Hampshire College Top Questions

Campus is extremely liberal. I have more often heard negative comments directed towards meat-eaters or conservatives than towards homosexuals, or people of color. With that said, Hampshire being the liberal institution that it is attracts many students who want social change. The breakdown occurs when students don't know the best ways to communicate their ideas. Anti-Racism has been a hot topic on campus this past year. Many students came away from the discussions quite offended, not because they disagreed with the principles of what the students were fighting for, but more because they disliked the way the students were "fighting." Socially, there tends to be something for just about everyone, especially when you look at the 5 colleges. The only students I have ever seen not fit into to Hampshire socially were 2 students who left my first year. They were both quite "preppy" and felt very out of place. the only other person i know who left for that reason was a spring transfer student. She told me that it was hard for her to find friends because everyone had already established their social groups, and no one was interested in expanding them to welcome her. Not being a transfer student myself, I can't vouch for this from personal experience, but social groups at hampshire are usually formed first year in the dorms and last all four years.

A very liberal campus. Pretty homogenous in terms of race, but no more so than other schools like it. There was a big movement about race last semester, which got a lot of the student body involved and led to limited (some would say disappointing) changes. Financial backgrounds are more varied than I expected from such an expensive school. Big LGBT presence. All bathrooms are co-ed, even in classroom buildings. A lot students from the Northeast, but also a wide variety from all over the US and some international presence too. Clothes are pretty much anything goes, but there isn't much of the preppy style-- thats more Amherst. Salvation army is really popular. Quite a few 'hipsters.' Students as a whole are not as politically active as I expected-- there's a lot of apathy towards action, although just about everyone has an opinion. Politically active people can definitely get themselves heard, though, if they're motivated. A wide variety of interests & a lot of intellectual conversation outside of class. People are quite friendly although there is some separation between first years and everyone else, mostly because first years are concentrated in the dorms. Social groups definitely emerge, but I don't see them as competitive or particularly exclusive.

Hampshire students are very accepting because they are all different in their own way. I find that people living in the dorms do not really interact with people living in the mods, which is unfortunate because first year students don't get to really form relationships with second-fourth year students. Students are very liberal and very outspoken and very active in their opinions and beliefs. They come from all different financial backgrounds, though most hate capitalism even though it pays for them to go to college. I find that Hampshire is admitting more people who I feel don't belong at Hampshire and are simply attracted by the fact that Hampshire has no grades. These are the people who are not intellectually curious, who do not care about thinking, and who are more interested in discussing how to seduce the hottie down the hall rather than Ionesco's use of existentialism in his absurdist plays. These are also the people who come to Hampshire for the drugs and who use drugs incorrectly. I find that generally Hampshire college students don't so much care about how much money they'll be making one day, but how much they will be able to change the world.

The Hampshire student body is incredibly radical and intolerant of dissent. If your opinions deviate from the norm, you will most likely feel personally attacked, or you'll just learn to keep your mouth shut. We apparently used to have a Republican club (which had a total of 2 memebers) which was eventually intimidated into disbanding (though I don't know all of the details of this story). Overall, though, the student body is pretty laid-back, and they are generally more open to meeting new people and far nicer than the students at many other schools. If you are looking for diversity, though, don't come here. The majority of the student body is white, and from either a farm, the suburbs, or New York City.

Some are awesome, some are not. We have everything from jocks to hippies to nerds and cool kids, but everywhere does. You will find someone you love to their toes, and you will find someone else you want to hip check off a cliff. Hampshire students are (again) full of extremes: a great many are very politically and environmentally conscious, but a great many are also apathetic to the core. The campus on the whole is very liberal.

People try not to openly display their wealth here, so it seems like Hampsters don't really have money, but in reality, in order to afford Hampshire, you either have to be on scholarship(s) or you have to have a lot of money. Everyone at Hampshire interacts with everyone else: people are nice and friendly. However, at the same time, people of certain backgrounds do tend to band together. For instance, black students tend to stick together, as do international students. But in general, as I've said, people are friendly and welcoming.

There is a wide variety of LGBT students at Hampshire. It seems to me, as Hampshire is a private school there is a majority of students from a wealthy or well-off background. I have met a lot of Jewish students. Even though many Hampshire students have money, it is not a preppy school. People are not stuck up. Many Hampshire students are from the East coast or California or Washington state. Students at Hampshire dress any way they like. It is one of the great things about the school. No one looks at you funny if you wear a wacky outfit. Many people, including myself, go barefoot everywhere, including to class.

Student Body - hippies (typically have dreadlocks, don't wear shoes to class, smoke pot, study social change) - hipsters (typically wear skinny jeans, have bangs, chain smoke cigarettes, party, study photography and film) - miscellaneous (there is a little of everything at Hampshire!) - very strong LBGT and students of color groups - typically students are from california, brooklyn, and vermont - typically students are liberal but are suprisinly NOT politically active

Hampshire College student body is loud. They complain a lot about the homogeny at Hampshire, and about how that necessarily denotes racism, orientation-ism, classism, etc. Most people on campus are Socialists, or at least Social-Democrats (self-proclaimed). Or they say that they don't believe in labels and act like Socialists or at least Social-Democrats. The student body tries really hard to say something alternative, without always thinking through what they're saying. A large proportion of the student body is also very awkward. Social skills are often lacking at Hampshire College. And yet, ironically, it's very hard to get people to leave you alone. People at Hampshire love to be social, even if they're not always good at it.

Since Hampshire is a fairly new college and has a small endowment, tuition is high. So there are a lot of well-to-do students. However, not everyone is rich. There seem to be a fair amount of students from the Northeast, but I have also met students from California, Georgia, Virginia, etc., as well as international students. The majority of Hampshire students are white (I believe about 87{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}), although there are some students of color and international students. Although I haven't personally witnessed any racism, I've heard that instances of racism do occur on campus. There is a cultural center, as well as identity-based housing for students of color and international students. A lot of Hampshire students dress uniquely. Sometimes I feel like I don't really know what's "in fashion" because I don't know if the trends I'm seeing are popular in the wider world or just among Hampshire students. It sometimes seems that by trying to be "different," Hampshire students sort of become the same. Instead of pressure to fit in by being "normal," there is pressure NOT to be "normal." Many students are politically aware and active. Students are predominantly left. I believe there may be some republicans somewhere at Hampshire, but they are definitely in the minority. Conservative students might feel out of place at Hampshire.

Hampshire is, by nature, totally accepting, and when this attitude differs a problem arises. New students find themselves editing their vocabularies (do NOT say fag at Hampshire period) Students commonly wear whatever they stumble upon in the morning. Cliques do exist here, but the school is not big enough to allow total exclusion of different groups. Students are typically middle-class and above, simply because Hampshire cannot afford anything but high tuition and conservative financial aid. Students are all politically aware, a majority are politically active. Republicans need not apply. When talking about how much they'll earn one day, Hampshire kids bemoan their future life of poverty, but with a good sense of humor about it.

Hampshire is a very liberal campus full of hipsters and hippies. The student body is mostly white and middle class, but has very active POC and international student groups.

There is not alot of racial diversity, there is a large queer community. People can wear whatever.. I mean whatever they want. There are alot of hipsters but anything really goes hear. most people are very liberal and politically savvy. Many do not expect to make alot of money becase we are activist and art kids.

Wealthier, whiter, and smoke-weedier more than average America. There was one conservative on campus. He left. Surprising amount of students leave because of academic challenge; they don't put enough time into their work. Diversity in clothing, genders, and sexual orientations, but not much to offer racially. Generally smart kids, but lazy and complaining-types. Smart kids who are hard-workers or motivated career-wise may feel extremely out of place. Also, non-drinkers and substance-free people will certainly feel out of place. Some theft occurs.

The reason I came to Hampshire was because of the students. As stated before, the average Hampshire student is friendly, cool, and smart. I have received comments from people at other colleges that Hampshire students are much nicer and outgoing than students at most colleges. Hampshire students are definitely liberal/radical, which might be a turnoff for some people, but above all Hampshire students are very friendly and interesting.

Most students that go to Hampshire are very liberal, and a good number of students are politically and socially active and aware. There are oftentimes spur-of-the-moment demonstrations on campus, and there are usually student/faculty forums that you can go to. There are definitely cliques on campus; there are the hipsters, the hippies, the skateboarders, the international kids, the kids of color, the lgbtq kids, the theater kids, the art kids... And a whole bunch of others. Although all of these different groups exist, they all interact (for the most part) and the only way you can tell there's any sort of divide is by the way people dress. There's this saying on campus that Hampshire is made up entirely of kids who were the outcasts in there high school, which I think is pretty spot-on. It's strange, because everyone is so unique individually, but when you see us all together, we all look the same.

Hampshire has a lot of diversity... or tries to. Anyway there are special mods (houses) for people of color, homosexuals, vegetarians, cowboys... No one really feels out of place. Unless they aren't weird enough. It's easy to feel that way at Hampshire. I'd say most of the students are pretty well off, since it's an expensive school. But they give a lot of financial aid, and scholarships (James Baldwin). I'd say it's a good mix A lot of students are politically active, a lot aren't. But the environment is very encouraging of those that are. A primarily leftist school. PC also I've never really been into forming my own groups on campus... drives, sales, recruiting... whatever people do. But it's a good environment for that too. Some crazy Brits, and other foreigners... not enough I'd say.

Nobody will really be out of place. I have friends who regularly wear suits to class. Last week a friend showed up to dinner wearing only a blanket. You won't be judged.

Generally a very accepting community. The only concern would be if your views are socially more conservative.

Hampshire is not diverse. Racially, financially or socially. Hampshire is, for the most part, a rich white school full of potential activists. Students wear whatever to class. Some come in pajamas, some in jeans and t-shirt, others in skirts. I am no longer surprised to see men walking through the library in skirts and dresses, people with overkill tatoos and piercings and people who's gender is questionable in my mind. There are people who dress everyday like pirates, drag queens and soviet soldiers from world war I. If you think you are a standout dresser, come to Hampshire. People talk about people but it is not for what they wear but how they think. Telling gender at Hampshire is a tricky thing. Everyone is liberal and pronouns can be confusing. I feel like Hampshire is a very safe place for gay, transvestite and transexual persons. I can only speak from what I have seen as a heterosexual female but it appears to me like everyone is very accepting and if someone has an issue with a gay person, the problem is never with their sexuality but with the way they conduct themselves.