"Yes, that’s clear from the multiple comments above about Hamilton and fit. We all get it, and I’m sorry it didn’t work out for her daughter. "
Comments above and in pretty much any thread that mentions Hamilton…
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I think it is important to hear all experiences and as a writer, it’s also important for me to share my experiences. I think it is fine that @AnonMomof2 and anyone shares in more than one place if need be. I’m sure not everyone follows every thread.
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Colgate and Hamilton are near enough to be called the same. Both excellent small LACs in rural remote locations (nearly the same location) with very close faculty and devoted alumni. But, they are also fairly different in some parts of their character. Hamilton is described as more nerdy and intellectual and Colgate as more preppy jocks. Those are stereotypes, but they’re generally pretty fair. Don’t worry about which one is better because from the perspective of academics, rankings, grad school preparation, career services they may as well be the same. Instead, at your visit just see which one feels better or more “like” you. Make that mostly uninformed gut decision and stick with it. Because they’re close enough to the same that if you’re happy at one you’ll likely be happy with the other. You have two great choices to choose from and either one will be a great choice. So just go with your gut.
FWIW, my son has Colgate and Hamilton on the list of four schools he’s making his decision between, so perhaps he’ll join you at one or the other.
Good luck, but even more so, have fun and don’t second-guess you’re choice. This is going to work out great for you!
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I would agree in the some similarities between the two, but I definitely wouldn’t say Hamilton is described as “more nerdy”. My D is a freshman at Hamilton who looked at both schools closely. She is an athlete at Hamilton and a good portion of the student body is on an athletic team; there is a lot of school spirit around athletic competition. That said, it’s a very cohesive, supportive, creative, welcoming, student body with diverse interests. Colgate had a more “pre-professional”, one-dimensional vibe, which has been described many times before in other CC posts. Hamilton has ranked slightly higher than Colgate, but they’re both excellent schools, with phenomenal reputations. To say one has more “prestige” is ridiculous. Both are highly regarded by anyone who’s opinion on education matters.
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My impressions of Hamilton and Colgate are such that they are quite distinctive from each other, perhaps to the extent that I might not consider them to be strong overlap schools. Somewhat more expanded comments were linked up-topic: Forming a College List — a Little Lost - #223 by merc81.
Here’s a comparison from a professor who has taught at both Colgate and Hamilton:
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Running to check this out- thanks!
I went to Hamilton (class of ‘23) and we 100% have a running club (which I was a part of). The club’s pretty active and good for all different levels (I was varsity track/xc and xc captain in high school, but there were people in the club who were new to running). There’s even a Hamilton Running Club Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/hamilton.running.club/
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After visiting and family conversations…
Hamilton was the universal winner. We all not only loved the campus but felt that the school was just “me.” The weather was absolutely disgusting and we still loved it. I would have 100% ED2 had I been able to visit prior.
We liked Colgate, but it didn’t feel as good of a fit. We liked the area surrounding Hamilton more than Colgate also.
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I’m glad that you found a school that felt like such a great fit! Wishing you the best as you prepare to embark on your college career!
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Congratulations again and best of luck!
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