Colgate or Hamilton?

College Search & Selection
21

The OP has probably made a decision by now. But I think both schools are prestigious enough that a comparison of the two on the grounds of which is more prestigious is really splitting hairs.

Another question is where the OP, or future students reading this thread for a comparison, would “fit” better-- which school is more attractive based on attributes that each potential student values?

Our family visited and loved both schools. We are at an earlier stage in the college search process.

Colgate: such a beautiful campus, several students reached out to us to share their experiences and answer questions, real sense of community and traditions, pride in alumni connections that help students transition to world of work, core curriculum classes, residential Fraternities, relatively large population for a small liberal arts school. Our concerns about Greek life were allayed by experiences of students who spoke with us, some of whom were not in a frat but were happy socially anyway. Students seemed uncommonly beautiful in appearance, an odd thing that all three of us noticed.

Hamilton: a very special place, so warm and welcoming, students very engaged in learning and discussions of ideas (notable even in the dining hall and passing by students on the paths), nonresidential frats seem less of a presence. Interesting architectural diversity of the so-called dark and light sides of campus was reflected in the student body as well-- seemingly a mix of sporty and artsy, science-oriented and humanities-oriented, etc. A small population. The personal, individualized approach of the admissions office staff and student volunteers reinforced that this is a really “friendly” college. The open curriculum is one of the country’s few (they state that just Amherst, Brown, Grinnell, Hamilton, and Smith are completely open curriculum schools).

Both are great schools, among the nicest we have visited, and we have visited a lot of great schools. I can see different applicants finding either preferable to the other, depending on which attributes are most important to them.

My guess from reading the OP’s post is that she would go for Hamilton… wonder if she will check back in and let us know!

22

Agree, would be great to hear OP’s decision as it’s a great choice to have.

@TheGreyKing, we too had toured every competitive school and agree that both have two of the nicest campuses with Middelbury’s being a favorite as well. Our twin DD’s, one a STEM student and the other a poli sci/IR student-athlete decided that both the academic rigor, the campus setting, the diversity and the incredibly warm environment at Hamilton was the right fit for the both of them. Good luck on the rest of your child’s journey.

23

For 2 schools so close in proximity, their appeal is remarkably different. Brick versus stone (and concrete). Views of town vs. views of hills. Business vs. artistic. Patriot vs. NESCAC. It’s hard to believe there are too many who struggle with the choice of this thread, as I would think you see yourself as either one or the other. We went to visit Colgate, and fell in love with Hamilton.

Only after being accepted EDI elsewhere did my daughter share with anyone that Hamilton would have been her ED II school. The original choice was a coin flip. When she was no longer worried about “her spot” at Hamilton, she told one friend in particular that they should consider the school. WIthout ever seeing it, he applied. He visited, interviewed, changed his app to ED II, and was accepted. It is the only person in her class that she feels the least bit of jealousy toward…but looks forward to visiting.

Colgate and Hamilton are great schools. They both exist because different things appeal to different people.

24

OP, for what it’s worth, I’d definitely pick Colgate, Their dedication to underprivileged students and to sports programs keeps their statistics averages down, but it creates a more full atmosphere and learning environment. Colgate’s alumni network and reputation will serve you well all over the country, in any profession. Ask around among professionals who are age 40+, as that is who will be hiring you in 4 years. Ask graduate school admission offices. Unless you really feel like you don’t fit at a school, which happened to me at the most prestigious school to which I was accepted, I would tend to choose the school with the best nationwide reputation. The school will sit prominently on your resume for many years. (Of course, a particular major at a school known for that specialty or a free ride by way of financial aid would factor in to this decision). That’s just me . . . but for me, finances made the final choice (which sadly wasn’t Colgate).

25

Gee, shame that Colgate doesn’t have the benefit of your presence…

26

@PNW Not really sure how you can assume that I don’t have friends at Colgate who would acknowledge that Colgate isn’t in the same tier as an Ivy. Also the sneer remark you made about confusing my friends as Hamilton students rather than Colgate students makes no sense when Hamilton has slightly higher admissions statistics and lower acceptance rate than Colgate. How have you quantified that plenty of Colgate kids are valedictorians but there aren’t many at Hamilton? Also, Hamilton and Colgate have similar reputations in the tri-state area, and Hamilton certainly isn’t a step down from Colgate in terms of reputation, so I am not sure where you are coming from. Hamilton College has extremely good connections in NYC.

“Hamilton is a great school. But it ain’t in the same league as Colgate.” This statement is laughable because Hamilton and Colgate are nearly identical in terms of rankings, reputation, prestige, student body, etc. When someone mentions either Hamilton or Colgate, the other one always comes up. The only difference between Hamilton and Colgate is D1 athletics at Colgate and stronger Greek life presence on campus.

Isn’t it saying something that many people disagree with your preposterous claims that Colgate is miles ahead of Hamilton and in the same league as Ivy and top 20 schools?

27

Both are great schools. I have no connection to either one. Personally, I’d prefer Hamilton and also believe that Hamilton is slightly more prestigious. But it’s quite close and others could – and I am sure do – feel the reverse. The comment “Hamilton is a great school. But it ain’t in the same league as Colgate.” is totally meritless and shows a lack of knowledge, unless by “league” the person who said that was referring to Patriot League vs. NESCAC, which obviously was not the context of the statement. Simply put, both are fine and very different schools.

28

Does anyone else think of toothpaste when they see Colgate? One of those things that I just can’t get out of my head.

29

Yes, Colgate does remind me of toothpaste. I think the same family invested in both at one time, but that may just be a rumor. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. New rankings come out annually, but traditional reputations are tough to overcome. I stick with my statements, and for me, all things being equal, Colgate is in a different league from Hamilton on a national level. In the tri-state area, either is fine, I’m sure. This is the opinion of 40-60 year olds across the country. At the end of the day, the OP will choose whatever he or she wants. If he or she where my friend, i’d share the common perception, because the hiring committee doesn’t look at the US News rankings. Sorry.

30

In my circle, Colgate is not considered more prestigious than Hamilton, and Hamilton certainly is not “several steps down” from Colgate. That is utter nonsense (or more likely, wishful thinking).

Naviance indicates that it is a bit easier to get into Colgate from my kids’ school than it is to get into Hamilton (but they are close, and the sample sizes are small).

(For the record, I have no connection to Hamilton and many connections to Colgate).

They do have different vibes. Colgate is business/economics heavy and dominated by fraternities and a party culture, and it sends a lot of people into money fields like banking. It is like a northern version of Washington & Lee. Hamilton is more into humanities and heavy on writing skills, and sends a lot of people on to get PhDs or into journalism, things like that.

I would think that a person who was accepted to both would be able to choose fairly easily which fit them better.

31

@ThankYouforHelp, agree that Colgate is generally easier to get into for those in the tri-state area.

@PNW, not certain if you saw the posting from @merc81, but Hamilton was considered a top-15 school, including of all universities and colleges, in the 1960’s and I have shown the USNWR rankings from the 80’s through today and its always been a top-20 LAC.

32

@PNW The average person outside of the tri state area and Patriot league schools doesn’t know Colgate, and Colgate doesn’t have a national reputation. And people of importance, such as employers, who do know Colgate outside the tri state area, view Hamilton in similar regards to Colgate. Your statements aren’t opinions. They are just plain ignorant and blatant lies.

Anyways, I am done. I have a better chance of wining the mega ball than winning an argument with a fool

33

@Chembiodad I actually live in San Francisco, but the point holds true. Colgate is a very good school, and so is Hamilton, and anyone trying to say that either one is “several levels” higher than the other is just kidding themselves.

34

I think most are in agreement that this thread has gone on long enough - I’m done. Both are great schools - well done to those that are alums or current students, and for those that are prospective students while the schools are both ranked #12 and are only 45 minutes apart they have very different vibe so something for everyone.

35

@PNW you keep talking about Colgate’s “nationwide reputation”. No offense, but most American’s think of toothpaste when they think of Colgate.

We visited both, but didn’t tour. When I saw Colgate I said, “wow”. It was beautiful. Then we drove to Hamilton and I said, “WOWOWOWOWOWOW!” Both are great schools. No need to knock Hamilton.

36

I found this interesting. @PNW posted this link on another thread, but omitted it here where it would have conflicted with his statements:

Ten Expensive Colleges Worth Every Penny (Forbes)

https://m.forbes.com/sites/nataliesportelli/2017/04/26/10-expensive-colleges-worth-every-penny-2017/?c=1&s=OnCampus

37

The Ten Schools

  1. Amherst
  2. Dartmouth
  3. Williams
  4. UChicago
  5. Tufts
  6. Colgate
  7. UPenn
  8. Columbia
  9. Hamilton
  10. Vassar
38

Kids in college-application mode would know that acceptances were due a few days ago, so the OP has already made a decision, and this site is not for his or her benefit any longer. IMHO, Colgate has a far better nationwide reputation, and all things being equal, I’d choose Colgate. All things are rarely equal, though. On another note, it’s weird to me that there are so many non-college-bound people posting on College Confidential. I had no idea there were so many people with agendas related to college (like college administrators) and helicopter parents who think college-bound teens can’t make their own decisions. Jeesh. Someone told me that most stuff posted here is from adults who find the time and energy to be on this college info site, and that seems to be true. Someone told me it’s a lot of biased alums and school officials. I didn’t realize it wasn’t just for high schoolers and college kids to share opinions. Since I don’t have that kind of bias, and I am not heading to either school, I’m bowing out of this discussion.

39

Wow, my irony meter just exploded!

40

Neither school is known nationally or internationally,

They are academic peers with different social vibes. Both are in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York. One is in a town with the same name as the other.

Any decision between them should probably take cost (obviously), differences in majors/courses offered, and social vibe into account.

Hamilton offers (almost) an open curriculum. That might be another deciding factor.

But to say that one is tiers above the other is asinine. It would take an actual cheerleader to say and believe that.