Hamilton vs CMU vs Rochester

rhf
Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:35:12 +0000

I can’t speak to the academics of the other two schools, but Hamilton has pretty baller professors all around. They’re excellent teachers, but you get the added benefits of small classes, accessible office hours, and the opportunity to make real personal connections with your professors, which is huge when you graduate. Almost everyone I know ended up eating dinner at their professors’ houses, babysitting their professors’ kids, or at the very least grabbing coffee with them at Cafe Opus.

Re: Boredom–I don’t know many Hamilton students who complained of being bored. Obviously it’s self selecting; those who choose to go are those who were attracted to the rural campus in the first place. Regardless of your preferences, I think that the difference is not having LESS to do, but having it all in one place versus going out into a city for it. I recall plenty of times I couldn’t fit everything I wanted to do into a day. I divided my time mainly between concerts, lectures, parties, work-study, and school work (in no particular order), and as much as I liked to fancy myself a carefree college student, I spent a LOT of time doing work. Like, a LOT. There’s certainly no shortage of distractions. Being able to finish a paper in the library and cruise across campus to meet your friends at a concert or party is one of the best things about small schools. Most buildings are within a 12 minute walk of each other and once you get comfortable on campus, every single one of those buildings will feel like part of your house. It’s cozy as hell, but it’s not for everyone. You’ll recognize everyone after a couple months, so if you’re looking for anonymity, you won’t find it on the hill!