<p>How convenient is it to take classes at Amherst, Smith, MHC, and UMass, respectively? And might taking more off-campus classes help counter the sense of “too much freedom” some students struggle with?</p>
<p>It’s very convenient to take 5-college classes-much more so as a Hampshire student than a student from the other schools. Faculty members generally encourage 5-college classes, and even though there is/was(?) an official limit to the number of 5-college courses one can take each semester, I never knew of a student who couldn’t take as much as she wanted. Also, there’s a free bus system that runs regularly to each of the other 4 schools. </p>
<p>I think taking a bunch of off-campus courses definitely helps in giving you structure and countering the sense of too much academic freedom. One strategy you could adopt would be to ask other students and professors both at Hampshire and at the other colleges what courses are the most challenging/best that they’ve ever taken and sign up.</p>
<ul>
<li>Is it true that there is still smoking on the substance-free halls? Do people smoke out in the open? How difficult is it for non-smoking, non-drinking kids to fit in?</li>
</ul>
<p>Substance-free halls are smoke-free. That doesn’t mean people don’t violate the rules, but as a resident of the hallway, you can always file a complaint. When I was at Hampshire, I never witnessed any violations, and as far as I know, residents respected the substance-free policy. </p>
<p>Students do smoke out in the open in designated gazebos. As far as being substance-free and fitting in, you won’t have a problem. There are enough substance-free kids and people are very open and accepting, this isn’t really an issue. </p>
<ul>
<li>I’ve heard rumors of a controversial racial incident of some sort that happened a while ago… Does anyone know the details?</li>
</ul>
<p>I think the incident you’re referring to occurred in 2002 when some students interrupted an admissions office event to make the point that there’s racism even at a place like Hampshire. I don’t think it was spurred by any major incidents or events.</p>
<ul>
<li>How bad are the dorms and the food?</li>
</ul>
<p>This may have changed since I graduated so check with Hampshire, but most dorms are singles. The dorms are so-so. As previous posters here have mentioned, the facilities themselves are pretty run down, and the brutalist 70s architecture doesn’t help. I would definitely visit the campus if I were you.</p>
<p>The food is okay. It can get old after a year, for which you can choose to live in the mods after your first year, and cook for yourself. If you’re taking 5-college classes, you can have your meals at the school where you’re taking a class.</p>
<ul>
<li>How “cliquey” are minority students? Or is there more mixing?</li>
</ul>
<p>The minority students get very cliquey, and I think this is mostly self-imposed. SOURCE, the main group for minority students, has its own house and it’s one of the best-funded, most vocal, and most powerful groups on campus. I would talk to more students about this to get a wider perspective, but I felt that SOURCE tended to be oversensitive, whiny, and attention-seeking. Of course, it’s the modus operandi of the organization to call out racism whether real or imagined. If you’re a minority student and you want to “branch” out, it’s fairly easy to make friends with students of various backgrounds. </p>
<p>Paradox, as far as Hampshire being overly liberal, I agree if the rest of the college population is your bench mark. However, if you happen to be looking at schools like Reed, Oberlin, Pitzer, Bard, etc. I doubt Hampshire stands out politically from these places.</p>