The James Baldwin Scholars Program provides scholarships to talented students from underserved communities who would benefit from a transition year before college in which to improve general academic skills and prepare for the rigor of college studies.
Baldwin Scholars receive a scholarship that fully meets the cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, books, supplies, housing, and meals.
Successful completion of the transition year prepares students to apply for acceptance to Hampshire College with coursework already completed credited toward Hampshire's academic requirements. Students may also choose to apply to other selective liberal arts colleges.
Additional James Baldwin Scholars
program information and history
Common Application and Financial Aid Forms Interview and Baldwin Personal Statement |
February 1 (decision notification date is April 1) February 1 |
We do a holistic read of your application, meaning we look at everything. To apply, submit the following materials through the Common Application:
Register for a James Baldwin Scholars phone/Skype interview with a Hampshire College admissions representative. If you plan on coming to campus to do your interview, you can register for an on-campus interview time. You can sign up on any of the following dates throughout the months of November-January. Interviews must be completed by February 1.
We will contact you at the number/skype ID you provided on your registration form. If you have any questions about the interview or have scheduling conflicts with the dates offered, please reach out to admissions@hampshire.edu.
Please respond to the following question in 500 words or less:
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.
Once we process your application, we will send an acknowledgment email that includes a username and password for you to check the completeness of your admissions file online. To make sure that you receive your decision, we recommend not opting out of email communications.
The U.S. State Department and the Chronicle of Higher Education named Hampshire College a top producer of Fulbright Scholars.
"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
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.