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Hampshire College

Amherst, Massachusetts4-yearPrivate

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Hampshire College’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Diversity Short Response

Not Required
500 Words

Hampshire College seeks to create a diverse environment where many different voices and perspectives enliven and inform classroom discussion and campus culture. What are some factors that have contributed to your sense of identity, and how do you hope sharing your experiences will contribute to the campus community?

James Baldwin Scholars Short Response 1

Required
250 Words

Please tell us about your interest in the James Baldwin Scholars Program, how you discovered the program, and what you hope to get from the program.

James Baldwin Scholars Short Response 2

Required
250 Words

How does being a James Baldwin Scholar intersect with your beliefs and values around community?

James Baldwin Scholars Short Response 3

Required
250 Words

Please describe how you have overcome obstacles and challenges. Examples could be from within your community, at school, or a work experience.

Undocumented Scholarship Short Response 1

Required
250 Words

Please tell us about your interest in the Undocumented Scholarship Program, how you discovered the program, and what you hope to get from the program.

Undocumented Scholarship Short Response 2

Required
250 Words

As an undocumented student living in the United States or a US Territory, how has this impacted your educational trajectory?

Undocumented Scholarship Short Response 3

Required
250 Words

Please describe how you have overcome obstacles and challenges. Examples could be from within your community, at school, or a work experience.

Common App Personal Essay

Required
650 words

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.


Option 1

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.


Option 2

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?


Option 3

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?


Option 4

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?


Option 5

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.


Option 6

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?


Option 7

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

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