Hi guys! I just got my ED1 rejection letter from Barnard. I’m actually glad to hear that they rejected me cuz I always wonder if the city vibe and Ivy League title are the right things for me. I’m definitely more into nature and a quiet environment.
Now, I’m looking into other colleges, including Hamilton and Smith, for ED2. I wonder if there’s anyone who has some insights into these two colleges and which one should I ED2 to. For Smith, I’ve been to the precollege and loved the political activism and diversity but wonder if that would be too overwhelming. For Hamilton, I love the quietness and nature/outdoor, intellectual vibe, and mission of helping students find themselves (as their motto and supplement essay). But, during ED1, there was already a really smart kid in my high school who got admitted by Hamilton for STEM and got like a 97/100. I’m afraid that I may get rejected bc of this… Got an interview next week with Hamilton and think they may like me bc. of my curiosity and passion to learn (I personally, now, is more into Hamilton because of its location and intellectualism (nerdiness), but always open to new ideas!)
Most importantly, I’m always looking for a place where I can grow and thrive, and learn about myself and the world. This is the reason why I am applying to a college. I love intellectual conversations and abstract topics. Just love it.
Which one should I ED2 to??
My info…
major in philosophy, possibly minor in French, gender studies, music, film study, and/or math.
95/100 GPA, 6APs, top 10 in highschool
test-optional, A and 4 college credits from Cornell for an intro to political philosophy class
no need for financial aid
Barnard Precollege, Smith Precollege, Columbia Summer Immersion, Cornell Summer School
Activities
GSA president
TEDed translator for 2 years
environmental, green club president,
worked with the school’s board of trustees to have better recycle policies; a proposal worth more than $10,000 got passed.
Music: bassist in Jazz band and my independent band, online musician, with a portfolio (1 original song and 2 other covers)
member of feminist club school for 2 years
a podcast with friends on spotify; talking about moral issues, politics, etc.
writing center tutor in school
volunteers and community projects for 4 years
MUN for 4 years
Price & honors
highest honor roll for 4 years
state & national National French Contest silver medal
As a form of introduction to Hamilton’s philosophy program, its department offers one of the very few summer philosophy programs open to undergraduates from other institutions (see link, below). While you can apply to this program from whichever college you attend, its existence seems to reflect well on Hamilton’s philosophy department overall.
Sorry to hear that Barnard didn’t work out for you.
Hamilton and Smith are both great schools, and no one school is uniquely one way or the other, but your generalities about the two schools and the comparison is largely correct - Smith is certainly significantly more overtly political and has a much more activist culture, and Hamilton is a place where earnest, quiet, intellectually passionate kids feel very much at home. Hamilton’s philosophy department is legit and the French department is strong, and Hamilton in France is a remarkably impressive program (though you don’t have to be a Hamilton student to attend). Also, Smith has students who would rather avoid the political environment - though it’s hard! - and Hamilton has more than its share of future investment bankers. Everyone is everywhere.
Obviously one significant difference is that Smith is a single-gender school (which, unlike Barnard, isn’t adjacent to a co-ed school) and Hamilton is co-ed. Do you have some sense of how that will matter to you, because it is at least as important a difference as the ones you’ve mentioned.
I don’t know if your Cornell Summer School was on campus, but if it was, that’s a closer analogy to living at Hamilton than Barnard would have been (though still not that close).
I’d echo @NiceUnparticularMan and just ignore that someone has already been admitted to Hamilton ED. The impact that could have on your admission is much smaller than pretty much anything else about your application: there definitely isn’t a quota of just one from your school. Like all these schools, they’re looking to build a class based on a combination of holistic qualities, and sending school is just not as important as the others.
Both schools are challenging admits; Hamilton is, by percentage, tougher, though I don’t believe you can get to specifics as a non-hooked ED2 to know how much tougher. I think you’re smart to choose one to apply ED2: the one you choose is hard for anyone else to answer for you, but if your gut remains Hamilton after your interview, it’s hard to imagine that being a bad choice.
I would think that for someone who loves nature and quiet walks in the woods that Hamilton would be hard to beat. Just be aware that with Smith and Northampton, you’d also be trading a chance at a classic college town experience. What that basically boils down to is being able to take strolls off-campus and have a cup of coffee or bubble tea with someone without making special arrangements for it in advance. But you probably already know that.
No offence to Smith but my friend’s daughter really didn’t like it. She ended up transferring to BU after her 2nd year. She ended up at Smith because her mom and aunt went there and highly encouraged her to do the ED2 at Smith. The fact that it is a women’s college might not be all that fitting to her.
Can’t speak to Hamilton but I know a happy Smith junior. She’s had a really good experience as a STRIDE scholar and is currently studying abroad in Spain. Good luck with the choice.
I agree with everything else you said but Smith is actually a part of the five college consortium with smith (women’s), Mount Holyoke (women’s), Hampshire (coed), Amherst (coed), and umass (coed)
Hi there, I have a kid at each of these schools. My Smithie is a STRIDE scholar and has absolutely loved her time at Smith. She is studying abroad in the Spring in Denmark and has been selected as a Picker fellow in Washington Dc for the Summer and Fall of 2025. Her major is gov and she has had really great classes and is very engaged with student orgs and is a captain of the rugby team. Smith is a good fit for someone who is passionate about their studies, and likes being surrounded by other equally passionate/intense learners. Northampton is a great college town, as noted upthread, with easy access to larger cities via train. Housing options on campus are stunning and my kid has had a single for her sophomore and junior years. The historically women’s college alumnae/i network is one of the most powerful out there–it is not to be ignored when considering the perceived value of a particular college choice. Smith also has the second largest endowment of the historically women’s colleges and the resources are excellent.
Hamilton appealed to my outdoorsy, intellectual but goofy son because of its beautiful campus, super friendly students, and wealth of academic opportunity in his fields of interest. He is an intellectual explorer who loves art, philosophy and math. He entered through the Jan program and had an incredible experience studying in London in his first semester of college. Housing options are mixed in quality, with some first year dorms being notorious for their dumpy vibe. A large portion of the student body are athletes. The outdoors club has a beautiful house on campus with an expansive back porch and fire pit area, and they welcome anyone and everyone to join in on their adventures. Perhaps because of its location in a small town where there is not a lot to do off-campus on-campus there are a ton of clubs and social activities. The Hamilton orientation trips are really well done and do a nice job of connecting new students to one another and the school.
There is a huge difference between being ADJACENT and being NEARBY. At Barnard you could swing a car and hit a coed classroom or dorm. The women at Barnard and the men at Columbia are sharing the same coffee shops and bagel places and some extra curricular groups encompass both campuses. The 5 college consortium while a fantastic resource isn’t the same. Waiting for a bus for a 30 min ride to another campus is not the same.
I’m aware, as I’m sure as the OP, that Smith is part of a consortium with coed schools. It’s also true that sharing classes and events with coed schools (with effort and time investment on your part) is not at all similar to living and studying 24/7 in a mixed-gender environment. They are markedly different experiences.
I agree with @movingtothebeach that co-Ed vs single sex campus are markedly different experiences.
While it may seem obvious, this is the elephant in the living room. If you want a women’s college, you go to Smith. If you want a co-Ed campus, you go to Hamilton. IMO, all other factors pale in comparison to this issue.
Academically both of these schools are exceptionally good colleges. You can have a great academic experience at either one.
Both are fantastic options. It is time for you to do some soul-searching to decide if Smith or Hamilton stands out to you as your absolute top choice. There are notable differences between the two schools (single sex/co-ed, location, etc.) to consider. If you don’t feel you can commit to one, I’d recommend you apply RD to both.
Regarding Hamilton’s residence halls, those available to first-year students vary substantially in size and style, and seem too disinct from each to generalize. As examples, these photos show the marked differences in aesthetics of a few of the residence available to first-year students:
This tour includes Glenview, which was temporary housing set up during Covid and shut down in the middle of last school year. The plurality of first-years live in Dunham. Hamilton has a wide variety of housing options, some better than others, and a bit of a crunch that means a handful of sophomores are doubled up in what used to be singles.
