Hampshire College
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For Parents
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. We understand that the decision to apply to and enroll at Hampshire College is often a family decision. As prospective Hampshire parents, it is important that you learn as much as you can about the place where your child may be growing and learning over the next four years. We welcome and encourage your engagement in this process.
If the links below do not adequately address your questions, please feel free to call or e-mail the admissions office.
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How does Hampshire’s Divisional system work?
Why have written evaluations instead of grades?
How does advising work, especially in the first year?
Without grades, how does a student know if he or she is struggling?
Aside from the advising office, what resources are available to assist students?
To what extent do students use the Five College consortium?
What is the study abroad program like? Can I afford to let my student study overseas?
Can students transfer if Hampshire is not right for them?
How can I be sure my child is enough of a self-starter?
What do graduates do after Hampshire?
Without a formal major, what will my child indicate on a resume or job application?
How do Hampshire graduates fare when applying to graduate programs?
Can our family afford Hampshire?
Why does Hampshire cost so much?
Are drugs a problem at Hampshire?
What do students do on weekends?
What is the housing like? Are there resident assistants?
Are students allowed to have cars?
How does Hampshire's divisional system 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 that 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 that help them 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 the student and faculty advisor 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 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.
How does advising work, 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.
Aside from the advising office, what resources are available to assist students?
In short, quite a few. Hampshire has a Quantitative Resource Center (where students can go if they’re stuck on integrating quantitative skills 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, including any academic difficulties. Dorm interns (Hampshire’s version of RAs) are available to help with everything from homesickness to choosing classes.
To what extent do students use the Five College consortium?
Students take an average of seven to eight off-campus classes during their academic career 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 colleges on a regular basis.
What is the study abroad program like? Can I afford to let my child study overseas?
Hampshire offers a number of study-abroad programs in 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 (GEO) 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 a student has done academically, the more options the student will have if s/he wants 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. They also look for curiosity, imagination, breadth of interest, joy in discovery, students' sense that their efforts and contributions are important, persistence, self-discipline, and 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. The college's unique curriculum gives students a chance to imagine and pursue goals of their own with support from faculty. This helps students express their desire for engagement and creativity in their academic work. The admissions committee looks for potential to thrive within Hampshire’s unique philosophy; our program further develops these traits within our students.
What do graduates do after Hampshire?
Able, independent, judicious, and with hands-on experience creating their own work and managing deadlines, 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. Alumni often credit Hampshire with helping them to feel “fearless” in their work. Hampshire's differences lead to remarkable results.
Without a formal major, what will my child indicate on a resume or job application?
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 have been accepted to one of their two top-choice programs.
Hampshire students’ passion, creativity, and resourcefulness (and narrative evaluations) help them stand out in the graduate school admissions process. The typical Hampshire student’s transcript usually includes several letter grades from courses taken at the other demanding schools in the Five College consortium.
Can our family afford Hampshire?
Approximately 60 percent of Hampshire students receive some sort of financial assistance from Hampshire. For the vast majority of financial aid applicants, Hampshire is able to meet full financial need. Approximately 18% of Hampshire students are recipients of Pell Grants, indicating very high financial need. Visit our Costs & Financial Aid page for more information, including a link to a financial aid calculator.
Why does Hampshire cost so much?
Hampshire’s Divisional system is very labor-intensive—salary and benefits are a significant part of our budget—with students frequently meeting with two faculty members. We are a young college with a small endowment, yet we manage expenses efficiently to keep our costs similar to (and often less than) those of other national liberal arts colleges. We believe that the value of a Hampshire education lies in the personal attention students receive and their opportunity to create a uniquely meaningful education.
Are there 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.
Are drugs a problem at Hampshire?
Campus surveys report drug usage 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 as to any student.
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. With several concert venues in the area, performances include a wide variety of artists. There are 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 Boston or New York City.
What is housing like? Are there resident assistants?
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 House or Merrill House. Each hall has a communal space, a lounge with a television and a refrigerator. In Merrill House, the lounges also have a kitchenette. Older students often live in on-campus apartments known as mods. Living in a mod is more like living in a house: there is a kitchen and common space. 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 students allowed to have cars?
Yes, cars are allowed on campus. There is a fee to buy a parking sticker, which allows a student to park a car in a designated parking lot. While having a car can sometimes be helpful, the free Five College bus system takes students 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 hours a day, seven days a week, 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 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) on campus available to respond to medical emergencies.