Hi guys! I’m deciding between a few LAC’s and Hamilton is definitely at the top of my list. However, I was always only interested in schools that didn’t have Greek Life because I was afraid they’d make the campus exclusive and a majority of people would be in them and make everyone else feel left out. Plus I was worried that if you weren’t in a frat or sorority, you wouldn’t be able to go to parties or have a social life. Can anyone shed light on how Greek Life functions within Hamilton? I love the school and really want to commit but I’m concerned that with such a small enrollment size, everyone will be pressured to jump on the bandwagon to fit in. Sidenote: i plan on joining an acapella group/improv or theatre so do those groups function as a kind of alternative to classic Greek Life “cliques”? Thanks so much for all responses!
@deemech4, the number of people who participate in Greek Life is relatively small. According to U.S. News, only 26% of men are in a Fraternity and 16% of women. If you go to the Hamilton website, they list all the Greek Organizations. So, I think it is a connector for some on campus, but not all. There are descriptions of each of the organizations too, which might help you. My D really likes Hamilton and Greek Life on a small campus always surprises me, but there are no houses and it does not seem like a huge draw as I see it on other campuses.
@deemech4 My D (current sophomore) would say that acapella groups are a bigger deal on campus than Greek Life, haha. In her view, the Greek organizations are just like any other club - some join, most don’t. She’s got one guy friend who joined a fraternity because he hopes to get some later career networking value out of it, but he doesn’t really hang out with them much. They definitely do not have any kind of lock on the social life at Hamilton - no one group does, really. The school is too much of a crazy quilt of different types - which is one of the things she loves about it.
We are looking forward to visiting the campus. We saw it last summer, but excited to check it out while the students are there. Thanks for the information re: Greek life. I had wondered about it too.
Much like quarks, Hamilton’s campus comes in different flavors (dark, light, grey). By choosing where to eat and live, you will be able to influence your social connections in a way not directly comparable to other small colleges.