How to Write the Amherst College Supplemental Essays

In responding to this prompt, it is essential to convey a deep understanding of Amherst’s mission and demonstrate your alignment with the school’s core values. The prompt also calls for you to share a specific example from your own life that illustrates this connection.

First, consider how your experiences and values align with Amherst College’s commitment to learning, leadership, and service. How have you used your knowledge and skills in service of your community? Why is Amherst’s commitment to service and community a driving factor in your own interest in the institution? You might express your enthusiasm for an educational environment that values the holistic development of its students, emphasizing the synthesis of academic pursuits, leadership, and community service.

Then, you should share a specific experience from your life that illustrates the benefits of linking learning with leadership and service. You should write about a time when you actively partook in a service project or leadership role that allowed you to apply your academic knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact. For instance, you might recount a time when you took a leadership position in a community service project that was closely related to your academic major or interests. Describe how your academic insights enhanced your ability to lead the project effectively, and how the project, in turn, benefited the community. Be sure to highlight what you learned from this experience, both academically and personally, and include specific and demonstrable results (these may be qualitative through community response or quantitative through funds raised or volunteers mobilized).

Finally, link this experience not only to your personal growth but also to the way that you intend to continue positively impacting your broader community in the future. Doing so will demonstrate your leadership skills as well as the type of community member you will be on Amherst’s campus.

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.

Amherst ​​seeks to create an environment where students feel empowered to fearlessly pursue their intellectual and creative passions. When responding to this prompt, you should showcase not only your enthusiasm for your subject of interest, but the active role you have played in your own learning and intellectual development.

With this in mind, first consider what you are passionate about. Think about what excites you the most, what you find yourself gravitating towards in your free time, and what activities make you lose track of time because you are so engrossed in them. The passion you choose should be something that you have pursued with genuine interest and dedication—which means that it should be reflected in other elements of your application. Rather than introducing a novel interest, this essay should provide context for how your active pursuit of your core passion has shaped you.

As you craft your response, consider questions such as: What steps did you take to explore and deepen your knowledge or skills in this area? Were there any challenges or obstacles you encountered along the way? What did you learn about your strengths and weaknesses? Did you discover any new interests or talents? How did pursuing this passion shape your values, beliefs, or perspectives? Did it teach you resilience, patience, or creativity?

With your essay, show the admissions committee your capacity for self-reflection, intentionality, teachability, and growth. Finally, consider how you might connect these reflections to the values of Amherst reflected in the quote; highlight how your intellectual or creative pursuit reflects a commitment to exploring new ideas, embracing diversity of thought, and contributing to a respectful and dynamic community.

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 an attempt to capture beautiful landscapes soon evolved into a deeper exploration of human stories, emotions, and the nuances of everyday life.

As I pursued photography, I found myself drawn to photojournalism. 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 represent the truth as faithfully as possible. 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. As the president of the Photography Club at my high school, I also organized events that focused not only on the artistic side of photography, but also its ethics and social impact, inviting philosophy and journalism professors from the community college to host round-table discussions on such issues.

Through photography, I learned the importance of using my voice—or in this case, my camera—to look at the world with empathy and truthfulness. This pursuit has deepened my understanding of the interconnectedness of art, journalism, and social justice, and it has instilled in me a commitment to continue exploring and documenting the world around me. As a member of the Amherst community, I will continue to use my voice—and my lens—to tell truthful stories, amplify the voices of others, and contribute to a more compassionate and socially aware generation of media consumers.

This option is not generally preferable to Option A. When writing a paper 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 customization 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 encapsulates the quality and depth of work Amherst might expect. 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 and present your best self.