<p>Hampshire is very interesting and unusual, although not considered academically on par with Amherst or Brown. </p>
<p>Hampshire was founded in the l960's by the other 4 colleges in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts (Amherst College, UMass at Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke) for a new kind of college where a student would be encouraged to take advantage of courses at all four of the established places. </p>
<p>It might still be true that they don't require SAT's. Back in the 70s and 80s they also had a completely open curriculum, but tightened things up in the 90's. We heard at their admissions presentation that they saw too many freshmen falling apart with Open Curriculum, so they created the more usual area distribution requirements. They also began paying much closer attention to students' guidance needs in the 90's, but that can be said about many other schools. It was a shift away from the anti-authority l960's, when kids didn't want to hear from anyone in administration. At Hampshire, they explained it in their presentation very well. Today, kids expect and will respond to adult guidance, unlike the l960's which spawned Hampshire.</p>
<p>They are quite proud of their length anecdotal reports, rather than letter grades.</p>
<p>Together, now, these 5 colleges comprise the Five College Consortium. WIthin that environment, Hampshire's considered offbeat and quirky, as in, you never know how smart or not someone is when you first meet him (acc to my S who went to Amherst). They also have courses right on the Hampshire campus, but Hampshire kids take most advantage of the free shuttle busses to go to the other 4 campuses. Their bus system runs well, like every l5 minutes, and is the largest free transit system outside of Disneyworld, a weird factoid. </p>
<p>The whole place looks like a big farm with dorms, and you can only understand Hampshire if you also visit (in person or by web) the other 4 colleges to see what they offer. FIguring out a schedule of courses is the trick, but with all those places you can usually put toether quite a good program of courses.</p>
<p>Still, the Hampshire degree is from a young, new institution. It doesn't have the long history and financial endowment of some of the other places you've mentioned, so they may not have as much available to anyone re: financial aid. Still, you never know til you apply.</p>
<p>They only build single rooms, for everyone, with lounges down the hall to socialize. That alone almost made it my D's #1 choice! (She got in ED at Oberlin instead, but if she hadn't she'd have definitely applied to Hampshire as her safety, with Amherst her reach school.</p>
<p>A famous graduate from Hampshire is Ken Burnes, whose documentary films on PBS include: The Civil War, America, and New York City. He began his work at Hampshire, encouraged by their "senior capstone project" which kids there call "my baby" to this day. They work very hard building up to it.</p>
<p>But in answer to your question, no, I don't think a Hampshire degree carries the same prestige as Amherst or Brown. Still, Hampshire can be the exact right fit for some students, especially if they want to craft their own program, don't have great SAT's, have some original ideas to pursue.</p>
<p>FOr EC's, the Hampshire kids go onto the other campuses, also. My S was in theater and choir, and there were always Hampshire students participating in all of those productions at every level, as well as a small box theater on the Hampshire campus. </p>
<p>One of the most unusual things I saw on any college tour was a tool workshop at Hampshire where somebody could, for example, build themselves a bookshelf or furniture for their dorm, with the guidance of a bearded tool guru/teacher who seemed to reside there!</p>