Hamilton College Class of '22 ED1 Jan Admit

I agree that Hamilton isn’t materially different from its peers in terms of the number or percentage of affluent students. What concerned me more was that the student’s statement re FA felt a little tone deaf to me, ala “let them eat cake.”

I would bet my hat the writer isn’t on financial aid. If so she might have recognized that least some of the students doing something that doesn’t require tuition in the fall will graduate off schedule, and that in order for Jan admits on FA to do the London program they had to take out private loans.

The student’s main point, that Jan admits should not be considered inferior to fall admits stands. Nor would I debate that once they arrive on campus the Jans blend in well and become happy members of the Hamilton community.

My original issue was with Hamilton’s assertion that it’s fully need blind when 1/5 of the class is entering under a need aware category.

@4junior, agree on Amherst having a level of diversity that is a model for all with a 43% Caucasian student population.

That said, Hamilton is down the middle for a highly selective LAC, as profiled by the NCES, at 64% - Amherst (43%), Bates (70%), Bowdoin (64%), Carleton (62%), Colgate (66%), Davidson (67%), Middlebury (64%), Vassar (58%), Washington and Lee (83%), Wesleyan (55%), Williams (53%).

@Sue22, 1/5 is a mistatememt. The Class of 2021 facts are as follows - total enrollment is 482, January admissions were 45 = 9.3%. If you are adding in International Students at and Tansfers, then yes that would equal about 20% - there are only 5 universities or LAC’s that are need blind for International Students.

I was surprised that Hamilton only has 80 African American students among the entire student population, according to the CDS. When we visited a few years back, they talked quite a bit about actively recruiting diversity, so I would have expected a higher number, but perhaps with the Posse program the number will increase.

@Chembiodad To clarify my comment, I was stating that I think Hamilton has a good amount of socioeconomic diversity. I was also speaking specifically about socioeconomic diversity (vs racial) as a response to the earlier post. While they often go in tandem I don’t think it’s fair to assume that they do. One of the things I find interesting about D’s current school is that they make a concentrated effort to decouple that mindset- having financial aid caucasians and wealthy people of color. I can say with honesty that D does not look at skin color and assume affluence or lack thereof, and I give her lower school population credit for that.

@Chembiodad : I think to arrive at the representative percentage, the Jans would need to be added to the fall-admits first. Therefore, 8.5% (45 of 527) of Hamilton first-years would be comprised of Jans.

@merc81, you are correct.

Yes, the commitment to socioeconomic diversity is real and self-evident;
Questbridge- only 40 universities and LAC’s participate, Hamilton does
Posse - only 56 participate, Hamilton does

NCES has excellent need student aid data for entering Freshman - Hamilton (61%), Bates (50%), Colby (48%), Colgate (56%), Haverford (57%), Middlebury (50%), Vassar (outstanding at 77%), Wesleyan (53%).

@wisteria100, let’s look at the demographic picture more broadly as yes Hamilton has a larger African American population than most similar highly selective LAC’s , but yes there is much more work to do by all with both racial/ethnic amd socioeconomic diversity.

As provided by NCES, Hamilton is 8% African American - others are, Amherst (12%), (Bates (6%), Bowdoin (6%), Carleton (4%), Colgate (5%), Colby (4%), Davidson (7%), Middlebury (3%), (Swarthmore (7%), Vassar (4%), Washington and Lee (2%), Wesleyan (7%), Williams (7%)

@Chembiodad I was looking at data from the CDS, which shows actual students. From the latest data sets available the number of African American students on campus are reported as

Wesleyan 212
Amherst. 209
Williams 153
Bowdoin 110
Swat 106
Middlebury 105
Bates 86
Hamilton 80
Colby 49

Slightly off topic, but how’s your D’s track season going?

@wisteria100, actually I misspoke as Hamilton is 4% per NCES (I picked up the Latino 8% instead). Hamilton reported 6% for the Class of 2021 in its student profile. That said, it depends on how multi-racial and unknown is counted as unknown is 5% at Hamilton.

Indoor Season hasn’t gone well yet as she fell on an icy step on campus in early January and suffered a really bad bone bruise - going through ultrasound treatments by school’s trainer, who are excellent by the way - thx for asking.

^ I wish her well.

Thx. It’s a tough injury - right where fibula meets knee.

Go Eagles! Would have been great to see Carson Wentz go up against Brady.

“there are only 5 universities or LAC’s that are need blind for International Students”

@Chembiodad, aren’t most schools need blind for all applicants? Did you mean that just a handful meet full need for Internationals?

Only 5 are need blind for international applicants, Yes, there are more that meet demonstrated need for international students once accepted - but it can be circular.

I think the latest count is that there are only six schools that are need blind for international applicants AND meet 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students.

Amherst
Harvard
MIT
Minerva Schools at KGI
Princeton
Yale

Accepted Students Day sealed the deal for my son. He’s chosen Hamilton and will go to London in the Fall.

@123France Congrats! Welcome to the Continental family! He’ll love Hamilton.

Thanks, Trixy34! We’re looking forward to the next four years.