Hampshire College 2025-26 Supplemental Essay Guide

Hampshire College 2025-26 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Option: 1 optional essay of 500 words

Supplemental Essay Type: Community, Diversity

We value our students’ opinions and lived experiences, and we want to get to know you better. Please consider responding to the below question—it is entirely optional.

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? 

Admissions wants to know what has made you into the person you are today and how those experiences will affect the way you engage with and contribute to the Hampshire College community. 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 unique. Can you think of an experience or aspect of your background that has influenced who you are today? What about your experiences, interests, or identity might be worth highlighting for an admissions officer? And how can the experience, interest, or aspect of your character you choose enrich the learning environment at Hampshire College for others? Maybe you have always been an organizer and the glue that holds your summer camp community together during the school year. How will you bring people together on campus? Maybe you were raised on a farm and developed a strong work ethic at a young age as you helped your parents tend to the fields. Will you be a natural leader in group projects and take initiative in the many clubs (be specific!) that you’d like to join? Whichever route you go, make sure your response to this prompt shows that you have put some serious thought into the experiences that have shaped you and how you will apply those lessons and experiences to your time at Hampshire next fall.