Announcements made after closing on Fridays are done for a reason. Typically done to allow time for interested parties to digest the news & to allow emotions to subside.
Im afraid you might be right @Publisher
Thank you @Dustyfeathers. I just don’t know if I’m anxious for my kid or just angry at the situation… There HAD to be a better way to handle this altogether. ugh…
The announcement was to be made publicly today at a campus-wide assembly starting at 3:30 PM. As of 4 PM Eastern, I have not seen an announcement on Facebook or Twitter or the college website. If you receive notification or find an announcement online, please post it here. We are all anxiously waiting. Thank you!
Apparently, alumni, students and teachers are putting up a fight. Over $200,000 today has been raised today on a crowdfunding page to go directly towards admitting a freshman class. A previous college president has contributed $100,000 for that freshman class. Another $600,000 raised for general use. Students have been protesting and sitting-in. This vote was supposed to be taken yesterday but as of now, no announcement has been made.
I get that there is little incentive to announce a decision when uncertainty is stoking the fundraising engine, but it stinks for everyone who’s in limbo. 
I don’t think that they are purposefully withholding a decision tgo stoke fundraising. The fundraising seems to be an independent effort.
@Dustyfeathers That is my impression as well. I think the alumni are fighting for additional time to raise money before a final decision on admitting a new freshman class. The crowd-fundng effort will only collect on the monies pledged IF a new class is admitted. Regardless of outcome, the fact that students and alumni are putting up such a fight gives my ED daughter a feeling that she is not forgotten.
I am crushed and disappointed. i have twins who applied, who both thought Hampshire and the five college consortium was a terrific fit. The early action decision was due in a couple of weeks, but now it seems as though, because we were not in a financial position to gamble on being able to afford Hampshire and could not therefore apply ED - we are now right out of luck. You’re right , whoever said emotions are running high! I’m so furious right now, I can’t see straight. They poured their heart and soul into applications, as did I with the parent statement about each of them. It is just SO unfair!!
Hampshire College won’t admit full freshman class
“The school will accept only those students who had already been granted a spot at Hampshire through deferred admissions or the early-decision process — about 60 in all. College officials have pledged to keep the school open and are looking for a partner to merge with.”
How does it work to be in a first-year class of 60? Seems like Hampshire should decide how many first-years they can commit to, and start a waitlist from the EA pool. Not all of the ED and deferrals may want to attend, but if they can take 60, they should.
We were in the EA pool- and the email said they have withdrawn our applications
Well, my kid is one of the ED’s who was accepted and now has a place at Hampshire if she wants it. The problem is, the contract she would have to sign makes it sound like they really don’t want them to come anyway. Hampshire was my kid’s dream school and apparently they knew about the extent of the financial difficulties BEFORE we visited in October when they excitedly interviewed her and solicited her ED application. Here are just some the current terms of an ED enrollment:
- guarantee enrollment for only 1 semester, Fall 2019!! (WHAT??)
- no freshman dorms - would have to live in on campus apartments for upper classmen
- limited meal plan options
- limited services including social services, team sports, clubs, study abroad
- limited faculty
Sorry, Hampshire says its not closing, but I think they have already turned out the lights… My daughter is in tears.
So sorry, @rfm512 . We were withdrawn as we were not ED - but equally heartbroken. My boys interviewed last april, and were so excited about everything Hampshire stood for. Really sad.
@Britmom5 Thank you. I am so sorry for your boys as well. I hope they can find another place to attend that excites them.
Not like Hampshire - and DEFINITELY not like the five colleges. Good luck to your daughter. Does she have other options? Wish we’d applied to Reed or Sarah Lawrence now - but we thought we had Hampshire
@Britmom5 Yes, she applied to Clark Univ, Sarah Lawrence and The New School (Eugene Lang). They all extended their deadlines for ED Hampshire kids and might be willing to do so for your boys if you explain the situation. Our school counselor also called on our daughter’s behalf which made things go more smoothly I think.
Here is the text of the Hampshire Board of Trustees announcement:
Friday, February 1, 2019
Dear Hampshire Community,
Two weeks ago Hampshire announced our intent to find a long-term strategic partner that can help us achieve a sustainable future. In advancing this important work, the Board has deliberated and voted on three important issues:
This afternoon, at its winter meeting in Amherst, the Board first voted not to delay their decision regarding admitting a fall class.
Second, the Board authorized the College to admit two distinct categories of applicants for this fall: those students who accepted Hampshire’s offer to enroll via the “early decision 1” plan this year, and students who had accepted Hampshire’s offer to enroll last year but chose to take a gap year and matriculate in fall 2019.
Third, the Board voted that Hampshire would not enroll any other applicants for fall 2019 or spring 2020.
We reached our decisions after considering many factors, including heartfelt and passionate discussions with the wider Hampshire community. The Board believes in Hampshire. We believe Hampshire holds a special place in higher education, now and into the future. We believe that by enrolling a small fall 2019 class of early decision and gap-year students, the College will continue to be an experimenting and dynamic environment as we proceed with our plans for a partnership. The students who enroll this fall will benefit from the rigors and joys of the Hampshire experience.
There were multiple, complex issues that had to be considered in making this decision, including:
One, our moral and ethical obligation to the students whom we had already accepted as well as to our current students, and two, state of Massachusetts higher education regulations and the College’s accreditation.
Admissions, student life, counseling, dean of faculty, and other offices are working one-on-one with current and prospective students affected by this decision, helping them understand their options, and supporting their educational goals.
To our current students: We continue to be committed to supporting you on your academic path until you complete your education here. We’ll provide the advising, guidance, and the resources you need.
To our faculty and staff: We recognize there will be inevitable hardship as we move forward. We have charged the senior leadership team with developing plans—as swiftly as possible, to minimize uncertainty—to treat every employee with dignity and respect through this transition.
We recognize that raising the issue two weeks ago about whether or not to accept a fall 2019 class has caused alarm and distress among many in the Hampshire community. We want to restate that it was our intention to give applicants and their families as much time as was possible to make alternative plans for their college education. The trustees will stay close and provide upcoming opportunities to engage with you, to listen to your concerns, and to keep you updated on developments moving forward. We commit now to a full participatory and inclusive process.
Because of today’s votes, we can now proceed with answering the many questions we’ve received over the past couple weeks. There will be campus assemblies next week, meetings with the visioning task force, the crisis committee, and other groups, plus many other opportunities for sharing opinions and ideas.
As a board, we’re committed to preserving the educational mission that has made Hampshire so vital to so many young people and to the greater society over the last 50 years, as we create a new model to sustain us through the next 50 years and beyond.
Sincerely,
Gaye Hill Kim Saal Luis Hernandez
Chair Vice Chair Vice Chair
Hampshire College Board of Trustees
@Britmom5, I feel for you and your kids. I think a number of other colleges will want to reach out to applicants like your boys. If they have the stats, and the fit is right, they should reach out to Reed, Sarah Lawrence and the other schools they were interested in and explain the situation. They may make an exception to the application deadlines
Reach out to Reed and explain you/your child was admitted ED to Hampshire, would they consider their application at this point?
Living in the (nice) upperclass dorms would be okay.
However
Limited faculty= ? Means why exactly? What fields affected?
And more concerning.
NCF (similar to Hampshire but by the beach) is still accepting applications.