We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025 session.

The 53rd Summer Studies will happen June 29th – August 9th, 2025.

Ready to apply to HCSSiM?

Before you do, it’s probably a good idea to check with your parents. Did you do that? Awesome. While there is no official deadline for student applications, and decisions are made on a rolling basis, annually increasing numbers of applications have led us to institute a deadline for full consideration near the end of April. To be safe, apply early. If you are looking for a job application, you’re on the wrong page.

The Getting-to-Know-Each-Other (“Application”) Process

1. Fill out the application form (below this paragraph). Most of this form is quick demographic questions and short questions.  At the end, we ask you to write a friendly-and-informative letter about your reasons and motivations for applying and why you believe you would enjoy the summer studies. (E.g., why do you think that spending 8 hours a day doing math during the summer is a reasonable thing to do?)  We strongly recommend that you draft your Friendly Letter separately and copy it into the application form, to avoid losing your progress. You will also be asked to name a sponsor, who should be someone who knows you in a mathematical context and who is willing to write a letter of recommendation in support of your application.  (They should know you are asking them to do this.) 2. Assuming you follow step one you’ll get an email thanking you for your application the subject line will read “Thanks for applying to HCSSiM!”  in this email you will find a link to the 2025 Interesting Test.  If you don’t, please send an email. It’s also a good idea to check your spam/junk folder to see if it landed there before contacting us.

Read This Before Proceeding

We know there is a current rise in generative AI and its usage.  While we know the power of innovative technology to affect the world positively, the application process is designed to represent YOU.  We want to get to know you, not what a computer algorithm thinks you should sound like.  By submitting your application, you will have to affirm that you have NOT used AI to write any part of your application, including your Friendly Letter.  If you are the kind of student whose first instinct is to turn to AI instead of creating something yourself, you likely would not be happy at HCSSiM, where we expect our students to spend many hours every day generating their own thoughts and ideas, including a lot of writing. We do welcome (and encourage) applicants to seek out collaborative help in the Friendly Letter writing process, including the use of prompts to brainstorm ideas, proof-reading, and disability aids.  However, we expect that the Letter is written by the applicant and not by their parent, counselor, teacher, agent, friend, paid preparer, or other third party.  If you have questions about this, please contact us.

2. Sometime in March (assuming you followed Step 1), you’ll get an email with the 2025 Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics Interesting Test attached. If you don’t, please send an email. It’s also a good idea to check your spam/junk folder to see if it landed there before contacting us.

3. Enjoy the IT.
4. Then, please scan your work, and return the IT to us following the instructions on the IT’s cover page.  If for some reason you cannot do this, please send an emailwith your name, the word “IT”, and the date in the subject line, and we can arrange to receive your IT snail mailed.