Mini-van Delight (or Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds)

Parents Forum
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<p>Or Hamilton, Middlebury, and Colgate. Take your pick of titles. </p>

<p>I am really not ready to post as I came home Wednesday to a life in crisis , my own. It appears I left in such a hurry I left the iron on and the dogs without water (figuratively). Something I will not let happen again.</p>

<p>O.K. Now that I have managed to extricate myself from the hairshirt I was wearing, on to the trip.</p>

<p>Middlebury on a Sunday for an extended drive-by. Wonderful. High in the low 70’s and beautiful beyond a flatlander’s ability to convey. A campus straight out of their picturebook (not always the case). Facilities beyond reproach. Watched a blue and white game of football in what has to be the most engaging and delightful ballfield anywhere. The stands face the mountains to the east, as opposed to the mountains to the west, and D commented that she wondered if anyone ever watched the game. It was a very intoxicating view and we sat there for the last half mesmerized. The athletic facilities were top-notch D3 BUT it did seem that the emphasis was on swimming and diving, and hockey as opposed to women’s basketball-the sport of royalty;).</p>

<p>The town was wonderful, with great venues to separate tourists and students and parents from their wallets, but I fear the touristy parts may grow wearisome after a time for the students. Much like Wm and Mary and Williamsburg, though not to that extent.The town is a winding 45 miles from Burlington to the north and a more winding trip south an hour and a half to Saratoga Springs. At least on this Sunday, it was. The students did not appear to want for anything in Middlebury.</p>

<p>The student body was more Grinnell than Wash U. More Colgate than either. Well-scrubbed outdoorsy counterculture prep kids, “trust-afarian” as some wag once described students of the type, mixed with full preps and the internationals and the need based scholarship kids. I’m not meaning to be critical, I’m trying to be descriptive. As those who have read my Grinnell comments will know, I felt more at home than my daughter did. I’m sticking with Colgate meets Grinnell. Not at all unappealing to me. I really thought the school was beautiful and the kids were engagingly different. Daughter was more unsure but willing to consider it.</p>

<p>Hamilton. We may have a disconnect here. The school was everything we could have wanted. Inspiring coach. Great and friendly team. Excellent facilities , though not on a par with Midd. Cute, far less touristy town. Not remote at all. (We both rolled with laughter when we saw Utica clearly out our window at the Bristol Center. Remote? Yeah, right.) The students were outstanding. Great mix of preps, and trustafarians, and New Yorkers, and scholarship kids, and internationals…you get the idea. Appeared to have a fair number of non-wealthy kids. Maybe even a couple of middle class kids. Happy kids. Proud kids, happy with their choice. Admissions and the bball girls and the coach made her feel special and wanted. Made it seem possible to attend.</p>

<p>Therein lies the rub. I think D really thinks that she could go there so she has adopted a hyper critical eye. Distance from her likely soph abode to the gym. Kirkland exteriors. Too many in-state kids. A wise realtor once told me that the person who buys our house won’t be the one oohing and aahhing over the beauty of the brickwork and the jewel -like colors of the walls. They’ll be the ones complaining that they don’t think they can live with that dishwasher and bemoaning the lack of a fully floored attic. She was right and I wonder if that is what is happening with my kid. She’s looking at how this college would “live” for 4 years. Any insight anyone? I’d be very pleased if it ended up as her choice. </p>

<p>Colgate. Goodness. Fairy-tale college. Most beautiful buildings, well put together. Uniformly excellent. Not Midd in setting, but much better planned out . (Midd and Ham are both kind of sprawling). Literally too good to be true. D was very impressed with the tour, loved the town, her interviewer , the kids she met and talked to. My what a lonely place to be if you didn’t fit in. I would insist that she overnight with her hypercritical glasses on so that she can be sure some of what I felt wasn’t accurate. (I felt that I was out of place. Watching my syntax. Checking my teeth for residual broccoli. Wishing I had worn nicer shoes to the club.) Darling D felt none of it. Thought the kids were the happiest, best adjusted she had seen. “Everybody just stopped and talked to me and exclaimed what a great place it was and how I should come here.” I was still checking my teeth for broccoli as we left.</p>

<p>Feel free to P.M. me with specific questions that you may have. I’ll do my best.</p>

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<p>Both of my daughters had a very favorable view of Hamilton. Our tour guide there, a young women who had just returned from a year abroad, was the most engaging, well-spoken, and real “kid” I have ever experienced on a college tour. I must admit it created a very favorable response from me as well.</p>

<p>We did not visit Midd or Colgate on out trip so they did not have those schools to compare. </p>

<p>My daughter, the one who is graduating this year, visited: Lewis & Clark, Albertson, Whitman, U of Puget Sound, Evevrgreen, Hamilton, Skidmore, Amherst, Brandies, Harvard and Haverford.</p>

<p>Pending an overnight, she plans to apply ED to Whitman. Haverford is #2 and Hamilton #3.</p>

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<p>Trustafarians? ROFL!!! Curm, you are a treasure… Are you sure you’re not single? (oh, wait a minute, I’m not :o)</p>

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<p>wyogal, LOL and thanks. After the last 48 hours a little boost is just what I needed. I’m all better now.;)</p>

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<p>Great review- but I expected no less from Cur! We visited Colgate with S in late March. I fell in love with it- it is my pick for my second college career. Did you get ice cream in the admissions office? S has been invited there for an official recruiting visit, so he gets to go back. I don’t think I was invited. Boo.</p>

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<p>My son liked Hamilton a lot. It was high on his list, regardless of selectivity. (At the time, 3 years ago, it was somewhat less selective than it is now.) He liked the natural beauty of the area plus the balance of emphasis between arts and sciences. They seemed to be putting a lot of emphasis on their newish curriculum and were trying to attract academically serious kids. </p>

<p>The students seemed like regular kids – friendly, outgoing, down to earth. They were confident and comfortable. </p>

<p>Hamilton had one of the best information sessions and on campus interviews of any of the schools we visited. The AdCom member who kept in touch with my son throughout the application process had a lot to do with his enthusiasm for the place. In the past three years there has been some seismic activity in the administration – a lot of shock and dismay – that may affect day to day life. This is something I’d look into.</p>

<p>We spent the night in Clinton which is a charming little village. If I remember correctly, however, there is nothing even remotely resembling a town within walking distance of Campus. Clinton is a long uphill slog which I think would be untenable in Winter. Hamilton made the Williams campus look like a metropolis.</p>

<p>

I’m told at Williams that the teams take “beauty breaks” during practice. They just stop and appreciate their surroundings. For my son being in a profoundly beautiful environment has been a major plus. We didn’t go to Middlebury, but Hamilton certainly falls into this category.</p>

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<p>cur, you poor old dog. Are you typing from the doghouse? </p>

<p>Tell the wife about recent research in England which set out to prove this thesis:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>(They couldn’t prove it but the theory has a certain appeal–if you happen to be a wife on a tear).</p>

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<p>Thanks for the great reviews. We visited both Middlebury and Hamilton, but in the summer, so it was hard for my D to get a handle on the campus atmosphere. Our guide at Middlebury was great – even offered to take us on a tour of the athletic facitilies which was not part of the original tour – but he said he had extra time. My D really liked Middlebury. The facilities are incredible! We did see a freshman dorm room that was smaller than some of the rooms we’ve seen at other schools – but still not bad. Curmudgeon, I really appreciate hearing about the student body and will share with D. This is one of her top choices - which she is considering for ED, but she really wants to do an overnight which they don’t do. You have to make your own arrangements, and we haven’t found anyone yet who goes. We visited Hamilton also. My D liked that as well, although not as much. The hideous Kirkland exteriors didn’t really bother her (I didn’t care for them though). Again, because it was summer it was hard to get a handle on the student body. I have heard the social life is rather drinking oriented and frat-centered. Asked the tour guide about this and she gave rather a round about avoidance answer, which I interpreted to mean yes. A definite drawback from Ds point of view.</p>

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<p>Curmudge–ever th ought of writing college guidebooks? I’m serious, this is great stuff!</p>

<p>PS – Boo to Middlebury, broke my heart when I was 17!</p>

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<p>Glad to see you back, curmudgeon. D and I both really like Hamilton, and had the same feeling of happy students when we visited. Yes, it is close to Utica, but did you see Utica? If D winds up attending Hamilton we’ll probably avoid Utica if possible. </p>

<p>And what happened to the extended cab? Curmudgeon in a minivan?</p>

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<p>Rental. R e n t a l. They wanted to give me a Towncar for my “compact” reservation. That would have looked really great in the financial aid parking lot, huh? I wanted a '67 Dart.</p>

<p>And somebody please comment on my reference to H, JF, and R so I don’t feel so “Top Forty” and almost 50 all at the same time. “Take my heart my soul my money…”</p>

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<p>Dont pull your love out on me honey…</p>

<p>Sorry, it’s been in my head since I read the title; should have mentioned it…:)</p>

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<p>Thank you, thank you, garland. I can sleep easier now.</p>

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<p>curmudgeon, I forget, is your daughter considering Kenyon? To me, Kenyon fits well with the Hamilton/Colgate/Williams/Dartmouth mix, but is not as “crunchy” as Middlebury or Grinnell.</p>

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<p>momrath, it would seem that Kenyon would be a “possible”, doesn’t it? But no, something didn’t click with her reviews of the school. Can’t say why. Don’t really understand it, especially considering one of my good friends is Kenyon’s alumni interviewer for this area, and D babysits for her, and mom serves on her volunteer board. Or maybe that’s it. Who knows? I haven’t pushed it.</p>

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<p>curmudgeon, Re Kenyon, I guess this is where the “any and no reason” rule applies. Maybe, you could slide it in as an additional application, to be visited later if the need arises. My memory may be fading over the past three years (or over the past three hours) but it seems to me that the campuses, philosophies and student bodies of Kenyon and Hamilton were quite similar.</p>

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<p>D looked at Kenyon a bit, but didn’t like that freshman are housed on one end of the campus while everyone else is at the other end.</p>

<p>Hmmm - cars to rent when you want financial aid. Where’s “Rent-A-Wreck” when you need them?</p>

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<p>Curmudge - Iwould think that instead of broccoli stuck in your teeth, it would be barbeque, or perhaps alfalfa sprouts in honor of the varying degrees of crunchiness!</p>

<p>Great reviews, the mountains have real attractions for us transplanted flatlanders who can remember when we lived on a slope.</p>

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<p>Curmudgeon,
I just hope you have more visits planned! From the sounds of it, our d’s are considering similar schools but, since my d is still a junior, I have the advantage of reading your reviews while she starts to get her list together. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts in such an informative and entertaining way. I look forward to reading future posts as your d winds her way through the application process. Good luck to her!
…Mum07</p>

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<p>curmudgeon - if your daughter does decide to apply to Kenyon as an additional application, you and she should be aware that the deadline for the applications for the large merit scholarships is about 6 weeks before the deadline to apply to the school itself. I think she would have a great chance for the “Science Scholarship” which pays half of tuition, I believe. Of course, if she would not want to attend the school because she doesn’t like it, there is no point even applying.</p>