It is a little much to say the frats control Colgate…but they have too much power over the social scene and donor representation. The rural location of the college will feel like a trap as you find there is absolutely nothing to do besides drunken antics downtown, in a dorm, or at the Greek houses. You don’t like excessive drinking or partying to loud dance music? You can still make close friends but you won’t be as flexible in picking and choosing friends similar to you. I believe for certain majors as you get into upper years it gets better such as philosophy or mathematics while for others it gets worse such as every science major and economics.
In regards to rigor of academic work at Colgate, I speak for the chemistry department when I say grade deflation so excessive an independent firm privately informed them they were hurting students’ chances of entering medical and graduate school. Class grades are paper and test-based. Multiple choice questions almost do not exist.