Amherst Supplemental Essays

Amherst, a highly selective liberal arts college in Massachusetts, gives you the option of writing one 350-word essay or submitting a graded paper from junior or senior year. Students who apply to Access to Amherst, a diversity outreach program, have the additional option of using their Access to Amherst application essay for their supplemental essay.

Amherst Supplemental Essay Questions (2024-2025)

Option A: Write an essay (350 words)

If you choose to write an essay, you can select from three prompts, each of which asks you to respond to a quote.

Prompt 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

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.

First, read the quote and make sure you understand it. The language is archaic; look up the word “colloquy” if you need to!

In planning this essay, do two things. First, make sure you have a thesis statement, i.e. a claim about what you think the “benefits of linking learning with leadership and/or service” are. That claim can come at the beginning or end of your essay.

Second, make sure that you tell a story that shows your claim in action. For example, if your claim is that “linking learning with service helps us understand the purpose of service, thereby making people more motivated to serve,” you want to tell a story in which you saw people become more motivated to serve because of something they learned or understood.

Prompt 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

In what ways could your unique experiences enhance our understanding of our nation and our world?

This is Amherst’s version of the Contributions/Lived Experiences essay, with a key difference: instead of giving you room to discuss any potential contribution you might make to the Amherst community, they’re looking for you to specifically address how your lived experiences could contribute to the community’s understanding of that nation in the world.

Read that essay guide for pointers on this genre, think about how your unique perspective could enhance others’ understanding of this country and/or the world (hint: EVERYONE has a unique perspective that could do that!), and then be sure to clearly tie the two together.

Prompt 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

Tell us about an intellectual or creative passion you have pursued; what did you learn about yourself through that pursuit?

This is a standard Intellectual Engagement essay; here are tips on how to write it.

Option B: Submit a Graded Paper

If you don’t want to write an essay, or if you have a particularly strong paper from junior or senior year you’d like to submit, this can be a great option. Highly selective colleges care about ideas and analysis, so I only encourage students to use this option if they have a paper that a) they’re particularly proud of, and b) is full of analysis and creative thinking.

If you have questions about this option, Amherst has a great FAQ on this prompt here.

Option C: Submit Your A2A Essay

This option is only available to students who are also applicants to Access to Amherst (A2A) a program, a diversity outreach program that “centers the experience of students from marginalized communities.” You can read more about Access to Amherst here.

Note: In 2024 the A2A deadline was in early August, so if you’re interested, it’s important to start the process during junior year.

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