<p>One of the concerns my daughter has about accepting her invite to Hamilton is the fact that Hamilton is essentially in the middle of nowhere. I was just wondering if some Hamilton people might comment on their experience living in a very rural area in a very small town?</p>
<p>I am not a 'Hamilton person' but my D has also been accepted, and is considering Hamilton among several other strong schools. We have been to Hamilton several times. It is about 20 mins from Utica, NY--a small city in central NY. I don't know a lot about Utica, except that it on the NYS Thruway and is pretty easy to get to from Hamilton. And I would say Hamilton is about an hour+ from Syracuse, NY--the nearest large city and major airport. The town of Clinton is actually a very clean and well-maintained little place--a quaint small college town with all the basic services and shops, etc. I personally am not that concerned about the rural nature of the place. I guess it just depends on the student. Some will feel perfectly fine at a more rural place like Hamilton. But if they need a big dynamic city close at hand with a lot of nightlife and shopping, etc, then maybe Hamilton is not the place. But as a small, rural, college town I feel that it is a great choice and could make an excellent 4 year home away from home. I wouldn't really consider it "isolated" at all.</p>
<p>A while back this thread generated alot of information about Hamilton and the town of Clinton, maybe you will find it useful:</p>
<p>Thanks for the comments and the link--very helpful---I did read quite a bit of current student evaluations and most feel that the school is academically strong, but that drinking has become a way for kids to make it through the long winter. They also expressed concern about the school being a place for smart, wealthy, suburban kids from prep schools who couldn't get into an Ivy. They cited the lack of diversity on campus. Anyway, I guess my daughter will do an overnight up there and make up her mind.</p>
<p>happygolucky-
Thank for posting a link to my thread on the parent's forum. I think one can find a great deal of information there; I know it help me.</p>
<p>My daughter will be attending Hamilton in the fall and is from the south. She will be in for a bit of a surprise when the weather gets cold, but she is ready. She recently spent a weekend at Hamilton staying in the dorms. The school is everything she thought it was and maybe more. She is very excited to be going there in the fall.</p>
<p>While Hamilton might be in the middle of nowhere, it is not far from other cities. Colgate is only 25 minutes away, and there is shopping, movies, and restaurants within 20 minutes. </p>
<p>I would recommend an overnight if you have the time. If your daughter can go and stay with a student, I believe that would help her out a lot.</p>
<p>Life on the Hill can be a bit isolating, especially for freshmen. Freshman year has got the be the most difficult year for college students. I'm currently a freshman here at Hamilton and I can tell you that there has been snow from the month of November on through late March. The temperature outside during that time has been as low was -15F. However, January is one of the brutal months here in terms of both snow and temperature, but fortunately for most students, we get to go home. </p>
<p>About isolation: Hamilton College is located in Clinton, NY. It is a small rural community or village with not much to do. Freshman are not allowed to have cars on campus which makes leaving the college a bit difficult. There is a jitney that runs from campus to town and the mall, but that's every hour and it gets packed pretty quick. Some exceptions are made for certain freshman to have cars, but the chances are very low. Most of the social life will occur on campus, and yes some students are very open and down to earth. Some. Life for a lot students here can be isolating, but if you meet nice people who care about you, it will more than make up for it. </p>
<p>I can tell you one thing: You will not see anyone on campus from December on through April. The bad weather coupled with lots of work tends to make most students stay indoors. It is only now (as in today now) that most students are actually out on campus playing catch, baseball, frisbee, etc. It's cool to see this type of environment and social life, but blows that it has to happen only during the last month of the year. Most freshmen get turned off from the dead-beat social life that is Hamilton College and want to transfer. I wont lie to you, I am one of them (or at least I was during the very beginning of the school year). However, the very nice weather that we've been having now makes students think twice about leaving. Too bad it has to occur at the end of the year. </p>
<p>Colgate is more like 45 mins away as is Syracuse. </p>
<p>Utica is an economically depressed city. It used to be booming back in the 60s and 70s but kinda went down hill during the mid 80s. There is a lot of poverty in Utica, but there are also some people who are helping the poor (my lawyer comes to mind). Hamilton College students do engage in community service and service learning that occurs in Utica and it tends to open the eyes of some of the well-to-do students here. </p>
<p>The good news is you only have to deal with not having a car freshman year. After that, you can have a car and go wherever you want. Just make sure you're not intoxicated or on drugs. Also make sure no one with you is on drugs either. The cops in Clinton don't really put up with that crap and they shouldn't have to. </p>
<p>Hamilton does have a lot of wealthy and preppy students. Diversity here, in however terms you define it, could be better. If your daughter is open to meetting all types of people, she will be fine. </p>
<p>I hope your daughter enjoys Hamilton College.</p>