<p>There are a lot of preppy white kids at Colgate. When I matriculated in 2005, I was in for a total culture shock. You will see a lot of ralph lauren and lacoste golf-type wear, and to suggest otherwise would be grossly misleading. However, you should know two things about 'gate. First, that despite the preppy stereotype, many of these people have a wide variety of interests and can be academically engaging. Of course, with every university, you will have the kids who seem to think a good college education = drinking yourself stupid on a regular basis. However, you will also find a lot of kids who like to go out and have fun who are not your typical frat-kids. Which brings me to my second point: there are a lot of different people on campus. We have a healthy contingent of International students (europeans, south asians, you name it). In addition, it will not be hard for you to find non-preppy american kids either (whether you feel at home with the sporty D1 athletes, science-geeks, or debate-nuts is up to you).</p>