Hi all, I am writing this long post as a Conn student surprised that there was almost nothing about my school on this site. Here are my thoughts on Conn, a great school that honestly kind of gets drowned out when compared to other NESCAC schools.
Pros:
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Connections: Honestly, I think this is the reason to choose Conn over other LACs, the ability to specialize with a center of study within your major is unique and rewarding. If you are a driven student, the Connections Program really supports you in actually getting something out of your undergraduate education. Unlike any liberal arts school it actually encourages you to work across departments to fully formulate your final capstone. The professors (who are fantastic by the way) know that and actively connect you with people around campus to make your ideas come about.
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People on campus are very friendly: I’d say because of the school’s relatively lower selectivity when compared to other NESCAC schools the students here care about academics but not to the extent that it defines them. Classes here are rewarding but not everything which I love.
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The music scene: One of our most active clubs on campus is MOBROC, a student band association and there are probably a dozen live events throughout the semester in and outside of New London.
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The Campus: I mean it’s just gorgeous, an absurd amount of green space, the arboretum being right across the street from campus is awesome to go on walks with friends and get away from campus. It is actually massive, and you could hike around it all day. Only the true camels know Conn actually has an island. Also, all the soccer games are played in the middle of the green on campus which I wish was the norm for other LACs. It is so fun to just watch a game by walking right outside your dorm.
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Merit Aid: Conn is really trying to attract more qualified students (even though there are plenty of smarties here unfortunately the higher ranked schools draw in more with their prestige). Almost no one here pays full price, it is just a ploy so they look more prestigious (no LAC is worth 80k a year even if you can afford it).
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Campus Identity: Conn is weird when it comes to that. People like it here, but they are not so hoo-rah about it. The student newspaper actively critiques admin all the time, all the students organized beautifully last year against our administration that was prioritizing $$$ over people. It is a complicated thing because it seems a lot of students bond organizing against the institution, but this honestly is reflective of issues across higher ed.
Cons:
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Financial Aid: Putting this first because it needs to be online somewhere. Our financial aid office can be borderline predatory. I know multiple people who have had to consider transferring because their financial aid package changed year to year after unexpected family matters.
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Demographics: We are a NESCAC so we are rich and white, which brings all the problems you expect. Some very disconnected students, but plenty of down to earth folks as well. I do not know if this is specific to Conn but there are a LOT of folks from MA and CT (like 40%) because Conn attracts a lot of regional private school kids. While this is evident walking around campus with the preppy vibes, I visited plenty of other NESCACS and it is similar to others, just a bit more visibly preppy. While everyone is nice and the preppiness is not invasive in any way, you can find people. I will say Conn is definitely less politically active than some other NESCAC schools.
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Location: You can get to NY, Boston, or Providence but to be honest at a LAC you will mostly be on campus going to events or hanging out with friends unless you are directly in a big metro area. The whole location marketing is kind of BS, just figure out how far from home you want to be. I will say Conn’s campus is completely outside of New London. YOU CANNOT WALK TO TOWN no matter what is implied. This is partially good because the campus feels very safe at night (at least when it comes to random people strolling through campus). New London is actually really much cooler than I expected, fantastic food, a few cute shops, antiques, etc. and is quite pretty. Definitely a quirky depressed mill town like Lewiston. Unlike more secluded NESCAC schools, however, there are actually towns around worth driving to if need be.
Overall thoughts: I had to decide on a college during the height of the pandemic meaning I could not visit most of the schools I applied to. After choosing Conn over schools like Bates, Skidmore, and Brandeis I wish I had a post like this. I chose Conn because I was looking for an academically supportive LAC closer to home with outdoor space. Conn checks all those boxes, but I did have to compromise with the more outdoorsy part of me which wanted Bates over the academic part of me which loves Connections and I do not regret it as we have a decent but not defining outdoorsy population. What I am trying to say is go with what is best for you, financially, socially, and academically. If you get there and it stinks, transfer out. Don’t think too hard about prestige because once you sit down for your first lecture no one cares where you did and did not get into. Go Camels!
I’ll be watching this post for a while before getting back to class so leave any questions bellow and I will try my best.