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Hampshire College
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Hampshire College
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Hampshire College
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893 West St
Amherst, MA 010025001
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General information
Financial aid office
Admissions office
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(413) 549-4600 Ext.
(413) 559-5484 Ext.
(413) 559-5471 Ext.
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| Type of institution: |
Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
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| Federal Aid: |
Institution has a Program Participation Agreement with the US Department of Education for eligible students to receive Pell Grants and other federal aid.
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| Degrees offered: |
Bachelor degree |
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| Carnegie classification: |
Baccalaureate Colleges--Arts & Sciences
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| Number of students: |
1,448 (2006)
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| 2007-08 Undergraduate application fee: | $55.00 |
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| About this School |
| Hampshire College is an experimenting private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1970 as an experiment in alternative education by four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (together with Hampshire they are known as the Five Colleges consortium). Five College students are allowed to attend classes at any of the colleges as they are all geographically close to one another and are linked by buses which run between the campuses.
The College's alternative curriculum is very different from that of most traditional colleges. It is generally well-reputed for its film, writing, and art programs. In some fields it is among the top undergraduate institutions in graduate-school enrollment; fifty-six percent of its alumni have at least one graduate degree. Its School of Cognitive Science was the first interdisciplinary undergraduate program in cognitive science and still has few peers.
In 2006, the Princeton Review named Hampshire College one of the nation’s "best value" undergraduate institutions in its book "America’s Best Value Colleges".
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| History |
Though the college opened to students in 1970, its history dates to the immediate aftermath of World War II. The first "New College Plan" was drafted in 1958 by the presidents of the then-Four Colleges; it was revised several times as the serious planning for the College began in the 1960s. Many original ideas for non-traditional ways of arranging the College's curriculum, campus, and life were discarded along the way, but many new ideas generated during the planning process were not described in the original documents.
For several years in the early 1970s, directly after its founding, Hampshire College was among the most selective undergraduate programs in the United States (Making of a College 307-310). Its selectivity declined thereafter, but the school's applications increased in the late 1990s, making admissions more difficult. The College's selectivity in admissions is now comparable to that of many other small liberal arts colleges.
The school has struggled with financial difficulties since its founding, and ceasing operations or folding into the University of Massachusetts Amherst were seriously considered at various points. Today the school is on more solid financial footing (though still without a sizable endowment), a condition often credited to the fundraising efforts of its most recent past presidents, Adele Simmons and Gregory S. Prince, Jr.. The College has also distinguished itself recently with plans for the future including a "sustainable campus plan" and a "cultural village" through which organizations not directly affiliated with the school are located on its campus. Currently this "cultural village" includes the National Yiddish Book Center and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
On April 1, 2004, Prince announced his retirement, effective at the end of 2004-05 academic year. On April 5, 2005, the Board of Trustees named Ralph Hexter, formerly a dean at University of California, Berkeley's College of Letters and Science, as the college's next president, effective August 1, 2005. President Hexter was officially inaugurated in a ceremony on October 15, 2005. This appointment made Hampshire one of the few colleges in the United States to have an openly gay president.
Some of the most important founding documents of Hampshire College are collected in the book The Making of a College (MIT Press, 1967; ISBN 0262660059). The Making of a College is (as of 2003) out of print but available in electronic form from the Hampshire College Archives . A new edition is rumored to be in progress.
Despite its small size and short history, Hampshire has made its own mark on pop culture and political activism. Its annual Halloween party, appropriately dubbed "Trip or Treat" for its ubiquitous debauchery and hallucinogenic drugs, is said to have once been profiled by Rolling Stone magazine. [Roth, Melissa, "Party Mix", Rolling Stone 719 (October 19, 1995).] It was the first college in the nation to decide to divest from apartheid South Africa in 1979 (with the nearby University of Massachusetts Amherst rapidly coming second). In November 2001, a controversial all-community vote at Hampshire declared the school opposed to the recently-launched War on Terrorism, another national first which drew national media attention, including scathing reports from Rupert Murdoch's FOX News Channel and the New York Post ("Kooky College Condemns War"). Saturday Night Live had a regular sketch, "Jarrett's Room", starring Jimmy Fallon which purports to take place at Hampshire College but is grossly inaccurate, referring to non-existent buildings ("McGuin Hall") and featuring yearbooks, tests, seniors, fraternities, 3-person dorm rooms, and a football team, none of which have ever existed at the school (although in the Fall 2005 semester the college experienced a higher than expected number of freshmen and temporarily had to convert some of the common spaces into 3-person dorms). The sketch further seemed to think that the college was actually in New Hampshire (a common mistake).
In recent years however the school has taken several steps in an effort to expand the school and attract more academically conventional students. The most significant change was a revision of the Division 1 program for first year students. Before the fall of 2002, Division 1 traditionally consisted of five independent projects, one in each of the "Schools" or academic departments. These projects could consist of purely independent work, or one course and a smaller independent project. There also was a "two-course option", Where a student could take two related courses and not complete any independent work. In fall of 2002, the new first-year program was started in response to high numbers of second and third year students who had not completed Division 1. The new program mandates eight courses in the first year, at least one in each of the five schools. This reduces the required work for passing Division 1 significantly, as up to 10 courses could be required under the older system.
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| Academic year prices for full-time, first-time undergraduate students |
| Tuition and Fees | 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06 |
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| In-State | $36,545 | $34,605 | $31,939 |
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| Out of State | $36,545 | $34,605 | $31,939 |
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| Books and Supplies | $500 | $500 | $500 |
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| On-Campus |
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| Room and board | $9,545 | $9,030 | $8,519 |
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| Other Expenses | $600 | $600 | $600 |
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| Off Campus |
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| Room and board | ---- | ---- | ---- |
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| Other Expenses | ---- | ---- | ---- |
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| Off Campus w/ family |
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| Other Expenses | ---- | ---- | ---- |
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Financial aid 2005-2006
Financial aid to full-time, first-time undergraduate students
| Type of Aid | Percentage of students receiving aid | Average amount of aid they received |
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| Federal Grants (scholarship/fellowship) |
8% |
$5,465 |
| State/Local grants (scholarship/fellowship) |
4% |
$745 |
| Institutional grants (scholarship/fellowship) |
69% |
$15,820 |
| Loans to students |
50% |
$2,210 |
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Degrees offered by this school
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Bachelor degree
Sociology
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Sociology: A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, ...
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Bachelor degree
Social Sciences
Other
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Social Sciences, Other: Any instructional program in social sciences not listed in the Social Sciences, General category.
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Bachelor degree
Public Health
Other
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Public Health, Other: Any instructional program in public health not listed in the Public Health, General category.
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Bachelor degree
Psychology
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Psychology, General: A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the variou...
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Bachelor degree
Philosophy and Religious Studies
Other
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other: Any instructional program in philosophy and religion not listed in the Philosophy and Religious Studies, General category.
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Bachelor degree
Music
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Music, General: A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media.
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Bachelor degree
Mathematics
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Mathematics, General: A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathem...
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Bachelor degree
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other.
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other: Any single instructional program in liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities not listed in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, General category.
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Bachelor degree
Fine Arts and Art Studies
Other
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other: Any instructional program in fine arts and art studies not listed in the Fine Arts and Art Studies, General category.
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Bachelor degree
Film + Video and Photographic Arts
Other
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Film + Video and Photographic Arts, Other: Any instructional program in film/video and photographic arts not listed in the Film/Video and Photographic Arts, General category.
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Bachelor degree
English Language and Literature
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree English Language and Literature, General: A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples.
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Bachelor degree
Education
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Education, General: A program that focuses on the general theory and practice of learning and teaching; the basic principles of educational psychology; the art of teaching; the planning and administration of educational activities; school safety and health issues; and the social found...
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Bachelor degree
Economics
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Economics, General: A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- an...
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Bachelor degree
Drama and Dramatics + Theatre Arts
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Drama and Dramatics + Theatre Arts, General: A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed ...
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Bachelor degree
Dance
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Dance, General: A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and an...
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Bachelor degree
Computer and Information Sciences
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Computer and Information Sciences, General: A general program that focuses on computing, computer science, and information science and systems as part of a broad and/or interdisciplinary program. Such programs are undifferentiated as to title and content and are not to be confused wit...
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Bachelor degree
Communication Studies + Speech Communication and Rhetoric
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Communication Studies + Speech Communication and Rhetoric: A program that focuses on the scientific, humanistic, and critical study of human communication in a variety of formats, media, and contexts. Includes instruction in the theory and practice of interpersonal, group, organizati...
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Bachelor degree
Cognitive Science
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Cognitive Science: A program that focuses on the study of the mind and the nature of intelligence from the interdisciplinary perspectives of computer science, philosophy, mathematics, psychology, neuroscience, and other disciplines. Includes instruction in mathematics and logic, cogn...
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Bachelor degree
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Other
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other: Any instructional program in the biological and biomedical sciences not listed in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences, General category.
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Bachelor degree
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies, Other.
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies, Other: Any instructional program in area, ethnic, cultural, and gender studies not listed in the Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies, General category.
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Bachelor degree
Architecture and Related Services
Other
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Architecture and Related Services, Other: Any instructional program in architecture and related programs not listed in the Architecture and Related Services, General category.
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Bachelor degree
Agriculture
General
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Hampshire College
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General Description for:
Hampshire College Bachelor degree Agriculture, General: A program that focuses on the general principles and practice of agricultural research and production and that may prepare individuals to apply this knowledge to the solution of practical agricultural problems. Includes instruction in basic animal, plant, and so...
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End of file for Hampshire College.
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