I am trying to decide between Wesleyan and Hamilton as an athletic recruit. I want to do Business, Pre-Med, or Finance. I’m interested in having a good social scene on campus as well as a lot of support for athletics. I also don’t want somewhere that is super into protesting and is more in the middle when it comes to politics. I would also like somewhere that has good food. Both schools have amazing academics but I’m wondering what will be better for my academic interests (listed above) and what will fit my personality criteria listed above. Please let me know if you have any advice I would really appreciate it!
Trinity has everything and better football than either school
if thats your sport actually all sports they are better in than Hamilton or Wesleyan. From experience Wesleyan is not transparent in their dealings at the coaching level
I have recruitment offers from these two schools and am deciding between these so I need tips on them please .
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if you had to choose then choose Hamilton Wesleyan is not transparent
What do you mean by transparent
It sounds like the environment at Hamilton might appeal more to you. Academically, these schools are peers.
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I’m worried a bit about the location and feeling trapped so that’s my hesitation. Is there anything you might know about that?
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These are both archetypal liberal arts colleges; neither has business, finance, or pre-med majors.
Hamilton is in a tiny town with a handful of restaurants and not many student amenities. Utica and its suburbs (with Target, Walmart, fast food, etc) are 15 minutes away and require a car. Winters are significantly harsher than they are in Middletown. The campus is unbelievably gorgeous and they are known for nice housing, facilities, and good food, but if you are worried about isolation it might not be a good fit.
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As an athlete, you should expect to settle into a cohesive peer group at Hamilton. This Newsweek article may offer you insight into the popularity of sports at Hamilton:
https://www.newsweek.com/25-schools-stocked-jocks-71873
You may want to clarify your academic interests, since, while you will find courses in accounting and finance at these schools, neither offers a business major. If you would like to study economics, this resource can be useful: Economics rankings: US Economics Departments at Liberal Arts Colleges | IDEAS/RePEc.
Hamilton offers a dazzling campus in proximity to suburban amenities and natural features such as the majestic Adirondacks. However, if you are not decisive in your preference for this type of environment, you will want to consider that Hamilton resides well offset from the east coast megalopolis.
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Note that Hamilton provides regular transportation to surrounding areas:
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There are indeed numerous outdoor recreational opportunities close to Hamilton, but the Adirondacks aren’t that close. It’s a solid 150-180 minute drive to the nearest high peak.
Hamilton has regular shopping shuttles at no cost.
ETA - I just saw that @merc81 said the same thing.
Note that Hamilton’s county extends into Adirondack Park, and that the center of the western Adirondacks, Old Forge, can be reached in a little over an hour by car from Hamilton’s campus or by scenic railroad.
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Most CC posters would probably give Hamilton high marks for a more bucolic campus with a lot of wooded paths. But, I’m biased; as an Old Card I grew to appreciate Wesleyan’s easy walking distance to a real Main Street. And, with its size advantage Wesleyan can easily afford to recruit great athletes as well as great musicians, dancers and theater junkies. You will literally not have time to do everything happening every weekend.
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Omg this is so cool! Why did you pick Wes and what was your favorite part of your time there?
I’m a native New Yorker. When I interviewed Wesleyan, it immediately struck me as a quintessential “college with a campus” which was what all my classmates from a big public high school were looking for. It also didn’t hurt that it was less pretentious than Amherst which I had only just visited. What was my favorite part of my time there? Hard to pick just one thing; your brain is like a sponge at that age; every person I met, every professor, every hall mate was a like a free lunch for my senses. Treasure your time in college no matter where you wind up; you will never find so many people so open-hearted, so intelligent and with such integrity in one place again.
EDIT: I forgot (since it’s been so long) that I learned to cook when I was at Wesleyan. By the time you are a senior, you and your friends will almost certainly have access to your own kitchens. And, there’s a campus grocery store right there. I still have my dog-eared copy of “Joy of Cooking”.
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Then you don’t want Wesleyan.
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If you like film, and would like an extended visual perspective of Hamilton’s area, you may want to watch The Sterile Cuckoo. Here you can view the trailer: THE STERILE CUCKOO (1969) Trailer - YouTube.
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I don’t think either is a fit for you based on what you describe - keep looking.
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