Amherst supplemental essays 2026-27

Amherst's questions at a glance

Not covered here: Option B (a graded paper from junior or senior year); Option C (the A2A Writing Supplement, for A2A applicants).

How to plan the Amherst supplement

1. 1Choose Option A unless you have a graded paper you are proud of (and did not use an analytical essay for your Common App).
2. 2In Option A, use the quotation as a door, not a topic: the essay is about you.

Option A: choose one of the following quotations, and respond to the question posed, in an essay of not more than 350 words.

1. Option A, Prompt 1: curiosity

Amherst's wording · 350 words · Choose 1 of 3

"Hope and curiosity — these are qualities that are the foundation of what Amherst College means, of everything that we do here. Curiosity is at the core of a liberal arts education — a spirit of inquiry that shapes not only what our students do in the classroom, but also how they learn from and about each other." — Michael A. Elliott, 20th President of Amherst College, address at Amherst College’s 203rd Commencement. 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.

“What does curiosity mean to you? How do you experience curiosity in your own life?”

What it is really asking. What curiosity means to you and how you experience it in your own life (after President Elliott's words on hope and curiosity).

How to approach it

1. 1Show curiosity in action: a question you chased and how.
2. 2Say what it feels like for you specifically.
3. 3Keep it personal, as Amherst asks.

Mistakes to avoid

• An essay about curiosity in general.

Full guide: How to Write Amherst's Curiosity Essay (Option A, Prompt 1)

2. Option A, Prompt 2: your unique experiences

Amherst's wording · 350 words · Choose 1 of 3

"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. 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.

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

What it is really asking. How your unique experiences could enhance understanding of the nation and the world (after the Trustee Statement on Diversity and Community).

How to approach it

1. 1Choose one experience with something to teach others.
2. 2Say what it lets you see that others might miss.
3. 3Make the link to understanding the nation or world concrete.

Mistakes to avoid

• Identity named with no experience shown.

Full guide: How to Write Amherst's "Unique Experiences" Essay (Option A, Prompt 2)

3. Option A, Prompt 3: a different viewpoint

Amherst's wording · 350 words · Choose 1 of 3

"We are working together to build a community that makes room for both true disagreement and true connection, one that practices the kind of recognition and robust negotiation that the everyday life of democracy requires, and one that explicitly prepares our students to work for the greater good in their professional and personal endeavors." — Presidential Priorities: Serving the Greater Good. 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.

“Tell us about a time that you engaged with a viewpoint different from your own. How did you enter that engagement, and what did you learn about yourself from it?”

What it is really asking. A time you engaged with a viewpoint different from your own, how you entered the engagement, and what you learned about yourself.

How to approach it

1. 1Spend time on how you entered: assumptions, nerves, intentions.
2. 2End on what you learned about yourself, which is the question.

Mistakes to avoid

• Learning only about the other person.

Full guide: How to Write Amherst's "Different Viewpoint" Essay (Option A, Prompt 3)

What our grader checks in your Amherst answers

Every answer is judged against a checklist for its kind of question plus one check written for Amherst's own wording. Each area comes back Met, Partly or Missing, and those verdicts (with the word limit) set the answer's readiness: Ready, Nearly there or Needs work. There is no score out of 100.

The type checklists are on the supplemental essay grader page.

Check your Amherst supplemental essays

Paste the answers you have, leave the rest empty. One report covers all of them: a checklist and a readiness verdict for each, a note on every sentence and a revision plan. Half a token, or your first review free. We never write a word of it.

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