<p>Hi,
I am applying to four liberal arts colleges, but my top two are Hampshire and Bennington. They seem like very similar schools, so IF i get accepted to both I am going to have a verrrryyy hard time deciding which one is best for me...I just wanted some feedback on both, and just read about different perspectives of the 2 colleges....</p>
<p>Hampshire isn't strong on its own, rather, it's affliliation with the other colleges in the area is what really makes it special. Bennington is a nice school, but it's in a really boring area. Personally, I'd say neither. Marlboro, Brown, and Macalester are much better choices.</p>
<p>Anywho. Go with Bennington.</p>
<p>Have you ever visited either? I've never been to Bennington, but I dropped by Hampshire, and I think it's probably one of those colleges that you either love or hate. It has a definite feel - very small and funky - that will be awesome for some people, but probably isn't right for everyone.</p>
<p>I have already visited Hampshire and will be visiting Bennington in a month.... Anyways location for me is not very important, I actually would like to leave the city and live in seclusion for a while...( I'm from Santiago, Chile)
Anyways to give more background information, the reason why I chose both colleges was because of its alternative education.... I know that these type of colleges sound amazing on paper, so i just wanted to see how much of it was true...</p>
<p>I applied to both Bennington and Hampshire, and for me it just ultimately came down to where I felt the most comfortable (Bennington) and the experience that the Field Work Term offers. I think Hampshire is a great school too, and I sometimes wonder if I didn't blow it by not taking advantage of the 5 colleges. There are just a lot of tangible and intangible differences and you have to both follow your head (what aspects are most important to you?) and your heart (where do you want to live for 4 years? How does the campus feel to you?) Good luck with your decision, I truthfully think that you can't go wrong!</p>
<p>I would go with Bennington as a personal preference and beautiful campus.</p>
<p>Both really good schools. You will have a lot of freedom to design your own education and explore those disciplines that you are most interested in at either one. There is a pretty similar student body at both schools, a mixture of creative, smart, independent kids. The kids who don't make it at these schools are often the ones that are disorganized, the ones who can't really get things done without being told exactly what they should be doing and when. It takes a lot of internal organization to succeed, because there will not be as much external structure as there is at many other schools. That said, I think the differences are these:</p>
<p>Hampshire-
Pros: Larger (@1300, I believe)
Part of the 5 college consortium (incredible value, you have access to the quality of Amherst and the quantity of UMass)
Great college town(s) both Amherst and Northampton are charming and have a lot to offer.
Excellent transportation within the area and to points beyond</p>
<p>Cons: Ugly (to many) campus
People often think you either go to school somewhere in New Hampshire or to a Saturday Night Live joke (though the schools reputation is definitely growing in a positive way)</p>
<p>Bennington-
Pros: Field Work Term (great experiences + a resume to graduate with)
Beautiful campus and dorms
Name recognition (reputation of high quality and many famous alumni)
Friendly, supportive, close atmosphere due to small size</p>
<p>Cons: Close atmosphere due to small size
Relatively small number of classes offered
Pretty far from big city civilization</p>