Hampshire College Top Questions

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In spite of some of its faults, such as the fact that it is poor, there is a lot of hypocrisy, and you have to pull out your Political Correctness Dictionary anytime you are in a discussion, Hampshire was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life. I come from Richmond Virginia, where most kids stay in state and then live in Richmond when they grow up. I was always the odd one out in high school. I walked onto Hampshire Campus and never looked back. I have never felt more accepted in my life, because everyone was the odd one out. They all understand. I always had anxiety during tests. Not having to worry about that has changed the way I perform in class. I feel that I have increased my learning abilities and outcomes exponentially. Hampshire also allows me to study Naturopathy and Childbirth in ways that I couldn't imagine anywhere else. Internships and Abroad programs are countless, and I am very fortunate for that. Basically, if you were the odd one out in school, you excel when you are allowed to be completely self sufficient, and you feel that you can take the strong opinions around you and use them to make yourself more you, then Hampshire should be your home. You are the kind of person who will be smiling with us when we laugh in disbelief about how incredible our college years are.

Ken Burns, possibly our only famous alumn besides Danny Tamberelli, once referred to Hampshire as "the perfect American place." Nuff said.

Hampshire boasts the freedom to study anything. This is true to some extent, but your studies are still limited by what your committee (Hampshire college faculty) can advise you in. Just because Hampshire has a department, dosn't mean that it's quality instruction. I study education, and have found the education department at Hampshire's to be seriously lacking. Some of the worst courses i have ever taken where through education professors at Hampshire. But, I still have the freedom to take courses off campus. Hampshire politics are also sticky and difficult to navigate. If you have a problem, there is probably a solution, you just may need to spend half of your time trying to figure out who to talk to in order to fix it. There is also an increasing feeling on campus that Hampshire cares more about future students than current students. It should also be noted that financial aid decreases after your first year. If you are not on work study, it is extremely difficult to get an on campus job. There are not a lot of on campus facilities. No great performance space, no student center, not a lot of dining choices on campus. Things like that.

Hampshire is amazing, but not for everyone. You either love it or you hate it; it's either precisely for you, or not for you at all.

For more information about the college, go to youtube and search Hampshire College, or go to google and search "Action Awareness Week"

Hampshire has compost!!! Its a great thing. There are recycle sheds all around campus. Every mod has a compost bucket and students are committed to composting and recycling. Every college campus should have compost! There is compost in the dining hall. Also, the dining hall offers vegan options. There is themed housng on campus too, such as vegetarian groups or substance free housing.

Be prepared for Hampshire to be a temporary thing. The information they give in the brochures is not entirely accurate. And be sure to talk to students when/if you come and visit. They're more honest than the administration.

For my "major," I put "Other Social Science." To be more specific, I am planning to explore the interactions between environmental issues and social justice issues. The idea for my concentration was inspired by a class I took entitled "Environment and Social Justice."

Hampshire is like a big, four-year-long summer camp, but with snow.