College of the Holy Cross vs. Trinity College vs. Connecticut College

smithee65 · 04-01-2011, 07:00 AM

Hi I am currently deciding on where to go for higher education.

I was wondering if anyone can provide some insight and perspective on which school would be best regarding academics, prestige, athletics, nightlife, campus dining, housing and facilities between College of the Holy Cross, Trinity College and Connecticut College.

I am leaning towards Trinity or Holy Cross.

Any input would be highly appreciated!

Elliot

required_details · 04-01-2011, 07:16 AM

Holy Cross has division 1 sports. The other two are Division 3. HC is 40 miles from Boston. The other two are 2 hours from Boston. All three are in cities that have seen better days.

SLUMOM · 04-01-2011, 09:08 AM

Best thing about Worcester is seeing it in your rear view mirror!

Trinity has had issues with security in their neighborhood.

New London seems to be undergoing some revitalization lately, seems to be coming back.
Conn also has free music lessons, if you play musical instruments.

I am sure Par72 will post a good word about Holy Cross! LOL..

All very good New England schools! The locations are not very desirable in my opinion.
You have to visit and formulate your own opinions.

Debruns · 04-01-2011, 06:44 PM

My husband is in law enforcement and he liked Worcester, well at least around Holy Cross, better than Trinity. Trinity is a great college, much more crime around there though. Holy Cross is a little more isolated and although my daughter goes into town to go to the store by van and for volunteer work, they have vans that take you to Boston, Providence and another spot I can't remember, on the weekends for free. I don't know about transportation that Trinity provides.

ExAdmitCounselor · 04-02-2011, 10:29 AM

I am a Trinity alum. I picked Trin over Wesleyan, Holy Cross, and Conn College (among others), but it took me a long time to pick!

I think it completely depends on what appeals to you. I'd put Hartford on par with Worcester in terms of safety. In reality, they are both dumps and you won't really leave campus much. They both offer some kind of transportation (Trin has a free campus shuttle that goes into hartford, and they give you free bus passes, HC has a van), but neither city has a great subway system.

The Trinity party scene is a little...crazier...than Holy Cross or Conn College. HC has a much better sports program (unless you're really into squash. Trinity hasn't lost in 12 years.) Trinity has a really awesome study abroad program in Rome (but you can do it from other colleges, so don't make your decision based on that). Since I've graduated, they've added ZipCars on campus, making Hartford easier to access for those w/out cars.

Conn College is a great school, too. My sister went there. The arboretum is a really nice campus feature. New London is certainly not a happenin' area, but at least you're not out in the country. They have a nice sailing program.

All three schools will set you up nicely with a strong New England alumni network. I love small NE colleges, and I had no trouble getting a job or getting into a good grad school after attending (I was a science major). You'll find that no matter which of these three schools you attend, you will come to LOVE your alumni network.

Perhaps focus on what you're looking to study? I would suggest Trinity if you're thinking history or economics-- there are a lot of grads working on wall street now. I can't speak to the other schools (but you should look into it)-- but Trinity has some good programs like Guided Studies, InterArts, Interdisciplinary Science, and The Cities Program if you want to really dig into your academics. The new library is really nice.

In the end, I chose Trinity because HC had too many hills and they didn't plow the sidewalks when I was visiting. Also, I made friends with a neuroscience professor on visiting students day that then became my advisor. I know my deciding factor was silly--but between these three school you won't go wrong.

Lizzieofboston · 04-14-2011, 10:36 PM

Trinity is only 1 1/2 hours from Boston.

Debruns · 04-15-2011, 06:16 AM

1 1/2 hours can be a lot though especially without transportation.

Exadmit, I had to laugh when I read about the hills, my daughter had a safety pin on her jeans by October with the extra exercise, but later it became "normal". : )

1980collegegrad · 04-16-2011, 04:23 PM

Holy Cross offers free shuttle service to Providence, Boston and local malls all of which are less than an hour away.