<p>I was surprised to notice that part of the requirements for Hampshire is an analytical essay on literature that was written in high school. I've taken all creative-writing courses (praise be to the universe it was allowed) and don't have any samples of this. Help?!</p>
<p>Two ideas:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Write an essay on why you chose to take all creative writing classes, illustrating your points with examples from a work of literature. </p></li>
<li><p>Choose a favorite book and just ask your favorite English teacher to guide you through a short essay.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks so much… do you know if this worked for anyone else or is it just brainstorming?</p>
<p>Just brainstorming. I helped my sister with her (successful) Hampshire app but she didn’t have this particular issue to deal with. Idea #2 is just a straightforward way to get an essay if you don’t have one. Should be the default option.</p>
<p>Idea #1 is more if you want to take the calculated risk of coming off a little obnoxious in order to highlight your strengths and individuality as a student. Higher risk, possibly higher reward. If it would work for any school, Hampshire would be it.</p>
<p>Thank you so, so much. I’m an independent-learner type of person, and I do a lot of writing/arts/bio outside of school, but my transcript isn’t great due to some issues soph/junior year, so I’m guessing #1 is my best shot. I’ll attempt to limit my obnoxiousness… eep.</p>
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<p>Hampshire is a great choice for a student like this. Good luck!</p>
<p>Hampshire’s supplement to the Common Application notes, “If you do not have an example that best represents your ability to write analytically, feel free to create and submit an essay on a complex question of your own design.”</p>
<p>Particularly if your transcript is not so great, then I think you should put some time and effort into this analytical paper. The admissions folks clearly want to see if you can pull your thoughts together to create a cogent argument or analysis, beyond being able to just write well:</p>
<p>“We are interested in your ability to ask complex questions, think critically, synthesize information, and formulate your own conclusions through original analysis. Submit an academic paper of any length, written in the English language, you have produced for a class in the past year. We do not accept in-class essays, creative writing samples, journal entries, or lab reports.”</p>
<p>The paper does not have to be from a literature course. Did you ever write a paper in any other course (e.g. social studies)?</p>
<p>Do you know of a course called Theory of Knowledge (ToK), part of the IB curriculum? It’s a bit more like philosophy and it explores “knowledge issues”, but it’s not creative writing so it might be appropriate… I’m going to contact Hampshire and check to see if one of my essays for that class would be acceptable.</p>