Hamilton College 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Guide

Hamilton College 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essays of 250 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community

Hamilton invites applicants to supplement their applications (with a link to a personal URL, studio or performing arts portfolio, response to a video prompt, or answer to a short-answer question) and will provide options and instructions to candidates in their Hamilton Application portal after application submission. Interviews are encouraged, and can be scheduled in advance of submitting your application.  Our short answer can be completed during application submission.

At Hamilton, we each bring different backgrounds and perspectives, and we teach one another about the world through our individual and shared experiences. In the spirit of Hamilton’s motto, Know Thyself, please reflect on your unique perspective and how Hamilton might shape it, as well as how your perspective will shape Hamilton. (350 words)

If you haven’t already written a Community Essay that you plan to adapt and recycle here, we recommend considering the things that make you you. Where do you come from? What has shaped you as a person, and how has that made your perspective unique? What you focus on here can really run the gamut, but it should be something that you feel will help you to contribute to Hamilton’s community in a distinctive way. Is there anything you can teach your classmates about your hometown, traditions, culture, cuisine, orientation, identity, race, or ethnicity that they might not already know? Were you raised in a tiny Rocky Mountain community of 2,000 people? Do you come from a blended family? Are you a competitive gymnast? What has influenced your identity? How can your experiences, perspectives, or talents enrich the learning environment at Hamilton for others? Crucially, make sure you also discuss how Hamilton might shape your perspective during your time there. Think about the campus culture, the town, your intended major, and/or any clubs, activities, or other experiences you hope to take part in. How do you expect to be changed or influenced by your undergraduate education at this particular school?