<p>Hi all! Can you compare these schools and describe the differences among them?
I want to study biology and communications. I am planning for a carrier in filmmaking. I want to make documentary movies about hstory, biology and society. But I don't want to hold a cam. I am thinking about making up plots and so on.
By the way, forgot to tell, I am an international student that's why can't visit real campuses. I really need your help. Thank you.</p>
<p>What type of environment do you want to live in? Macalester is the only one of the three located in a city, St. Paul/Minneapolis, which is a good sized metropolitan area with lots of art and theater. Macalester also has more international students than the other two on your list (almost 14% of the student body), and attracts a more liberal-minded and quirky student body. Macalester also does not have any fraternities or sororities.</p>
<p>Hamilton is probably Macalester's equal academically, but attracts a different type of student, perhaps a little less "hip and quirky" than Macalester. There isn't much to do in Clinton, NY which is a town in upstate NY, several hours of long driving from New York City.
Hamilton has a reputation for being a school where there's a lot of on campus drinking, but it is also a school where students take academics seriously (as is Macalester). Fraternities and sororities are big at Hamilton as well. Only 4% of students are international students.</p>
<p>Denison also has a fair share of Greeks, but the school's administration has been trying to eliminate them. Denison is located in a small town about a half hour to forty minute drive from Columbus, Ohio, which I believe is a smaller city than Minneapolis/St. Paul. Students at Denison have a reputation for being on the preppy side, but that is changing a bit. Still, one student is quoted in a guide book as saying "Be prepared to dress well. You will not attend classes in your pajamas. Your hair will be done every day. You will wear make up. You will tan in the winter..."</p>
<p>Of the three, Hamilton probably has the strongest biology/science program, but Macalester and Denison are fine for biology as well. I'd say Hamilton and Macalester are a few notches up in terms of academic quality over Denison, but Denison is a good school too. Double check on financial aid policies for internationals if you need money, as I believe (could be wrong) that only Macalester offers need-based to international students.</p>
<p>I can really only talk about Denison (and to a point Mac). </p>
<p>Denison- In the past drinking has been a problem, but as Carolyn said a lot is being done to reduce it and it's not nearly as bad as it used to be. They are most known for their philosophy/english/poli sci/etc. departments. Very strong in those areas. Granville is a small town, but about 5 minutes away by car is Newark, a city of 40,000 which has a lot more fun stuff to do than Granville. 30 minutes away is Columbus (where I live). It's a close-knit community, and a lot of community service in Granville and Newark done by the Denison students take place.</p>
<p>Mac-Mac is in a much bigger city than Denison is. You will have a lot more "outside" oppurtunities in the city. It has a pretty strong pre-med following, and is much more international than Denison.</p>
<p>All three are very good schools. None of them are a hotbed of filmmaking, but graduates of all three have gone on to do things similar to the projects you've described. I'd actually give Mac the nod for biology, but Hamilton is getting (or just got) a big new science facility. You will find more international students at Macalester, and more support for international students, if either of those things are concerns of yours.</p>
<p>Sorry, Carolyn, but I have to disagree a little with the preppy portrait of Denison. It might feel preppy in that many of the kids are from the midwest - and the blond hair, blue eyes that go with that - but I think the kids look pretty ordinary to me, and not dressed to the nines at all. Also, it does not feel like the kids are quite as wealthy as some of the schools we visited. (Although, of course, overall they are by no means at the low end of the economic spectrum either!) </p>
<p>At the induction ceremony I saw the entire freshman class and I was really pleased with the number of African American kids and internationals. For a small school, you can tell they are trying really hard. The two international students I'm familiar with are very happy there and doing really well. Also, one I met came with his family from New Delhi having never even seen the campus and they were thrilled both with the school and, more importantly, the truly warm welcome they felt they received. </p>
<p>The new Biology building at Denison is really beautiful - but lots of campuses we visited seemed to have new science buildings. There was someone else on here whose son was interested in a film major at Denison - so maybe if you search you can find out what they thought about it. They visited too.</p>
<p>Good luck and hope you make it to the USA.</p>