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Hamilton’s need-blind admission policy is the focus of a Dec. 18 feature story published by Huffington Post titled “How One Top College Ended a Policy that Weeded Out Poor Students.” The article detailed how Hamilton made the decision to eliminate merit scholarships and later to adopt the need-blind policy that eliminates applicants' financial need from consideration in admission decisions.

The Hechinger Report recently interviewed President Joan Stewart for a feature article focused on Hamilton’s initiatives to expand access and equalize student experience on campus.  The article appeared online on March 17 on The Hechinger Report website and the Washington Monthly magazine "College Guide" website.

Hamilton College President Joan Hinde Stewart has been invited and will attend an all-day summit on Thursday, Jan. 16, hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in Washington.

Hamilton’s Class of 2014 has voted for its Senior Gift to be funding toward a planned terrace at the Siuda House Admission Office that commemorates the Class of 2014 as the first need-blind class. The Senior Gift was announced at the Kickoff reception on Sept. 26 in the Wellin Atrium of the Taylor Science Center.

In the final chapter of its 200th anniversary observance, Hamilton concluded its on June 30, 2013, with gifts and pledges of $139.8 million.  Bicentennial Initiatives was centered on the College’s three most pressing priorities: student financial aid, growing unrestricted support through the Annual Fund.

University Business magazine featured an opinion piece written by President Joan Hinde Stewart in the Viewpoint section of its May issue. In “Becoming Need-Blind in an Environment of Need: How one institution has made it work,” Stewart discussed how Hamilton is ensuring access, “a deeply held principle at an institution where six of nine senior staff members were the first in their family to attend college.”  She explained the College’s decisions to eliminate merit aid and to adopt a need-blind policy in admission, examples of Hamilton’s commitment to this principle as well as its willingness to make changes counter to current trends in higher education.

Hamilton College attracted the media’s attention quite often this year in feature stories and news reports. Among the areas most often addressed by the media in covering Hamilton were topics related to the admission process.

Less than a year after becoming need-blind in admission, Hamilton College has announced “Bicentennial Initiatives,” a $117 million capital campaign whose primary objective is funding the new policy.