Amherst College's wording, checked October 26, 2026"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?”
How to approach it
- 1Show curiosity in action: a question you chased and how.
- 2Say what it feels like for you specifically.
- 3Keep it personal, as Amherst asks.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1A question you could not let go of.
- 2How you pursued it.
- 3What curiosity means to you, drawn from that experience.
Where the 350 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The moment or example | about 140 |
| What it shows or changed | about 120 |
| Why it matters, or what you bring | about 90 |
Mistakes to avoid
- An essay about curiosity in general.
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Amherst answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 350 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| One specific idea | It names one specific topic, question or idea early, narrower than a whole subject. |
| Evidence you pursue it | It shows what the applicant read, built, asked or tried on their own, beyond required class work. |
| Your own thinking | The reader sees how the applicant's mind works on it: a connection, an opinion, a question still open. |
| Amherst's ask | A personal answer about how the applicant experiences curiosity, not an argumentative essay about the quotation. |
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Questions
More on Amherst and this kind of question
- Yale: A topic or idea that excites you · 200 words
- Stanford: What excites you about learning · 100-250 words
- Northwestern: Dream up a class or project · 200 words
- Caltech: Process: the thought behind the outcome · 200 words
- Caltech: Learning: a STEM rabbit hole · 200 words
- Caltech: Pursuing: sustained intellectual engagement · 200 words