<p>So I've narrowed my top three options down to Colgate, Bates and Hamilton.</p>
<p>Can anyone give me some insight as to which school is most prestigious/has the best academics/best social life/overall undergrad experience.</p>
<p>At the moment I plan on following some sort of premed track. As you can see, I like small liberal arts colleges, but I'm worried about going somewhere too preppy.</p>
<p>More info: Some of the other schools I visited and liked (but didn't end up applying to) were Bowdoin and Middlebury.
Some of the schools I visited and hated where Bucknell, Lehigh, and Vassar.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>bump.
Also, not into a huge greek scene.</p>
<p>colgate is probably the most well known, but its also the probably the preppiest, lots of frats, and most similar to bucknell which you hated.
hamilton and bates strike me as pretty similar, bates probably the most similar to midd and bowdoin.</p>
<p>thanks. anyone else?</p>
<p>I would consider Bates the most progressive educationally, and although preppy alittle more down to earth.</p>
<p>Hamilton and Bates are the less frat/party schools. However, Colgate and Hamilton are certainly equivalent in almost every aspect.</p>
<p>I think Colgate is the most well known of the three and would consider it a cross of Middlebury and Bucknell. I get the impression that Bates is more hippie, crunchie than Bowdoin, Middlebury, Colgate or Hamilton. Hamilton and Bates have a fair amount higher % coming from prep schools (~45%) than does Colgate (~34%).</p>
<p>thanks for the replies so far</p>
<p>Bates has no (and has never had) frats or soroities.</p>
<p>Bates</p>
<p>Colgate is the most preppy/ Greek of the 3. </p>
<p>Of the other two... Bates has no Greek scene; Hamilton has 29% of men in frats, fewer women in sororities. Hamilton is preppier. I think Hamilton has a higher percentage of student athletes. </p>
<p>Some other considerations... Hamilton is open-curriculum with few genl requirements. Bates has requirements, including an honors thesis, and has a 4-4-1 calendar.</p>
<p>Bates is definitely much more like Bowdoin and Midd. than Hamilton or Colgate.
Colgate's Greek scene is very popular on campus, and is generally more like Bucknell than either Hamilton or Bates.</p>
<p>thanks guys! keep'em coming...</p>
<p>Colgate's Greek scene has been de-emphasized in recent years compared to how it was in the last decade and by percentage probably isn't much higher than Hamilton (maybe 33% to 29%). Colgate is more like a junior Dartmouth without as smart of students.</p>