How should I fill out Amherst College’s extracurricular profile?

Amherst’s extracurricular profile should be concise, specific, and selective. The goal is not to list everything you have ever done, but to help admissions understand how you spend your time, what you care about, and where you have made a real contribution.

Start by prioritizing your strongest activities, usually the ones that show the most commitment, achievement, or personal meaning. Put the clearest and most important entries first. If an activity took major time over several years, led to a measurable result, or connects to how you think and learn, it usually belongs near the top.

For each activity, focus on four things: what you did, how deeply you were involved, what changed because of your work, and what the activity says about you. Strong descriptions use concrete verbs and details.

Be honest and accurate, and do not inflate leadership or exaggerate impact.

If you have a long list, combine minor or one-time activities instead of giving them all equal space. A few strong entries with detail usually help more than many thin ones.

Also make room for activities that may not sound traditionally impressive but are meaningful and time-intensive, such as paid work, family responsibilities, independent reading or research, art made outside school, or community commitments.

A useful test is whether each description answers, “Why would Amherst remember this?” If an entry only gives a title and no sense of action or significance, revise it.