learned translates out of the water too (teaching her confidence, perspective, respect for boundaries, overcoming obstacles, etc.).
Show your values. Yep, we’ve mentioned this one before. But it bears repeating because it’s so important. Reading through this example, you get a strong sense of a number of values: determination, respect, personal development, health and fitness, responsibility, success (you get the point).
Bonus: Metaphors are fun. This is absolutely not necessary, but any time you can have fun with words, you can achieve a key aspect of good writing: craft. And that can help your reader better engage with your essay, which in turn can help your essay stand out. For this author, it was moving from the physical—going from upright to upside down in synchronized swimming—to the metaphorical: holding her head high with confidence and perspective. She keeps that technique going with respecting boundaries and overcoming obstacles—both physical and metaphorical.
How to Write the Amherst Extracurricular Activities Essay
Please briefly elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience of particular significance to you. (Maximum: 175 words)
The extracurricular activity essay prompt is a common one, especially for selective schools like Amherst—because it’s a great way to get a glimpse into your values/interests/experiences/skills through the lens of an activity that’s meaningful to you. For the full guide on how to write this essay, go here.
A few things to think about as you brainstorm your topic:
Note that the prompt asks about “an” activity. That’s intentional, so choose one activity to focus on—ideally, one that allows you to show multiple sides of yourself or your values/interests/experiences/skills.
Search through your Activities List and Additional Information section for ideas—but don’t limit yourself to those. Why? Because maybe there’s something fun/unusual that you do that won’t make those lists—like, say, your axe-throwing hobby or your kickboxing routine or those scrolls you write, just for fun. The key is to choose something that will a) help you stand out and b) give Amherst more insights into who you are and what you value.
Have a bunch of options and stumped as to which to choose? Do the BEABIES exercise on the ones you’re considering. Which topic yields the best content? Write about that one. Just make sure you …
Don’t repeat something you’ve already focused on in your personal statement. At the risk of redundancy, remember: The point here is to use this essay to show Amherst another side (or sides) of you.
Here’s an example of a strong essay for this prompt:
Example 4:
I look up at the wall. This feels impossible.
“Just go for it!” my friend Jack says to me. “It seems harder than it is.”
During my first year climbing, I spent much time contemplating all possible routes and strategies. But gradually I’ve realized: because my perspective is limited as I stand on the ground, there’s only so much I can tell from looking ahead. Sometimes it is better to just go for it. Over the last couple of years this lesson has served me well: Had I known the difficult rhyme patterns I’d have to follow, I may not have written my play. Had I known the amount of reading ahead of me, I may not have started my research on Neo-Confucianism.
“Come on, [Student]!” Jack again.
I look up at the wall. Still feels impossible.
But I put a hand on it. Then a foot. Then pull up.
— — —
Tips + Analysis
Start off with something kind of unexpected. In a 175-word essay, we don’t necessarily expect someone to admit that something could go wrong. However, this author is honest about feeling doubt as she looks up at the wall she’s trying to climb. This draws readers in as they question how she’ll overcome this obstacle and find a way to get to the top. It creates suspense and also shows that the author is willing to be vulnerable.
Make connections. Although this essay is primarily about one activity (climbing), the author cleverly weaves in connections to other activities. She notes that the lessons she learned from climbing have given her the guts to write her own play and the motivation to start research on Neo-Confucianism. Those activities aren’t the focal point of the essay, but they help us learn more about the applicant. Although you actually do have to choose only one activity to answer this prompt, this is a great example of how you can use connections to smuggle in more parts of yourself.
Show growth. At the start of this essay, the author is at an impasse. Climb the wall or don’t climb the wall? Impossible or manageable? By the end, the author has demonstrated that she’s the kind of person willing to take on the seemingly impossible. What we like is that she doesn’t focus on whether or not she actually got to the top of the wall. She’s more interested in the mindset it takes to get started. The growth she demonstrates is subtle, but the fact that she can reflect on it well shows maturity and self-awareness.
Choose an uncommon topic (if you can). Sure, this student could’ve written about being president of the debate club. Or how she’d played piano for eight years. But many students write about those things. You know what fewer students write about? Climbing.
Pro tip: While you may worry that a less “impressive” (in terms of accomplishments) extracurricular activity won’t show off your strengths as well, consider using your Activities List and Additional Information section to emphasize what you’ve done, and use this essay to show a more uncommon side of yourself.
How To Write the Research Essay (Optional)
If you have engaged in significant research in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, social sciences or humanities that was undertaken independently of your high school curriculum, please provide a brief description of the research project. (75 words)
This prompt is truly optional, so we’d recommend not trying to stretch something that doesn’t really fit just for the sake of submitting something—that could even hurt more than help.
But if you’ve engaged in research in some way, whether through an organization or independently, this can be a nice spot to demonstrate some further skills and values by highlighting what you researched and what skills you gained.
Here’s are some examples adapted from UC Activities List entries and PIQs. The second and third would need some word count cuts, but you can learn a ton from their specificity.
Example #1
Independent Study
Last year, I researched and presented a thesis for an Interim Semester project on Singapore’s aging population. I utilized census data to analyze socioeconomic status in relation to population demographics, and designed an interactive website cross-referencing the average age of inhabitants with poverty rates. As part of my project, I also created an actionable plan to improve living conditions for elderly.
Example #2
When I joined UCLA’s Laboratory for the Chemistry of Construction Materials, their primary project was to design a concrete that can sequester CO2. My individual research project, which aimed to solve a part of the problem, focused on the dissolution kinetics of calcite to better understand calcite stability in cementitious solutions.
I designed and conducted experiments to test calcite dissolution in solutions containing organic ligands including EDTA, citrate, and acetate. My tests were largely unique because they were the first to be conducted in alkaline pH regions due to the nature of cementitious systems. I imaged the surface of my samples with a Vertical Scanning Interferometer (VSI) and analyzed the data with the micro-nano software Gwyddion. My results have applications for breaking down calcite in cement to sequester CO2.
Example #3
I studied the crevice corrosion of Ti-6A-4V, a titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy, which has applications ranging from oil pipelines to medical implants.
In order to characterize the corrosion of Ti-6Al-4V due to the breakdown of its passive film, I applied immersion and electrochemical tests. My experiments were conducted in an artificial saliva solution with fluoride and chloride to understand how dental implants respond to hygiene rinses and toothpastes in a simulated human mouth environment. My results help characterize the inition of crevice corrosion due to harmful anions, which has not been previously studied.
Special thanks to Julia for contributing to this post.
Julia published her first “book” on the elusive Pika in elementary school and has been writing fervently ever since. She’s thrilled to unite her quirky love of grammar and master’s in psychology to help students tell their most meaningful stories. Her favorite punctuation mark is the apostrophe because, in the words of Imagine Dragons, it’s “a symbol to remind you that there’s more to see.”
Top values: Collaboration | Family | Productivity
