Colgate vs CMC vs NYU vs Trinity(Conn)

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I have just been admitted by these 4 schools : Colgate,Claremont McKenna,NYU LSP(liberal core) and Trinity College. I have also been waitlisted at UChicago,which was my first choice, Wesleyan,Vandy and Northwestern.I haven't heard from Swat yet, which seems great! I am an international student and money is not an issue for me. Unfortunately, I cannot visit as I live literally on the other side of the world ;) and I really need your opinions. I want to major in economics and possibly minor in English or/and politics.
I have been living in huge cities, so I guess it will be soooo hard for me to move somewhere rural. On the other hand,I do want typical college campus experience. Also, I am not completely against partying and drinking, but I don't want it to be too dominant. I'd rather want guys who love to go to a cafe and talk.
I like seasons, so I am not completely sure that I like Cali weather.
Oh, another important thing.I decided to apply to the US this december, so it was impossible for me to take both SAT and SAT subjects; therefore, I was not able to apply to the school that I feel is right for me, which is Brown. Well, I obviously cannot say that I will necessarily try to transfer there, but there is a possibility.
So, guys, I'd really appreciate all of your comments!</p>

<p>I would be happy to talk about Colgate provided you were to offer more insight about yourself (e.g. why Brown?) and/or you posed some specific questions from your research of the colgate.edu site or other sources.</p>

<p>Good luck with your search!</p>

<p>Sure!
Brown and UChicago seem a bit similar to me. They both both provide great city opportunities and have great campuses. Besides, I like the idea of core cirriculum at UChicago and the flexibility at Brown.I like to explore a lot of areas before deciding on a major. Good foreign language department is also important.
I’m not like really outgoing and sociable,but I obviously like to make friends, sometimes drink(I’m from Russia haha) and go to the movies.
I like tennis a lot.I am not sure I’d like to commit myself to a team, but I adore playing and I want to spend a lot of time playing it while in college. I also like gym,so I want college to have great fitness facilities.
I really don’t know what else to say.
So, basically what would you recommend in terms of academics(esp. economics department)?social life?
Do you think it would be harder to transfer let’s say from NYU that from CMC or Colgate?
How are people there? I have a major problem at my pre-university school right now as the majority of people are not motivated at all. They do not study at all and spend all their time drinking and partying. Like not once/twice a week,but every single day!</p>

<p>Thanks for giving that background which will allow me to respond to your areas of interest. Please bear in mind that I am an alumnus and so not engaged in course work in the economics department. That said, I am sure that you can find course listings in that department with their descriptions and prerequisites. The Admissions Office, no doubt, would be happy to put you in contact with faculty and students in any academic department as well.</p>

<p>Firstly, Colgate is in rural Hamilton, NY, a world away from the distractions- good and not so good- of a big city. The community of 2850 students, 280 faculty, staff and the townspeople numbering roughly 3000 are a tight knit and rather self-contained unit. Think of the quintessential college town with several bars, restaurants, an old fashioned inn, 2 theaters, art galleries, and a large bookstore belonging to Colgate about 5 minutes from a gorgeous campus- and you have the vision. Transportation around town to the campus and its famed Hill are on the free campus cruisers which also takes you to the large supermarket another couple of minutes from town northward.</p>

<p>Nearby colleges and their towns are Hamilton College in Clinton 25 minutes away, Syracuse University 45 minutes away, and Cornell in Ithaca 90 minutes away. The region is beautiful in fall, spring and summer while winter can be cold and snowy; Colgate is at the geographic center of NY state.</p>

<p>About fitness, Colgate has superb facilities as you can see on gocolgateraiders.com including the Trudy center for the entire Colgate community. It’s 15000 square feet in size, was opened last year, and is heavily used. The varsity athletes also have a performance center which meets their training needs of over 9000 square feet. It was relocated last year in a renovated space cleared by the earlier fitness center. The space vacated by the performance center is given to dance and other uses. Colgate also has 9 tennis courts and several squash and racquetball courts for club sports (sub-varsity level) and intramural usage. These facilities and programs are most generous when you consider their scope and the size of the community.</p>

<p>About the core curriculum which you admire at Chicago and the freedom of Brown, I would think that the offerings of Colgate give you what you seek. Go ahead and read about the Core at the colgate.edu website alongside the requirements for majors, expectations for off campus study, and other courses of your interests. </p>

<p>Now about transferring… I sincerely doubt that anyone matriculates at Colgate with the intention of transferring elsewhere. You should enroll somewhere that suits you and get vested in the place as soon as possible. It’s up to you to show commitment to your class and your coursework and most importantly to be true to yourself. Should you realize after first semester that somehow you have made a terrible mistake, well, that would be a shame, wouldn’t it? Then you would be obliged to transfer and restart your college experience.</p>

<p>Good luck with your selection!</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate it.
Yeah, I’ve read everything about core curriculum at Colgate. That was one of the main reasons why I applied. I didn’t know about fitness center though, it sounds amazing!
I have already said that I see transfer as a possibility. I just find it unfair that I did not even have a chance to apply to a place I really want. Obviously, if I fall in love with my college now I won’t even consider transferring.
Did you feel secluded in any way?Is Hamilton enough for you/most students? What is the best way to get to major airports such as Boston or preferably NYC(I have a direct flight to NYC)?</p>

<p>About the small town environment and your concern about being isolated in it, well, this is a subjective matter. For me it was an absolute positive- unique, convenient, safe, idyllic, warm, charming and sincere are the words that come to mind. The vibe of Colgate and the town of Hamilton, nonetheless, is a busy one given the range of activities available that complement the university’s focus on scholarship. You can be very busy indeed! So you will have to take advice from others as well. Check out the website’s daily calendar to see what’s on. And remember that you can live in a city anytime.</p>

<p>About transportation to distant locations, most students use Syracuse airport to connect to flights out of JFK, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC etc. But if your destination is NYC you might as well take a commercial bus service straight from campus or the Amtrak train from Utica, about 40 minutes away.</p>

<p>Good luck with your questions!</p>

<p>abnk599: We are from the Los Angeles area and my son goes to Colgate. He LOVES Hamilton! He says it’s the perfect college town. I remember when he was considering going to Colgate, I asked an alum, “But what about that town? It’s so small – what does everybody DO?” and he replied, “You are 3,000 people who are infinitely more interesting than in any town anywhere. If you can’t find something to do, you’re in a sad state of affairs.” And you know what, according to my son, he was right! I have not been to Trinity but I have been to NYU and CMC and, at least to me, those don’t have the warm, fuzzy college feel that Colgate does.</p>