<p>I was almost sure of applying to union. (Im an international btw). But in many website such as this and many others…i dont see it menitoned that much. This is a big prb. I mean does it refuse to be rankd or smthn. Or what?</p>
<p>P.S. I enailed all the schools that i was intersted in applying to…alll of them (6) answered EXCEPT UNION. Whats the deal?</p>
<p>Union is very good, although the surrounding aread ( my hometown of Albany) is a very very boring college town.</p>
<p>I agree with NPakistani above. I’ve known people who were extremely smart who went there and liked it a lot.</p>
<p>It is a great school with a beautiful campus and active Greek scene. The only downside might be its location and climate…but everyone I’ve known that went there loved it.</p>
<p>Union also has an interesting student life program called the Minerva Houses. Take a look.</p>
<p>Union is good. Expensive though.</p>
<p>It has a reputation for a very active fraternity scene. Of course, it’s no surprise, since Schenectady is so…we’ll just say inactive. It sounds like a great combination of liberal arts and engineering at a small school.</p>
<p>It could easily be in the NESCAC, along with Clark U.</p>
<p>Union has a good reputation.</p>
<p>I know a recent grad in neuroscience or similar major, did research undergrad. Loved it there.
Now at law school.
Another is now a senior. Also loves the school.</p>
<p>
Actually, Union used to be in NESCAC.</p>
<p>The origins of NESCAC go back to 1955, when the “Little Three” (Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan) and Bowdoin formed a partnership. In 1971, they were joined by Union, Middlebury, Bates, Colby, Hamilton, Tufts, and Trinity, and NESCAC was formed.</p>
<p>But Union left NESCAC in 1977 after an issue with hockey recruiting. Connecticut College eventually replaced it, in 1982.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>And they’ve been regretting that decision ever since…</p>
<p>
Union is now in the Liberty League, which is also a solid DIII league. However, NESCAC probably has a stronger reputation overall. </p>
<p>Hamilton College, another New York school, went in the opposite direction. Hamilton historically split its teams between the Liberty League and NESCAC. However, Hamilton is now in the process of moving them all to NESCAC, even though geographically it’s a better fit with the Liberty League.</p>
<p>Realistically, Union and NESCAC aren’t a fit any more. The problem (as in the 1970s) comes down to hockey.</p>
<p>Union is in NCAA Division III, but holds a special exemption from NCAA to compete at the Division I level in men’s and women’s ice hockey. In fact, several other Liberty League schools (RPI, Clarkson, RIT, SLU) have such exemptions. </p>
<p>However, the Liberty League is Division III. Since the hockey schools in the Liberty League want to play in Division I, rather than in Division III, ice hockey is not actually sponsored as a Liberty League sport. Union and the others play ice hockey in the ECAC Hockey League, which is Division I. </p>
<p>The Liberty League is obviously comfortable with this arrangement, but I doubt that NESCAC would go for it. NESCAC has more stringent rules than the NCAA, and probably would not be comfortable with member schools playing any sports in Division I.</p>
<p>Union’s reputation is stronger in sciences/engineering even though it is an LAC, just as a warning if you’re more interested in the humanities.</p>
<p>Realistically, Union and NESCAC aren’t a fit any more. The problem (as in the 1970s) comes down to hockey.</p>
<p>When I said it could easily be in the NESCAC, I meant its academic quality would fit in that group, not that every sub-paragraph of its athletic department’s bylaws would fit.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the only school D2 said, no, not interested is Union. </p>
<p>It’s a great school. D thought it was run down and in a bad section of town. Also, no one attended the information section but my family and 2 or 3 other individual people. And she did not like the tri-mester.</p>
<p>Very good school. Kind of a party school, but has some great programs. Only downside is that it is in the middle of Skank-tady.</p>
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<p>I believe: Bowdoin, Bates, Colby and Williams all have Division I skiing. Bowdoin also has Division I sailing and Bates has Division I squash.</p>
<p>
Nope. </p>
<p>It’s true that Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, Williams (and Middlebury) all have NCAA ski teams, but they are all assigned to [Division</a> III](<a href=“http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/sponsorship?sortOrder=0&division=3&sport=MSK]Division”>http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/sponsorship?sortOrder=0&division=3&sport=MSK) by NCAA. People are often confused about this, because they see that the LAC ski teams compete in the same events as NCAA Division I ski teams (like Dartmouth, UNH, or UVM). But that’s only because there is a relatively limited number of NCAA ski teams in the northeast, and it’s not convenient to hold separate events for the DI and DIII teams.</p>
<p>Sailing and squash are not NCAA sports, so the Division I vs. Division III distinction is technically meaningless. Again, people are often confused because LACs compete against larger universities in these sports. But again, it just reflects the fact that there are a limited number of squash and sailing teams to compete with. </p>
<p>All NESCAC schools are DIII in all NCAA sports. For non-NCAA sports (like squash), NESCAC enforces the same general DIII principles (e.g. no athletic scholarships), even though the NCAA rules technically don’t apply.</p>
<p>Corbett,</p>
<p>I thought they were Division I from statements like this:</p>
<p>"The Bowdoin College Nordic Ski Team is one of only a few of the College’s athletic programs to compete at the NCAA Division I level. As a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA), Bowdoin races against teams such as Dartmouth, UVM, and Williams, as well as traditional rivals Bates and Colby. "</p>
<p>[About</a> the Program Bowdoin Athletics](<a href=“http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/winter/nordicski/about]About”>http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/winter/nordicski/about)</p>
<p>I know little about sports and, to my untrained eye, statements like this (and some others that I saw out there saying that the different colleges compete against Division I schools and such) meant that the schools were Division I. I wonder how many people would read it the same way I did?</p>