My story begins in eighth grade. It was Veterans’ Day of my last year in middle school: the institution where I started the long road to adulthood. Today, reflecting four years later, I can see how my actions in the days that followed helped define me as a person in ways I’m now realizing. At our middle school, veterans would come and visit the eighth grade class. The veterans retold their experiences to give students another perspective on what...

I plan to major in film at Emerson. I’m not a huge spiritual person, but I’m a strong believer that I was born to make films. Ever since I could remember, every time I read a book I pictured it as a movie in my head. I chose the actors, setup the camera angles, inserted the music, and directed everything down to the finest details. I love the endless possibilities when directing a film. A story can be...

If you were to write the story of your life until now, what would you title it and why? Please be brief (100-200 words). The biggest thing I’ve taken away from my seventeen years on Earth is I won’t always have control over my life. It’s something that I’ve gradually learned over the years. There will be times when all I can do is acknowledge that I’m powerless in a situation, whether it was Tommy...

Students receive narrative evaluations at Hampshire instead of letter or number grades. At the end of each course, students also complete a self-evaluation reflecting on their goals and class performance. Write a self-evaluation of a favorite class or other learning activity in high school. What were your goals? Where did you succeed? What do you wish had gone differently? Robotics has been a huge part of my high school life. I’m not a huge sporty guy, so robotics has...

Hampshire students are known for their ingenuity, creativity, curiosity, passion, activism, concern for others, and entrepreneurship. Which of these attributes best describes you? Tell us how you embody this quality, or choose a different quality that says more about you. Creative is a good word to describe me. I like to approach things differently, whether it’s a school assignment or a recreational activity. Doing something ordinary is boring and familiar. It’s exciting to try something new. That’s...

Analytical Essay/Academic Paper. We are interested in your ability to ask complex questions, think critically, synthesize information and formulate your own conclusions through original analysis. Submit an academic paper of any length, written in English, that you produced for a class in the past year. We do not accept in-class essays, creative writing samples, journal entries, or lab reports, but feel free to submit creative options to supplement your application. If you do not have an example that best...

I wanted my essay to not be about my mental illness. I feel like harping on that would turn off admissions offices. Instead, I moved passed it, and made the essay about me. Because, at the end of the day, my mental illness does not define me.

I wanted to go to Emerson, but it just wasn't realistic for my family....