<p>Can anyone tell me the differences they see between these schools? Similarities?</p>
<p>None whatsoever, except I would worry about Hampshire’s financial status.</p>
<p>I just read a letter from the president that the college’s finances are on a solid footing thanks in part to minimal exposure to the market and cost cutting measures like sharing public safety officers with Mt. Holyoke.</p>
<p>Hampshire also increased its financial aid budget and waived all application fees. </p>
<p>Your claim comes as a surprise. What’s the basis for it?</p>
<p>It would come down to money for me. I would choose Pitzer with all things being equal, but it is also about preference in terms of location.</p>
<p>Any other folks want to chime in?</p>
<p>Minimal exposure to the market because Hampshire has no endowment to speak of. Increasing financial aid money because they need to offer it in order to enroll students. I get why they waived application fees.
I have no inside information. If you visit, you might notice signs of poor maintenance. I know I did. I believe in Hampshire’s philosophy of education. I just don’t think their niche is in vogue. And the demographics are against them. The number of high school graduates in the Northeast is about to decline in a major way, particularly the number of affluent whites, which is the school’s financial and academic bread and butter.
I think Pitzer has very similar students without the same institutional challenges.</p>
<p>To repeat, I don’t have any information about Hampshire’s finances that others don’t.
Believe me, I am sympathetic to Hampshire’s educational philosophy. My three kids have all been “unschooled”, as much as possible following their own interests, with no grades of any sort. My daughter at a different college was complimented today by a professor about her “love of learning”. She stood out.
Sad to say, even at the most elite colleges, “love of learning” isn’t a given.</p>
<p>I can’t speak about Pitzer, but Hampshire has some cool stuff going down. A good friend of mine goes there, it seems like everyone just really loves what they’re studying. As in like reading textbooks in their free time about the subject. That said, the environment isn’t for everyone. VERY very granola, very hippie.</p>