<p>I have searched the current, as well as the old CC boards and still have not found much information about Hamilton College. I do not know anyone with a child that attends Hamilton, but my daughter is still certain that this is where she would like to attend college. I am all ears; tell me everything you know about the academics, the social scene, housing, etc.. She has visited the campus and spent a few hours there, but is that really enough time to know a school?</p>
<p>I have not heard as much about Hamilton College since I moved out of Westchester county in NY. It was a very HOT school there and my friend who lives there tells me it is still the case. Kids who are looking into LACs in the North east look at what we called the "little ivies" which we listed as Amherst, Williams, Wesleyan, Swarthmore, Haverford, the 3 Maine schools-Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Tufts (though that is not a LAC). Then there was the next group of Hamilton, Trinity, Union, Bucknell, Colgate, Vassar, the women's colleges, Lafayette, Lehigh (not all true LACs).</p>
<p>I should have mentioned that we do not live in the North which is why most people her do not know about Hamilton.</p>
<p>Tiny, tiny town. More snow than you can imagine....<a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Hamilton-New-York.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.city-data.com/city/Hamilton-New-York.html</a></p>
<p>pokey318, my son was interested in Hamilton. We visited and spent the night in nearby Clinton. The positives were that it is full of bright, lively, engaged students. They appeared to be extroverted and physically active. My son's special interests which are art and art history seemed to be favorably addressed though the school is probably better known for science and social studies. The campus is expansive and in an area of great natural beauty. The administration and faculty appeared to be accessible and thoughtful. A stroll through the on-line course catalog will demonstate their commitment to intellectual challenge.</p>
<p>A quirky plus: They have a study-abroad program in Antarctica!</p>
<p>The negatives: It is really isolated. (My son ended up at Williams which is also rural, but in comparison, at Williams you have access to a village. At Hamilton it's a long, long walk to civilization.) It is really white. (This can be said of most LACs, especially the rural ones. They've targeted diversity but have difficulty attracting minorities.) The longtime president departed under dubious circumstances involving plagiarism in a speech. The new president has been involved in controversial issues involving hiring a former radical leftist. It is very cold and snowy so unless you're keen on winter sports it's going to be a long winter. (This applies to many NE schools. For my son it turned out to be a plus, but not good for hibernators.)</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I can't remember the details, but my daughter was satisfied after the day we spent there that she'd have something to do in the winter besides winter sports. We were very impressed with the fact that humanities students get to do research projects with the professors. The bookstore had a section with books written by faculty members which was very interesting; we even bought a few of the books. As in some of the other schools we visited, we liked the fact that the athletic kids go to concerts if they're friendly with musicians and vice versa. Some of the private organizations (maybe it was frats and sororities) reserve public spaces for events and parties; when they do, the event is open to everyone on campus. We visited a dorm room; it was a quad with two rooms, arranged with the beds in one room and the other room serving as a common space for the four boys. In short, we liked it a lot and all would have been happy to have D attend.</p>
<p>Hamilton has always been highly regarded in academic circles.....My father (who went to Princeton)always used the phrase,"works harder than a Hamilton freshman"...Two of my best friends from college have their kids there now....a son and daughter....both absolutely love it...I think the drawback is the location.....as the other poster said, if you can handle that ,its a great place to be.....</p>
<p>"Some of the private organizations (maybe it was frats and sororities) . . ."</p>
<p>Just to clarify, Hamilton eliminated all fraternities and sororities several years back. Evidently this has caused quite an uproar from alums who were members, but the administration has stuck by its guns.</p>
<p>I think this is part of Hamilton's drive to differentiate itself from nearby Colgate.</p>
<p>My S has a good friend who attends Hamilton. She is very happy there. She is very talented in writing and drama, and chose Hamilton because of this.</p>
<p>My daughter really enjoyed visiting Hamilton this summer - got the impression that the students are quite happy there. She also really liked the student center (lots of great spaces to hang out) and the speakers who are brought in. There are still fraternities and local sororities at Hamilton - they do not have houses and don't really seem to be large.</p>
<p>Husband wouldn't mind if daughter is accepted there - he'd like to make a side trip to the baseball hall of fame.</p>
<p>pokey318 my sister and brother-in-law went there and received excellent educations. They're still involved with the school even now, and with many of the friends they made there - 30 years ago. Hamilton does try to attract diversity and sponsors the posse foundation- a scholarship program to attract and support inner-city kids. They also offer merit scholarships, something I, at least, haven't seen at too many schools of that small size. Hamilton has a lot to offer.</p>
<p>My D visited and stayed overnight with some kids. She had a great time and found the kids very welcoming, warm, and friendly. There was at least some diversity in this group too; foreign, black, asian kids from the dorm who all went to dinner together in a group. </p>
<p>She decided not to apply, however, because she is a non-drinker and she felt the social options were largely drinking-related. She did not feel there was any pressure to drink, and she thought she could be happy there, but there were other schools that made a better match for her.</p>
<p>The kids I met were really nice, outgoing, hearty, friendly kids. The kids hosting my D showed her a really good time and were very warm. D reported everywhere they went when she was intoduced as a prospie everyone urged "come here, you'll love it!"</p>
<p>Hamilton is also absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. It and Vassar were the two of the most beautiful LACs we saw. Hamilton sits at the top of a large hill. Very sunny, lots of views, not too much schlepping between buildings. The former women's college that merged with Hamilton (Kirkland?) had its own campus a short walk away, now both are merged.</p>
<p>Beautiful facilities, student center, etc. Not much of a town so the college is compensating...</p>
<p>Very writing-oriented curriculum. Got the impression the academics are good but not a pressure cooker environment.</p>
<p>If you go, check out the on-campus hotel suites at the top of one of the campus buildings; very nice & comfortable rooms, right on campus, and not expensive. Book ahead.</p>
<p>Visited Hamilton with my nephew last fall. Biggest impressions were the large number of NY State students and a very socially active student body. Frats and sororities do play a role at Hamilton but are far fron dominant. </p>
<p>Information we gathered before visiting identified English, political science and economics as strongest/most popular programs. Seemed like a good place for students with interests in music, theatre and art, too. Didn't hear much about math or science but an impressive new science building is being completed. No core or distribution requirements but I believe students are required to take a seminar at some point. Overall climate seemed a bit more pre-professional and social than intellectual.</p>
<p>Let me get this straight, they have fraternities and sororities but they just don't live together?</p>
<p>According to the 2003 Fiske Guide, " 29% of the men and 12% of the women join fraternities and sororities, despite housing rules that ban frat houses from campus."</p>
<p>My d's best friend is a senior at Hamilton this year and has been ecstatically happy with the school. She's a history major and has done some stuff with mideastern studies (I think), including Arabic languages. The impression I get is that the faculty is absolutely top-notch and very involved with the students. My d's friend has had a couple of terrific internships and is very optimistic about her grad school chances.</p>
<p>I think the greatest disadvantages are the rather pronounced isolation of the school and the undeniable prevalence of drinking as a major social activity. For some kids, these wouldn't be deterrents. Our hs sends a couple of very bright students to Hamilton each year.</p>
<p>pokey318, you ask if spending several hours on campus is enough time to know the school - I'd say no, and suggest arranging an overnight. Someone who isn't from the north might have a REALLY tough time dealing with the climate (though this year we're having a very mild winter - and after the past decade, we deserve it).</p>
<p>I am loving all this information; you are confirming what I felt while visiting. Daughter and I both were impressed with the school as well as the students. Since out visit, my daughter has been emailing a few students there, as well as the intern that interviewed her. Her questions have all been answered and she feels this is the right school. As a mother, I am always looking for more information just to make sure.</p>
<p>As far as the Greek life, the sororities are social only. These are not national sororities to my understanding. This from Hamilton's web page:</p>
<p>While the fraternities do not have houses, they do hold parties in the dorm rooms. I am giving out this information second hand so I might not have it totally right.</p>
<p>If isolation is not an issue, and she wants a warmer climate, some southern schools a bit easier on the wallet are STMarys of MD, Mary Washington, Washington & Lee. There are also a number of LACs in PA that are not quite as selective that are similar in nature like Suquehanna, Ursinus, Juniata. Union in NY is similar, St Lawrence, further North is a safety version of Hamilton.</p>
<p>I think for a student from the South, once the temperature dips to below 30 it is going to be cold. Not sure I would know the difference between 25 degrees and 5 degrees! Truthfully, the weather is what attracted her in the first place. She wants a change of scenery, even if it means freezing her butt off! I am sure cold, snowy, days will get old after a while, but hey it's only 4 years!! When searching for schools that fit all of her needs, Hamilton was right there at the top.</p>
<p>What other schools who one say are similar to Hamilton as far as stats? Is Hamilton a second choice for students applying to other schools? I am just not knowledgable about the Northern schools and do not know what type of student would apply to Hamilton; I just know it works for my child.</p>
<p>Hamilton is well-regarded enough that it is probably both the first choice of many students and a safety for the Ivys. It is its own thing, a small sporty LAC on a gorgeous, though isolated, campus with really friendly & somewhat preppy kids.</p>
<p>Hamilton-like reaches: Dartmouth, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Williams, Carleton</p>
<p>Hamilton matches: Colgate, Colby, Kenyon, Bates </p>
<p>Hamilton match/safetys: Skidmore, St Lawrence, Syracuse, Hobart & William Smith, Union, Lawrence (WI)</p>
<p>Not quite sure re: relative selectivity of Colby, Bowdoin, & Bates... </p>
<p>Depending on your region, your D might have a decent geographic 'hook' at many of these schools, even the reaches.</p>