Colgate vs. University of Rochester

College Search & Selection
1

I’ve recently looked at both of these schools and am convinced one of them is going to be my early decision school but I’m very torn on which it should be, I liked the town of Hamilton more than the city of Rochester but I liked the campus at Rochester a bit better. Other than those two things I really can’t decide which I liked more, the academics at both are incredible. Can someone try to persuade me either way please with a convincing argument please? I plan on studying either political science or biology but I’d like to keep my options open. What are the kids like at both? What is the general feel around campus? How cut-throat are either? Things like that…

Thank you.

2

Both are great schools. IMO the biggest difference is that one is a LAC and one is a mid-sized university. Do you have a preference?

3

@happy1 not especially, both had that liberal arts feel but in general I don’t have a preference…

4

There are big differences with respect to (1) athletics and (2) research. Now, you may not be an athlete, or even particularly interested in athletics. And as an undergraduate, you may not be overly concerned with a school’s research reputation. But you should still pay attention, because these factors tell you something about the “personality” of a given school.

Colgate takes athletics much more seriously than Rochester does. Colgate sponsors more varsity sports, offers athletic scholarships, and competes at the highest level (NCAA Division I). Rochester sponsors fewer sports, does not offer athletic scholarships, and competes at the lowest level (NCAA Division III).

Colgate (2900 undergrads) is a much smaller school than Rochester (6300 undergrads), yet Colgate sponsors more sports. So there are proportionately a lot more “jocks” at Colgate – according to the US Dept. of Education database, about 19% of Colgate undergrads are varsity athletes, which is a high value. And these are serious DI athletes, many of whom are getting athletic scholarships to help pay for school. The number for Rochester is only 9%, and they are DIII athletes, so they are just playing for fun.

Schools with a large presence of serious athletes tend to have strong Greek systems, a “work hard, play hard” attitude, and a reputation for partying. This includes Colgate, which is #10 on this list:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/uw-madison-top-party-school_us_57c09881e4b04193420f1b9c

Rochester, on the other hand, takes research much more seriously than Colgate does. Rochester issues more master’s and PhD degrees than bachelor’s degrees; Colgate has no grad students beyond a tiny master’s program in education. Rochester is a member of AAU (Association of American Universities), which is an exclusive “club” of the nation’s top research universities; faculty are expected to compete for major grants and do groundbreaking work. The standards for faculty research at Colgate are much lower; ideally they do something interesting that undergraduates can be involved in.

Both of these schools attract equally smart students and are great places to get an undergraduate education, but their “personalities” are different. At Colgate, their reputation for athletics is more important than their reputation for research; at Rochester, it’s the other way around. Colgate has better parties, Rochester has better laboratories. You have to figure out which is the better fit for you.

5

@Corbett I have no intention to party but when I visited both Colgate seemed more laid back but not in a bad way which i liked but Rochester seemed more intense, I don’t really like the party scene but on the other hand I could see how the constant academics could become stressful…

6

Not trying to push you one way or the other. Just pointing out that Colgate has a reputation for partying, and that Rochester does not. It’s a difference to be aware of.

Two of Colgate’s peer schools in the Patriot League also made the Princeton Review list of Top Party schools for 2017: Lehigh at #4, and Bucknell at #5.

7

@Corbett I’m the least athletic person ever, I have no interest in sports whatsoever besides the occasional work out so leagues and stuff don’t matter to me but thank you anyways, I’m leaning slightly towards U of R rn, especially since my chances are probably a lot better for U of R

8

If possible, arrange overnight visits to both of these schools.

In terms of Colgate, their town received recognition as one of America’s friendliest by Fobes:

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/morganbrennan/2012/12/19/americas-friendliest-towns/&refURL=http://www.google.com/&referrer=http://www.google.com/

And . . . their economics faculty (related to political science) appears notable for their research and scholarship:

https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html

The above said, either of these colleges could be excellent for you.

9

Another way to evaluate Colgate is to recognize that its D1 athletics, the staff and facilities that support its athetics
ambitions, carry over into students’ daily life, whether they engage in them or maybe intramural or club sports, as well as into the spirit that Colgate instills in its alumni. Which means that athletics and related traditions are very important at Colgate, and that they add vibrancy to the place.

Now about its undergraduate focus on the liberal arts (including its decades old core curriculum), Colgate is rightly
proud of its achievements. And no one on the faculty of either school would sensibly compare their quality so generally, a point raised earlier that I simply won’t accept.

If I were applying to both I would evaluate the programs that might suit me as well as those career and professional
outcomes. The colgate.edu site offers a lot of detailed information about how Colgate excels for so many.

Best of luck with your college search!