Jan Admission at Hamilton

Colleges & Universities Hamilton College
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Hi there. I applied Early Decision to Hamilton College and got accepted but to start in January 2025. My parents will only allow (pay for) me to attend Hamilton if I start next fall as they do not believe in taking a gap semester.

I know you can study abroad or otherwise earn credit towards graduating on time at Hamilton but my parents will not go for that.

Obviously Hamilton is my dream school as I applied ED. Getting in but to start in January releases you from you ED commitment and so now they want me to go elsewhere. This really really really sucks and hits hard because I can’t celebrate going to my dream school even though I got in.

I am afraid that I expressed to Hamilton that I preferred January admission because I misunderstood the question. I thought I would be only considered if I was not admitted for normal admission. Hence, I think it’s possible I would have been accepted for normal admission otherwise.

If I reach out to their admissions office, is there any chance they would allow me to start in the fall as normal? The letter of acceptance says absolutely do not contact them about this but if I don’t try for that, I might not be allowed to attend.

Thanks for any advice in advance!

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Don’t contact them and ask to be switched. Just don’t.

I’m sorry your parents are against this situation. Would they be willing to speak with someone at Hamilton who is involved with that program to learn more about it? Perhaps that person can also connect them with some students who did the program.

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Thank you for your response. I appreciate the insight and the recommendation. I think I am going to respectfully wait to receive some advice from some different perspectives and how they agree with each other.

In terms of the not reaching out to their admissions office, would you mind sharing if you are familiar with Hamilton and this program in particular? Hamilton makes a point of their admissions office connecting with students and being personable. They send personalized letters after students have a good interview and acknowledge essay topics in conversation. I know approaching admissions about something like this typically might not be a good idea but I get the sense that that might not apply to Hamilton.

I won’t act on it for a few days but once I get a feel for things then maybe it would be worth encouraging them to connect with a former student in that program or otherwise.

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Hamilton has this program to fill in some empty space.

I would not assume you only got the program because you expressed interest.

Nonetheless, if they specifically say not to contact them, that they will not realign you to fall, then I would take them at the word and don’t contact them.

In regards to your family situation, you have two options:

  1. Assume it’s a rejection because for purposes of your family it is, and move on. Note - there is no dream school. It’s a farce/fallacy. All schools have issues whether bad roommates, food, profs, whatever. There is a student on this board that had Hamilton as a dream and is already looking to transfer.

So don’t buy the dream. Hamilton might be great for you (we don’t know) but if it is, there’s another 10 or 20 schools that would be great for you too - so move on.

  1. If you are willing to go abroad through one of the affiliated programs, convince your parents.

Personally, I’m with your folks on this one. Coming in late is not a good thing - it puts you behind socially and in other ways. Hamilton isn’t the only school to do this and other schools see a similar type of disconnect.

I suppose if you’re not going to end up there you can call and ask - because you’re not going anyway.

But no one likes a person who doesn’t follow instructions.

Sounds to me like it’s a rejection for you - and that’s ok. The sooner you realize the better so that you move on to step two - assuming your parents hold firm. And I 100% understand why they feel this way.

Here is an article - which should put more fear into you.

Typically parents know best through life’s experiences. The school is using you for extra revenue - but knowingly putting you in a difficult spot.

If you got into Hamilton, you’ll get into other great schools too.

Best of luck.

The experience of Jans at Hamilton | by The Spectator | The Spectator

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I totally understand that feeling, and I want it to be true for you, but you’re telling us that they are explicit in their admissions offer to not contact them about it. Admissions being welcoming isn’t the same as they will appreciate you asking for something they’ve told you definitively not to ask for. I don’t think any of us are going to suggest to you that ignoring that instruction is going to yield a different result. (I am familiar with Hamilton and January starts, and I know of at least one other student offered a January admit this year.)

I can say that I’ve heard from a number of people that Hamilton works hard to integrate their January admits, and I don’t believe that it means you can’t integrate socially or in any other way. That said, I totally understand why you might not want to do it, and I agree with @Mwfan1921 that your best option is to gather more information and share it with your parents, and/or have them talk to folks who’ve gone through it. I do think taking your time here is in your best interest, just so everyone has a chance to breathe. Ideally you’ve already submitted or have your RD applications ready to go.

Best of luck to you. Hamilton is a special place, and if you and your family agree that you can start in January - and there may be other LACs that accept you as a January start! - then I’m sure you will have a great experience. If not, you will have other options.

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Offers of Jan admission are typically non-negotiable to Sept. There are folks here, on the Hamilton thread, who have done them.

While some schools offer this as a gap semester, and you also graduate a semester later - in winter - this is an opportunity to start with a semester abroad. That may sound like splitting hairs, but it’s really a different ordering of your 8 semesters. Because it’s not a Hamilton program abroad, it’s a little less integrated than some of the versions offered by other schools.

Like anything, experiences differ. You need to figure out if this can be a good option for you. There are some positives to coming in later as well as the negatives, which you’re already thinking about.

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What is your timeline from Hamilton for accepting?

What does your financial aid package look like?

Did you get any other EA acceptances before hearing from Hamilton?

Let this be for a few days. January admits seemed to increase during Covid and is now part of school’s enrollment strategy.

Your parents may have multiple concerns:

  • They are worried about you losing momentum.

  • They may want their version of the best for you. They do not know how common these alternatives starts have become. They way see it as a less desirable acceptance and want more prestige.

  • The reality of paying for Hamilton came in the financial aid package and they see this as an out. Or they do not want to pay for the semester off campus if it does not allow for financial aid.

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OP, I would reach out to admissions to see if you can connect with some recent Jans and talk to them candidly. You may even be able to identfy and PM some by going through these threads. that happened during covid is likely to be a bit irrelevant.

When do you need to respond?

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My son, who graduated from Hamilton in '22, was a Jan admit. He applied ED1, admitted as a Jan and wasn’t happy. He then applied to three other colleges but ultimately decided on Hamilton. He went to London with approximately 40 other “Jans” and had a wonderful experience. Classes were only held Monday-Thursday, so he traveled all over Europe most weekends. Jans don’t have to do the London program. You can stay home and take classes at a nearby college, work, etc. Come January, the Jans had their own orientation (although Jans are welcome to join orientation in August as well, as my son did) and all the Jans were placed together along with transfer students on a hall in Dunham. Hamilton does a good job integrating the Jans into Hamilton life. If you have any further questions, please reach out.

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That’s called sales my friend. Lots of schools do this. They are setting themselves up in case they do admit someone (they don’t know at the time) that the person will be impressed by them and they’ll want to commit vs others.

Don’t forget, they are a business and they need customers. It was never a reflection on what admissions thought of you. Sorry.

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This appears to represent Hamilton’s policy:

Your frustration is understandable because you believe your outcome may have been, at least in part, unintentionally self-generated. Nonetheless, based on what you posted, Hamilton was specific in its missive to not contact them on this matter. If you consider this as a position that Hamilton has developed over time and through experience, then perhaps you will accept this literally (excepting, as stated above, in the cases of “extenuating circumstances or enrollment imbalances”).

The OP will now be regarded as an RD admit and has until May 1st or so to make a commitment. The more immediate consideration involves whether or not to apply to other colleges in the next few weeks.

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Thanks for clarifying the timeline on decision making. This should help the OP and parents compare all options over the coming months.

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Why won’t your parents let you accept the January admission? Maybe they just don’t understand what it is that well.

Being admitted in January is not a lesser admissions than fall admits.

There is a Facebook page for parents of Hamilton admits and there is a page specifically about January admits. I suggest your parents join that and ask questions. There are many parents on there of previous Jans who have very good things to say.

Both of my sons (one graduated in 2020 and one is a senior) have friends who were Jans. It doesn’t seem to be that big a deal once they are on campus. I can see it being a little awkward when you first get to campus but they integrate quickly.

Good luck with your decision.

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The article I posted shows otherwise which makes sense. I totally understand the parents thought. In general, while these programs have successes, they also have struggles. I know of one from BU.

And the classes are P/F which could (not saying it will hinder grad school. And aid doesn’t apply.

Not saying the student shouldn’t choose it if it’s right but I totally understand the parents desire and frankly agree.

If the student got Hamilton, they’ll have other options.

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I got admitted as a Jan to begin next winter 2025 (class of 28) as well. Could you elaborate on the Pass/Fail thing? I want to apply to med school or law school.

Thankfully my parents are on board with Hamilton Jan admit. I am applying to Williams, Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, Vassar and Amherst RD but really plan on accepting my hamilton spot. Will this hurt my future career plans?

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That’s just the Hamilton London program, not Hamilton in general. You’ll find similar things with study abroad programs at many schools and in many places. Doesn’t impact future graduate programs - you just plan for it.

And if you’re asking if a January admit would impact future plans in general - not at all. As long as you meet your requirements, nobody cares when you showed up on campus.

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Easy solution: attend a regionally accredited community college in the fall and take transferable courses there, then enter Hamilton in the spring according to the admission offer. Then you can graduate in the remaining 7 semesters (instead of needing 8 semesters) at Hamilton. I.e. your parents will be able to save the difference between Hamilton costs and local community college costs for one semester if you do this, and you will not be taking a gap semester or doing any of the potentially expensive programs listed on Hamilton’s web pages.

https://www.hamilton.edu/admission/apply/january-admission/jancourses says that “If you plan to enroll in classes for which you want to receive credit toward your Hamilton degree, you should take courses from a regionally accredited college or university. In general, this means any reputable institution, private or public, that offers B.S. or B.A. degrees (including state and community colleges). Please note that accreditation does not guarantee that course credit will transfer. To receive Hamilton credit for courses you take elsewhere, you must receive a grade of “C” or better in the course.”

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You’d have less grades.

Listen, I’m anti January entrance. I think it does a student a great disservice.

My friend’s kid at BU struggled. Even when my son was looking at Emory (four years ago), the students who came from Oxford we spoke with shared concerns - and they started normal, but at a second campus.

To me, these schools are doing the kids a disservice - but it’s money in the bank for them. There’s more and more doing this late entry…at least Northeastern runs their off campus programs giving the sense you’re at the school.

You have to make the right decision for you. I’d read the article I posted earlier with recent January entrants. And I’d ask the school for names/contact info of kids who were in the program - and ask their honest opinion.

What I don’t support you might - and you’re the one going to school.

At many schools, off campus programs will come pass/fail, etc. You’d have to ask different grad schools how or if it could impact admission.

Will it hurt your future? I doubt it based on the program itself but my concern would be what if you struggle socially and then that impacts your psyche and your grades, and then yes it would.

But again, I have a bias - and you may not - but I would at least dig much much deeper and read the article posted above. To me, when you’re spending $80K plus a year, that should come with certain perks - and that’s not - coming in later than others.

I think starting at a school, trying to make friends, is a big deal - especially at a smaller school and is not something I’d take lightly (but again, I’m not you).

Best of luck.

The experience of Jans at Hamilton | by The Spectator | The Spectator

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I don’t want to spend too much of this thread on this topic, because it’s a little meta for the OP, but since it is the January admits thread of the season, a counterpoint: what you’re calling a money grab and a disservice, I would call a step towards creating more supply for a highly valued resource buckling at the level of demand.

If you have (say) 10 SLACs opening up (say) 50 slots for January admits, you’ve created 500 new admits every year - essentially you’ve created a new SLAC’s worth of admitted students using capacity you already have (because so many more students go abroad in the spring).

In a time where admissions has become so much more competitive, and the interest in elite educational opportunities has grown so much (e.g. applications are up X00% over the last 10 years), but elite schools are not growing their student bodies at all, a system that allows more students access to those opportunities is a good.

So while you may not want your own child to be a January admit (I didn’t either) - and some January admits may have difficulty integrating - I think it’s very good for a system where the demand is so outweighing the supply that it creates a universe of crazy incentives. 500 seats doesn’t solve the problem but it’s in the right direction.

Anyway - Hamilton is great, other schools are great, and if you have the choice between a January start at Hamilton and a September start at Vassar, you can’t go wrong.

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I can go with that…and as I noted, students have to make the decision for themselves. My bias shouldn’t necessarily impact another. Hence I included the article and suggested talking to those who have been through the program.

Truth is, even kids starting on time can struggle - and one Hamilton parent on the board said their student is already looking to transfer…so no situation is perfect.

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