<p>We visited Hamilton this summer and loved it. D’s guidance counselor recommended she put it on her list, so we went to check it out, after reading a very positive review of it in the Fiske guide. It seems to have somewhat of a preppy reputation but the student that guided us around was anything but preppy. It sounded to us as if kids come in with their high school ecs, be they music or sports or whatever, and then get new interests by being supportive of their new friends and their new friends’ interests, and thus all come out much more well-rounded than when they came in. The school also makes it easy for kids to start new clubs if their particular interest is not already set up for them. They assured us that there are research opportunities for undergraduates, and I was impressed with the research the professors are doing; they had a section in the bookstore with books written/edited by faculty members and a lot of them looked very interesting. And yes, they are very proud of the reputation they have/are getting for the excellent writing skills their students develop. We came across, or they showed us, a funny story having to do with Sam Dash talking to his class at Georgetown Law Center after returning a written assignment. He asked one after another, “What college did you go to?” They came from very prestigious colleges, but when one kid said, “Hamilton,” it was then that Dash said, “And this student can write!” (Don’t flame me; I know students from other colleges can write too; I’m just relating a story that Hamilton is proud of.)</p>