Yes, but the OP also liked Amherst and not Vassar. Hamilton may or may not resonate but it is such a strong Policy school I would personally think it worth checking out. Up to the OP, of course.
1 Like
The OP mentioned Amherst as an aside and I happen to think Amherst and Wesleyan have more in common than Amherst and Hamilton.
1 Like
Iām just concerned you seem to like Georgetown and Northwestern better than WUSTL., although a Brown deferral can also be an issue.
It is ultimately up to you, but my feeling is if you have a strong enough overall list, it isnāt worth ED2ing to like your fourth choice or such. The actual amount of āboostā you would get as an individual, if any, is often very hard to ascertain, and I see a lot of kids regret it when they wonder if they could have gotten into one of their preferred choices.
I mean, it is up to the OP. My impression of Hamilton is that it is normally liberal/progressive in the sense of most of the colleges on the OPās list. Not that this is definitive, but the 12 respondents on Niche broke out as 4 moderate, 6 liberal, 1 very liberal, 1 didnāt care about politics, so no conservatives. Thatās very similar to, say, WUSTL, a possible ED2, except WUSTL actually had a few conservative respondents (although that could just be a sample size thing).
But for sure, every LAC is different, and just because the OP like Amherst and Wesleyan doesnāt mean he would like Vassar (he didnāt), and doesnāt mean he wouldnāt like Hamilton. He would have to visit and make up his own mind.
It sounds as if you are recommending the OP visit a college that you have not set foot on. The Hamilton admittee, @lilyesh, has already weighed in on the subject. As for Amherst and Wesleyan, even a cursory look at their student newspapers over the past six months would suggest that they have a large number of political activists, perhaps the two highest in NESCAC, something which the OP has stated were positives. Letās give the OP some credit for knowing what they want.
One of the reasons Hamilton is so strong for public policy is due to its prominent term in Washington. Established in 1969, the program has cultivated relationships in D.C. for decades.
2 Likes
Okay fair enough. Thatās just what I saw from each school when I visited.
Amherstās library, for example, had a BLM poster right when you walked in on the staircase. Whether you view that as a positive or negative varies from person to person. I was indifferent.
Hamiltonās campus had things like a pride flag on the chapel, but the political activism is less than Wesleyan or Amherst.
1 Like
But pretty much everyone has one in DC. My daughter went through U of S Carolina Honors had 7 job offers and worked at a top think tank.
Hamiltonās may be old but most every school has a similar program. Where my daughter lived, a block from capital hill, each home represented one or two colleges - and thereās a lot of homes.
3 Likes
I believe your perspective was being fully supported, @lilyesh.
3 Likes
Quite a list
-
I would recommend something even safer as a target school. Some good options above
-
UMd has a double edged sword. They have a self designed major program and masters in public planning and urban planning that have been combined into a BS in urban planning several times recently. Look up the IVSP program page. Flipside if you arenāt mathy/codey - Poli sci at UMd requires at least stats and two quant courses which are basically intro programming in the R language. They arenāt super hard and good skills to have. You design surveys and such.
-
Wesleyan is the only non urban school on your list. You clearly want a city so maybe find something else. Fordham?
-
at GW AU GTown and UMd it is common to get DC internships during the school year which is a big help.
1 Like
Wes is still 10 min outside Hartfordā¦.if OP has it on the list, it mustāve caught their attention somehow. Iām just curious why they like it as itās the only LAC here.
I think itās a mix of the culture and the curriculum, although the location is definitely a downside for it. I liked Amherst for similar reasons, but I donāt think I would get into Amherst regualr.
2 Likes
Rochester !!! Thatās the bigger version. Not quite in the city but close. And also very highly ranked. But likely a tad easier admit.
https://www.sas.rochester.edu/college/psc/courses/tracks.php?type=new&tid=PL
1 Like
Schools such as Wesleyan University, Amherst and the University of Rochester appear in this site:
2 Likes
Btw if that is your real name your should change your userid
3 Likes
@Charlie_Getman here is how to change your screen nameā¦if that is your real name.
Just to be clear, by āchecking outā, I mean the OP might want to start looking into Hamilton. The usual first step would be to do some online research. Whether or not they visit is again up to them.
Indeed, and their impressions are consistent with my impressions from talking to other people about Hamilton as well. If the OP is interested in the idea of checking out Hamilton, that sort of information would be among the things the OP could consider.
This is what you said:
Please take the back and forth to PM. Thank you!
Someone already mentioned it, but Iāll just throw out William and Mary again - they have a very strong Public Policy major, and lots of contacts with DC groups and organizations (for a school not physically in DC). Itās definitely not an urban area, which you seem interested in, but youāll certainly be amongst other policy nerds. 
2 Likes