Hampshire College

Parents have lots of questions! Because Hampshire's approach to a liberal arts education looks different, parents of prospective Hampshire students often have questions about Hampshire's academic program and the benefits of Hampshire's differences. Questions about affordability and student life are also very common. The following are questions that parents ask most often. If you have a question that is not reflected below, please feel free to ask us!

ACADEMICS

I know that Hampshire has a different structure; how does it work?

Our structure does, indeed, look different. It looks different because it is designed to achieve different goals. Hampshire has a three-stage Divisional system which develops students’ ability to meet the high expectations that we (and the world after college) will have of them.

Division I (First-Year Program) begins with clear expectations: students complete eight courses or projects that emphasize inquiry, including study in five different academic areas or ‘schools’, as they are known at Hampshire. Students take 100-level classes which will help them to develop the skills needed for higher-level work at Hampshire, while being closely mentored by classroom professors. Through the portfolio review process at the year’s end, both students and faculty advisors reflect on the student’s academic growth and direction and goals for the next phase of Hampshire.

Division II (The Concentration) requires students to develop a rigorous academic concentration guided by their interests and goals rather than departmental rules. Frequent meetings with faculty mentors and a written contract help students to stay focused while making good use of Five College resources. The concentration may include independent studies, internships, field work, and study abroad. In Division II, students develop the depth of knowledge, direct experience, and skills necessary for the original work of their final year. A second, more extensive, portfolio review further develops each student’s ability to understand issues across disciplinary lines and to become a more self-aware learner.

In Division III (Advanced Studies), students make their education their own, putting the insights, skills, and knowledge developed over the past three years to use in a major independent project of their own design-- much like a graduate thesis-- adding dimensions of learning to their undergraduate experience. Again, they work very closely with at least two faculty members. If the first year can be viewed as a bridge from secondary school to the work of Hampshire, the final year can be viewed as a bridge to the independence, initiative, focus and creativity necessary to accomplish meaningful work in the professional world.

Why have written evaluations instead of traditional letter grades?

In order to get the most out of an individualized course of study, students need specific and insightful feedback relevant to their personal goals--something that letter grades can never accomplish. A lack of letter grade-induced competition encourages students to take intellectual risks and fosters a sense of community and collaboration at Hampshire.

Who will help my child navigate this system, especially in the first year?

During the first year, students take a class known as a “tutorial.” One purpose of the tutorial is to provide academic counseling to new students, as well as to acclimate students to Hampshire’s expectations of them in the classroom. The professor of this tutorial becomes the student’s advisor. With only 12 students in the class (and designated advising days), the professor and the student are in frequent contact and get to know each other quite well.

Without grades, how do you know if an individual student is struggling?

Regular meetings between students and faculty advisors are at the heart of advising at Hampshire. The Center for Academic Support (CASA) also monitors students’ academic progress and helps students and advisors plan and achieve academic goals.

What resources (besides the Advising Office) are available?

In short, quite a few. Hampshire has a Quantitative Resource Center (where students can go if they’re stuck on integrating quantitative studies into their research) as well as a Writing Center, where students can bring papers to be edited. In the STAR (Student-To-student Academic Resource) Office, newer students can see samples of Divisional forms, contracts, and portfolios. Counselor Advocates are students trained to help during difficulties of all sorts, academic included. Dorm interns (Hampshire’s version of RA’s) are available to help with everything from homesickness to choosing classes.

Do students really use the Five College Consortium?

Students take an average of seven to eight off-campus classes during their tenure at Hampshire. The Five College library system, which holds approximately 9 million volumes, is indispensable. In addition, students attend lectures, performances, sporting events, and get-togethers at the other schools on a regular basis.

What is the study abroad program like? Can I afford to let my child study abroad?

Hampshire offers a number of study abroad programs to such diverse places as France, Central America, China, Cuba, Germany, India, and Mexico. Students can also choose from hundreds of programs offered by other colleges, universities and organizations. A trip to the Global Education Office on campus can help to get a student on the right track.

Hampshire tuition, room and board, and financial aid awards may cover the costs of these programs (including travel). The Global Education Office and faculty advisors, as well as the Financial Aid Office, can provide specific information about arranging for the financial aspect of study abroad programs.

Can students transfer if Hampshire is not right for them?

As is true at any college, the better you have done academically, the more options you will have if you want to transfer. Hampshire is well known in higher education, and narrative evaluations are useful and recognized. Our students have been extremely successful in transferring to a wide variety of selective public and private colleges.

How can I be sure my child is enough of a self-starter?

To be a self-starter is to imagine and pursue a goal of your own. Most Hampshire applicants are already doing this. Some create an independent study. Others pursue personal goals in out-of-class activities--art, acting, writing, political organizing, internships at zoos or hospitals, performing music, or translating works of literature. The admissions staff looks for these kinds of activities in applicants. We also look for curiosity, imagination, breadth of interest, joy in discovery, a sense that their efforts and contributions are important, persistence, self-discipline, and an ability to collaborate with others. This long list of traits is seldom well-developed in a single student, but reflects the many different students who can be successful at Hampshire. Our unique curriculum gives students a chance to imagine and pursue goals of their own with support from faculty. This helps students express their national desire for engagement and creativity in their academic work. The admissions committee looks for potential to thrive in Hampshire’s unique philosophy; our program further develops these traits within our students.

LIFE AFTER HAMPSHIRE

What do graduates do after Hampshire?

Able, independent, judicious, and with the hands-on experience of creating their own work and managing deadlines (all within a broad-based and stringent liberal arts program at a prestigious institution), Hampshire graduates are extremely viable in the workforce. Graduates work in a great range of professions: education, law, medicine, science, business, new media, human services, and the arts, to name a few. Specific jobs are often interesting: playwright, medical ethicist/professor, wolf population manager, milliner, or recording artist. They can pitch and sell their ideas to employers. Twenty percent run their own business. Alums credit Hampshire with helping them to feel “fearless” in their work.

If my student doesn’t have a major, what will she write on resumes and job applications?

Hampshire graduates indicate their “concentrations.” For example, a graduate may write on a job application that they concentrated in psychology and child development. Hampshire College awards the Bachelor of Arts degree.

How do Hampshire students fare when applying to graduate programs?

The Divisional system is modeled after a graduate program, and Hampshire students make a natural transition to graduate school. Approximately 60 percent of our students go on to graduate or professional school. Of those who apply, 85 percent are accepted to one of their top two choice programs. Of those students who design and complete a pre-med program, 100 percent are accepted to medical school!

Hampshire students’ passion, creativity, and resourcefulness (and narrative evaluations) help them stand out in graduate school admission. In addition, the typical Hampshire student’s transcript usually includes several letter grades from courses taken at the other demanding colleges in the Consortium.

FINANCIAL AID

Can our family afford Hampshire?

Approximately 60 percent of Hampshire students receive some sort of financial aid from Hampshire. This means that the cost of attendance varies according to a family’s ability to pay. This year’s average financial aid package (Hampshire grant, student loan, and work study job) is $25,200.

Why does Hampshire cost so much?

Hampshire’s Divisional system is very labor-intensive--salary and benefits are a significant part of our budget. Students meet not just one-on-one, but often with two faculty members at once, on a frequent basis. We are a young college with a small endowment, yet we manage expenses tightly to keep our costs similar to (and often less than) those of other national liberal arts colleges. We believe the value of a Hampshire education lies in the personal attention students receive and their opportunity to create a uniquely meaningful education, using the quite remarkable resources of the Five Colleges.

Do you offer merit scholarships?

Merit-based aid makes up approximately three percent of the financial aid that is awarded. We offer several different merit scholarships based on achievement, initiative and service. Awards range from $1,000 to $12,500 per year for four years. There is no separate application process-- admissions counselors nominate students for merit awards as they read their applications.

CAMPUS LIFE

Are there drugs on campus?

Like any school, there is drug use at Hampshire. Campus surveys report drug usage on our campus to be on par with that on other small, liberal arts campuses; alcohol consumption is reported as being below average on Hampshire’s campus. Students report that unlike some colleges, there is no pressure from peers to use substances, and Hampshire has no Greek life on campus. Substance-free housing is available for any students that wish to avoid coming into contact with substances.

What do students do on weekends?

With 30,000 college students in the surrounding area, students are never at a loss for something to do. Lectures, sporting events, and movie screenings are all popular. There are several concert venues in the area, and recent acts include a wide variety of artists, from punk to pop. There are also more than a dozen museums in the Pioneer Valley. Many weekends include some form of academic work, whether it’s writing, research or attending a relevant workshop. If students wish to go off-campus for the weekend, they are only a bus or train ride away from both Boston and New York City.

Is your campus easily accessible by plane/train/bus?

Yes. The closest airport is Bradley International (BDL), which is located between Springfield and Hartford, about an hour away from campus. There are several companies in the Valley who shuttle students back and forth to the airport at reasonable prices. In addition, there are bus stations in both Northampton and Amherst, as well as a train station in Amherst.

Where will my child live?

Hampshire is a residential college and the vast majority of our students live on-campus. First-year students almost always live in a dorm, either Dakin or Merrill House. Each hall has a communal space (the lounge) which houses a television and a refrigerator. (In Merrill House, the lounges also have a kitchenette.) Older students often live in our on-campus apartments, which are known as mods. Living in a mod is more like living in a house: there is a kitchen, a common space, and private bathrooms.

Are there resident assistants?

Instead of resident assistants, Hampshire has student interns. Each hallway and on-campus apartment is assigned a student intern. Interns organize activities and help foster community. They also serve as a direct link between students and the professional housing staff. Each housing area has a “house office” where students can get cleaning supplies (including vacuums), submit work orders, or hang out over coffee or hot chocolate.

Are cars allowed on campus? Will my child need a car?

Yes, cars are allowed on campus. There is a fee to buy a parking sticker which will allow your child to park a car in one of our designated parking lots. While having a car can sometimes be helpful, our free bus system (second only to the one at Disney World) will get your child to the other colleges, the grocery store, the mall, and almost anywhere in between.

What is security like at Hampshire?

Public Safety is on call 24/7, and an officer is always patrolling the campus. There are walking guards available until midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends to walk students to their destinations if they feel uncomfortable walking alone. There are also trained student EMTs on campus available to respond to medical emergencies.

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