(Sorry to chime in late. The end of the semester is always brutal with grading!)
My D20 is graduating from Hamilton next weekend, and it’s bittersweet for all of us. She has really loved her time there and had a great experience–even with starting in the fall 2020 COVID year. In many ways, we’re sad her time has ended because it’s been a wonderful 4 years. Here are a few points to address your concerns:
Social scene: D20 is not an athlete or Greek and has had an active social life. There are no Greek residencies and the percentage of students participating in Greek life is in the teens. Most students are not Greek, and there is a lot going on on campus that appeals to different groups of students. In fact, she sometimes mingles with two different social scenes in one weekend because she has a diverse group of friends. (I think that’s particularly noteworthy because she is a URM at a small PWI. That could be very difficult socially, but it hasn’t been an issue for her at all.) While there are the typical college parties for students that enjoy that social scene, there are plenty of other social opportunities on campus for students who are not into that. Again, there really is something for everyone.
Academics: The open curriculum has been fabulous and mirrors the diverse interests of the student body. Most students double major because they can easily combine their interests. For example, one of D’s friends is an Econ and English major, and another is a double with Creative Writing and Biology. Hamilton is big on studying what you love and exploring new ideas. That said, like most elite schools, the classes are rigorous and students work hard.
Weather: This is difficult because we live in New England, so D is used to cold and snow. She doesn’t find Hamilton’s weather too bad. I think the biggest factor is the length of the cold season. It will get cold (and you may even get a a bit of snow) as early as late October/early November, and it may not warm up until late March/early April. Spring doesn’t really show up until April. So, if you’re looking for warmer temps, Hamilton is NOT the place for you. Wake Forest wins there. But, it is not brutally cold like U Rochester that has a tunnel system for the winter months.
As you know, Wake Forest’s student population is over twice that of Hamilton’s. So if you don’t want a small college (2,100 students), that is something to keep in mind. In addition to the warm weather, I would agree with @NemesisLead that WF tends to be more Greek-oriented and has a southern feel. Hamilton has more of a New England feel. Again, depending on the student, that could be good or bad.
Honestly, both are fabulous colleges, but they have very different vibes. I think it really comes down to fit and what you’re looking for. WF was not on D’s list because we considered it different from the SLAC experience she was looking for, and she didn’t want to attend school in the South. Given the recent political climate in some areas of the country, that’s even more relevant now. Regardless of campus environment, colleges still need to deal with the larger state atmosphere in some ways. In any case, we know students that are very happy at WF.
