First-Year Students

Thank you for your interest in applying to Hampshire College! This year, Hampshire has begun the process of searching for a strategic partner as part of larger efforts to create a thriving and sustainable community for our next fifty years. During this time of transition, our Board of Trustees has voted to pause enrollment for the fall of 2019. In accordance with this vote we have suspended and withdrawn all applications for 2019. Thank you for your understanding and patience during this time of change. Stay tuned for more information about the 2020 application process.

Unsatiated intellectual curiosity? A compulsion to collaborate and create? An infectious enthusiasm for ideas? If these are the symptoms, Hampshire’s the cure.

The category first-year students includes students who have completed some college work prior to enrollment at Hampshire (fewer than 15 transferable semester credits).

Application Deadlines

First Year Student Admission Plan	Deadline	Notification
Regular Decision (spring)	November 1	December 1
Early Decision I (fall)	November 15	December 15
Early Decision II (fall)	January 1	February 1
Early Action (fall)	December 1	February 15
Regular Decision (fall)	January 15	April 1

Required Application Materials

We do a holistic read of your application, meaning we look at everything. To apply, submit the following materials through the Common Application:

Completed Common Application, including the personal essay
One of Hampshire's three writing supplements*
Current transcripts
School report, including a college counselor recommendation
Two teacher letters of recommendation

*Writing Supplement

The following questions get at some of our core values: inquiry, interdisciplinarity, and growth. Choose one prompt from the list below and respond (500-word max):

Hampshire’s motto is “to know is not enough.” People interpret this motto in different ways. What does it mean to you?
Think about two or more topics that interest you. Tell us about some issues or questions related to these topics.
Describe a time when you received feedback, academic or otherwise, that changed your thinking or behavior for the better.

Optional Application Materials

Some optional application materials can be submitted through the Common Application. You will also have the opportunity, after applying, to submit additional optional materials such as photos, videos, PDFs, Word documents, and music files through your online application portal with Hampshire College.

Video/media supplement. This could be music, dance, film, animation, monologue, etc. (provide link)
Project sample: Submit an example of your independent or collaborative project work. This project can be creative, scientific, or otherwise showcase the type of work you've done in high school. Provide a link if necessary.
Additional letters of recommendation, up to three.
An interview with a Hampshire student or counselor.

After Submitting Your Application

Once we process your application, we will send an acknowledgment letter that includes a username and password for you to check the completeness of your admissions file online. Hampshire College has entered the 21st century and now releases decisions online. To make sure that you receive your decision, we recommend not opting out of email communications.

FAQ

Still have questions? Check out our FAQ page or contact us at admissions@hampshire.edu.

Common App Support

Prospective Applicants can get Common App online support through the Applicant Solution Center. From the Help Center, click the "Contact Support" tab to contact our support team.

Counselors/Recommenders with Common App questions or suggestions can contact them through the Recommender Solution Center.

Hampshire is a top producer of Fulbright Scholars

The U.S. State Department and the Chronicle of Higher Education have named Hampshire College a top producer of Fulbright Scholars for 2016-17. Hampshire is one of 11 bachelor’s institutions to receive the designation this year.

"There are two reasons why Hampshire graduates achieve so much. One is the kind of person the college attracts. The other is what the college does for them by equipping them to become their own wide-ranging explorers and connection-seekers."
Loren Pope, Colleges that Change Lives (2006)

Hampshire College is a member of Colleges that Change Lives, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process.