Hampshire College
A liberal arts college fostering self-directed learning, creativity, and critical thinking through a unique Divisional system and the Five College Con...
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Experience campus life firsthand.
Hampshire College
Best Time
Experience campus life firsthand.
Highlights
Must-see attractions
A liberal arts college fostering self-directed learning, creativity, and critical thinking through a unique Divisional system and the Five College Consortium.
"If it's the right fit, it will change your life."
🎯 Seek Support Persistently
Staff want to help, but you may need to be persistent to find the right person. You're owed that support! :handshake:
📚 Plan Your Academic Path
Have a clear vision for your studies and how you'll fulfill requirements. Grad school applications require strong GPAs from other campuses too. :mortar_board:
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences
The Divisional System
Experience a unique academic structure focused on projects and evaluations, not traditional exams. It's designed for self-motivated learners.
Five College Consortium
Access courses and resources at Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and UMass Amherst. Expand your academic horizons beyond campus.
Student-Led Initiatives
Engage in advocacy, independent studies, and clubs. Hampshire fosters a hands-on learning environment where you can learn by doing.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Planning Your Visit
Embrace Self-Direction
Cost vs. Value
Best Times
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
🎯 Seek Support Persistently
Staff want to help, but you may need to be persistent to find the right person. You're owed that support! :handshake:
📚 Plan Your Academic Path
Have a clear vision for your studies and how you'll fulfill requirements. Grad school applications require strong GPAs from other campuses too. :mortar_board:
🤝 Make Friends Early
Building connections during orientation is key to a positive residential and academic experience. :peopleholdinghands:
💻 Explore Five College Courses
Don't wait too long to take advantage of courses at partner institutions. :university:
Tips
from all over the internet
🎯 Seek Support Persistently
Staff want to help, but you may need to be persistent to find the right person. You're owed that support! :handshake:
📚 Plan Your Academic Path
Have a clear vision for your studies and how you'll fulfill requirements. Grad school applications require strong GPAs from other campuses too. :mortar_board:
🤝 Make Friends Early
Building connections during orientation is key to a positive residential and academic experience. :peopleholdinghands:
💻 Explore Five College Courses
Don't wait too long to take advantage of courses at partner institutions. :university:
💡 Be Ready to Self-Motivate
Hampshire's structure demands initiative. If you thrive on independence, it's a great fit. :bulb:
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Hampshire College offers a transformative, albeit expensive, educational experience for self-motivated students who thrive on independence and project-based learning. While some find the cost high and administrative aspects challenging, many alumni praise the unique academic freedom and the supportive community that fosters personal growth and critical thinking. The Five College Consortium is a significant draw, expanding academic opportunities.
"I wouldn't trade my time at Hampshire for the world. Rating or highly because if it's the right fit, it will change your life. (Also to offset some of the right-wing review bombings of people who've never even gone here) If you want to go to Hampshire though, you really need to ask yourself: Do you have what it takes to motivate yourself when you have no restrictions?
This college is EXPENSIVE. EX. PEN. SIVE. Seeing the current government situation, I don't see that changing, either. During my four years, I'd often look at my classmates and realize that there were 2 kinds of students who go here: Intelligent, hard working individuals making real changes getting the best educational experience for experimental minds that they could hope to get, OR spoiled rich kids and people so depressed and miserable that they could not bring themselves to do any work whatsoever, burning 70k+ every year just to fail classes because they liked the sound of a no testing school on paper. If it's the depression, I'd recommend taking time away, 70k is WAY too much to pay for an experience you're not enjoying. But there will always be people here who have never felt the fear of the real world and grift it in the most expensive college in the area because it's marginally easier, and that's a bit demoralizing for those of us who do have to work. Still, if you are a passionate person, if you want school to work with you on projects instead of against you, if you hate school because there's something you'd RATHER be working towards, not because you think effort is too hard to sum up ever, this is time and money well spent. (Also, they have some great scholarships that really helped me!)
Hampshire has a unique set of challenges, but no more or less than other colleges. You trade fraternities and high assault rates for disorganized management and an occasionally volatile set of peers (always bound to happen on small campuses that collect people with strong morals.) Its structure asks you to apply yourself. If you don't apply yourself to your studies, your community, your values, you are simply wasting your time and money. If you do apply yourself, getting involved in advocacy, independent studies, clubs, learning collectives, you will be getting the chance to learn life skills by doing in an environment which is still safe to fail in. I consider that infinitely more valuable than studying for tests.
If you feel like you belong at Hampshire, here's advice from a very proud alum and former RA: if you need help? Don't stop asking people until you GET IT. Staff on this campus want to help you, ALWAYS, but they're such a mess and so overworked it might take some effort to find the right people to help you in the way you need. You're paying them to be there. You are OWED that support, and then you can direct other people to it later.
Also, if you read this far, check out my Div III project online! It's a comic/prose hybrid novel about the AIDS crisis in Last Vegas, called Dirty Vegas Dogs!"
Casper Binnett
"The key to understanding Hampshire is that, above ALL else; the college expects the student WILL step up and take charge of their education and chart their own individual academic course and direction. I watched peers flunk out of/withdraw/transfer out of Hampshire left and right over my four years there because they had the notion that Hampshire was somehow going to be "easy" because the Divisional system isn't traditionally "exam and grades-oriented" and that is a COMPLETE & UTTER FALLACY!
IF you intend to graduate from Hampshire, you'd better have a VERY clear idea of what you want to study and concentrate in, and how you're going to do it. Hampshire REQUIRES you have an academic plan, and a vision. You will HAVE to fulfill concentration requirements. AND, you will also HAVE to push yourself to study extensively on the other four campuses, otherwise an Ivy League (or any) grad school program isn't going to happen unless you have a well-maintained EXCELLENT weighted GPA from Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke & UMass/Amherst. Hampshire evaluations alone will NOT get you into grad school.
I was REALLY happy when I figured that academic caveat out during my first year. I wanted to take Five-College courses from the get-go, but CASA (Hampshire's Center for Academic Support & Advising) will advise first years not to take courses off campus (which I found EXTREMELY academically limiting) until their second semester. Therefore, I took my first Five College courses at Amherst & UMass/Amherst during the Spring semester of my first year.
Hampshire IS therefore VERY difficult and challenging for students who enter college not knowing what they want to do, BUT, if you do choose Hampshire (for me it was my #1 college choice) then it means you feel you are ready for the challenges and the experiences of being a Hampster.
I chose Hampshire over a number of other colleges/universities that I'd applied to, (including some that surprised even me like Emerson College in Boston & NYU/Tisch as a Theater/Film student) but that was just one of the (MANY) things that further convinced me I was DEFINITELY "ready" for the Hampshire experience. If I was turning down Emerson College & NYU/Tisch in favor of Hampshire's Theater/Film Programs, I REALLY wanted the "specific" experience that I KNEW Hampshire would offer me.
You just have to KNOW that Hampshire is for you or not. After a semester or a year, you'll KNOW. Once you complete Division I, and file your Division II that's usually a pretty good indicator you'll keep on attending. Your residential life experience at Hampshire is also CENTRAL to your academic one, so choose VERY carefully with whom (& where) you'll live with on campus. I lived in two different Mods once I left the Dorms. #65 in Enfield (pretty good) & #81 in Prescott (EXCELLENT!) SO, sorting that out is also key to having a good overall experience at Hampshire. 👍
Luckily, in my case I was from an academic family: my parents were both accomplished English Professors and Writers in the NYC Academia/Literary world. Therefore, I researched colleges EXTENSIVELY and even took two "gap years" in between high school and college to decide EXACTLY where to apply, and Hampshire just kept getting "top priority" when it came to my college choices. The fact that they thought also thought Hampshire was exceptional was definitely a plus -- they attended the University of Chicago & Columbia respectively, so I respected both their takes on Hampshire as academics.
Hampshire is NOT therefore an "easy" college, and it will test and challenge even the most rigorous of students. When it first opened in 1970, it was the MOST selective and competitive liberal arts college to get into in the entire country. I ❤️'d Hampshire because it was the "right fit" for who I was as an individual and as a student. And that's WHY I chose it. I needed a "safe space campus" where I felt TOTALLY comfortable being out and open as a gay man. 🏳️🌈 Otherwise, don't even bother, because you'll just end up hating Hampshire and wasting a WHOLE LOT of 💲💲💲💲."
Ben Schaeffer
"What an incredible college experience my child is having at Hampshire. As a self motivated and directed learner they are getting all the resources they need to complete a truly remarkable undergraduate degree. I am impressed with the facilities and professors. Only drawback I’ve seen would be the difficulty getting into classes at the other 4 colleges"
Lori Zwicker
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
🚇 🗺️ Getting There
You can reach Hampshire College by car, which is about a 1.5 to 2-hour drive from Boston depending on traffic. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Boston to Amherst, and then a local bus or taxi to campus.
Yes, the town of Amherst is within walking distance of Hampshire College, offering students access to shops, restaurants, and cultural events.
Winters in Amherst can be cold with snow, but the town is generally well-equipped to handle them. Students often find it manageable, especially with access to campus facilities and the surrounding Five College network.
Hampshire College is part of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) bus system, which connects it to Amherst and other surrounding towns, facilitating travel within the Five College Consortium.
Hampshire College's campus is relatively compact, making it easy to walk between classes and dorms. Some areas may present challenges for individuals with mobility issues, highlighting the need for proactive communication with the college.
🎫 🎫 Tickets & Entry
Applications are typically submitted online through the Hampshire College admissions portal. The college emphasizes a holistic review process, considering essays, recommendations, and academic records.
Hampshire College looks for self-motivated students who are ready to take ownership of their education. They value creativity, critical thinking, and a willingness to engage deeply with their studies.
Yes, Hampshire College offers campus tours and open house events, which are excellent opportunities to experience the campus atmosphere and learn more about academic programs.
Hampshire College is known to be expensive. Prospective students are encouraged to research current tuition rates and explore scholarship opportunities.
Hampshire College hosts Open House events, often in the fall, which are designed for prospective students and their families to explore the campus and learn about the unique educational experience.
🎫 🧭 Onsite Experience
Hampshire utilizes a unique Divisional system, focusing on student-led projects, evaluations, and self-directed learning rather than traditional exams and grades.
Through the Five College Consortium, Hampshire students can enroll in courses at Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and UMass Amherst, significantly broadening academic options.
Students who are independent, creative, and eager to take charge of their learning journey tend to thrive at Hampshire. It's ideal for those who prefer project-based work over standardized testing.
Absolutely. Hampshire emphasizes learning by doing through independent studies, advocacy, clubs, and collaborative projects, providing a safe space to experiment and learn.
Residential life is central to the Hampshire experience. Students live in various housing options, including dorms and 'Mods' (small, self-governing communities), with careful consideration of living arrangements being key to a good experience.
🍽️ 🍽️ Food & Dining
Reviews on dining hall food at Hampshire are mixed, with some mentioning it as overpriced, with limited options and small portions.
The number of dining options on campus can be limited, and some facilities may close early, requiring students to plan their meals accordingly.
While specific details vary, colleges typically aim to accommodate dietary restrictions. It's advisable for students with specific needs to contact the dining services directly.
Some students find the food options on campus to be overpriced for the quality and quantity offered.
Some campus facilities may have limited operating hours, with reports of everything closing around 4 PM, which can be a challenge for students with late schedules.
📸 📸 Photography
The campus offers a unique blend of natural landscapes and distinctive architecture, providing varied photographic opportunities. Look for interesting buildings and scenic areas.
When photographing student projects or events, always seek permission from the individuals involved to respect their privacy and work.
Generally, casual photography for personal use is permitted. However, commercial photography or filming may require prior approval from the college administration.
Given the college's emphasis on creativity and film production, stop-motion animation and experimental film are areas where students often showcase their visual talents.
Hampshire College's campus features a range of architectural styles. Exploring the academic buildings and residential areas can yield interesting photographic subjects.
For Different Travelers
Tailored advice for your travel style
👨👩👧 Families with Kids
Encourage your child to be proactive in seeking support from faculty and staff, as this is crucial for success in Hampshire's unique academic environment. The Five College Consortium also provides a wealth of resources and opportunities that can enrich their undergraduate experience. Visiting during an Open House is a great way for families to get a feel for the campus culture and academic approach.
💰 Budget Travelers
While on campus, students can save money by utilizing the Five College Consortium for a wider range of course options, potentially reducing the need for additional specialized programs elsewhere. Making connections with peers and utilizing campus resources effectively can also contribute to a more cost-effective experience.
💡 Independent Learners
Deep Dives
In-depth insights and expert knowledge
The Hampshire Academic Experience
Students are expected to be highly self-motivated and proactive in their learning. The absence of traditional grades can be a challenge for some, but for those who thrive in an environment that trusts their ability to manage their own education, it offers unparalleled freedom and depth. The Five College Consortium further enriches this experience, allowing students to cross-register for courses at Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and UMass Amherst, providing access to a vast array of academic disciplines and faculty.
This unique academic model means that success at Hampshire is less about memorizing facts and more about developing analytical skills, effective communication, and a passion for lifelong learning. It's an environment that supports experimentation and learning from failure, making it an ideal setting for students who want to push the boundaries of their knowledge and explore unconventional academic paths.
Navigating the Five College Consortium
While the consortium provides immense benefits, students should be aware of the logistical aspects. This includes understanding the transportation options between campuses, which are often facilitated by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) bus system. Planning ahead for course registration and ensuring that credits transfer smoothly are also important considerations for maximizing the benefits of this unique academic partnership.
For students aiming for graduate studies, leveraging the Five College Consortium is particularly crucial. A strong GPA from courses taken at these partner institutions, alongside Hampshire's own evaluations, can significantly strengthen applications to competitive graduate programs. It’s a testament to the breadth and rigor of education available through this collaborative network.
Student Life and Community
The college is known for its diverse and often progressive student body, creating an environment where open dialogue and social awareness are encouraged. Many students identify as LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent, contributing to a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. This vibrant community spirit is a significant aspect of the Hampshire experience, offering a supportive network for students as they navigate their academic and personal lives.
While the community is generally supportive, it's important for students to be proactive in seeking out resources and connections. The college encourages students to build relationships with faculty and staff, who are dedicated to supporting student success. Making friends early, particularly during orientation, is often cited as a key factor in a positive overall experience at Hampshire.
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