<p>My d is interested in the incredible academic opportunities at Hamilton and is particularly excited about the English program. However, she is not at all interested in sports and worries that the fraternities dominate the social scene in a way that will make her feel excluded (she isn't interested in pledging.) Also, her second major passion (after writing) is theater and music. I wonder, should she be looking at Hamilton?</p>
<p>The college bought all all frat/ sorority housing a few years ago. They still do have a presence there, but it’s not something that will cause her to be excluded. Hamilton does have it’s over theater, but i’m not sure how popular it is with students.</p>
<p>Theater is not a big department at Hamilton but it is a good one. I know most of the Theater professors and they are all great people and experts in their fields. If your daughter wants to second major (or minor) in theater, it is a nice place to get that degree. Although I’m not exactly sure what you wanna know…
And I agree with Mathemagician that while frats are present on campus, they do not have a negative impact on the community, on the contrary; they organize most of the social events on campus open to every student. Most of the kids here would never think of pledging but still enjoy the presence of greek life. There is absolutely no need to worry about that.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your very helpful responses! Looking for any more insights folks have about the theater program (e.g. number of productions per year.) Also wondered about acapella groups on campus.</p>
<p>Dorianclaire, my D is a freshman at Hamilton and loves it. She said there are several acapella groups on campus. She has been to several performances and says the groups are excellent!</p>
<p>I am a theatre major at Hamilton. If she has prior theatre experience and wants to continue, she should honestly not attend Hamilton. I didn’t go into Hamilton thinking of majoring in theatre and regret my decision (since the theatre bug always comes back). The department is very tiny and the courses are very limited. What Hamilton does not tell you is that most classes are only offered every other semester and every other year. For instance, one course that is mandatory for the theatre major is only offered fall semester every other year. Therefore, study abroad and course selection becomes extremely difficult. The courses are not specialized, so you will not be as well trained as peers leaving other LACs such as Vassar, Wesleyan and schools with BFA acting programs. The department is unfortunately VERY political and manipulative. What I didn’t know before applying is to check out the professors on Ratemyprofessor.com. Look up the reviews on Carole Bellini-Sharp, Mark Cryer, and Craig Latrell (the core theatre professors). Despite my immense passion for theatre, I am seriously considering switching majors. The department has a way of breeding misery.</p>
<p>As for the frat/sport scene, frats have a huge influence on campus (although the administration is trying to rid them). Seating in commons is dictated by Greek life (you have to know who is a member in order to recognize this) and so is the social atmosphere (virtually all “school wide” parties are thrown by the societies). You do not have to join a Greek society in order to have a social life, as most of the campus is not involved. The “dark side” is the where the less sporty people tend to congregate as all of the art classes are on that side of campus (and the winter is COLD) along with Cafe Opus. </p>
<p>Generally the people are very friendly and there are many different types of students on campus. Yet the majority of students are preppy and sporty. The English department does have a fairly decent reputation. Have your daughter check out the course catalog to see if Hamilton teaches the sort of novels/authors she wants to study.</p>
<p>Best of luck in your searches!</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks for your insights. Especially appreciate the ratemyprofessor hint. We’d never heard of it! Pretty depressing assessment of the theater department as Hamilton was definitely one of my daughter’s first choices. We were actually planning to go see it over Feb break (along with Vassar and Wesleyan, both of which you also mentioned.) If anyone out there has other thoughts on the theater and/or English department at Hamilton, we’re all ears!</p>
<p>Im a student, I’d say the English dept. is top notch. It is a writing-focused school.</p>
<p>Well, as a fellow theatre major, Matahari1309, I’d have to respectfully disagree. I, like Mata, did not come to Hamilton expecting to be a theatre major. In fact, I hoped to delve into the fascinating world of Geology. </p>
<p>Prior to Hamilton, I had not so much as touched a script or peered into the eyes of an expectant crowd. And yet, barely 4 days on the Hill, I gave heed to my Advisor’s encouragement to branch out from my comfort zone and take a course in the theatre department. My sweet, soft-spoken advisor seemed practically adamant that I take a course in this unexplored territory, and I must admit, I did not have the heart in me to tell her no. And boy, did it change my life. </p>
<p>Yes, our department is small. But, since when is a close-knit bunch of kid, sharing a passion for the arts a bad thing? The students in my year are some of the closest friends I have around and we come from all different branches of the Hamiltonian lifestyle; we have fraternity bro’s, sorority sisters, Choir kids, Physics geeks (implied lovingly of course), and so many more. We’re a supportive bunch, and have been with each other through thick and thin. I would not change our department’s tight-knit community for anything.</p>
<p>As for range of classes, Hamilton offers a plethora of theatre courses considering its small size. In my time here I have taken everything from Sound Design, Lighting Design, 3 years of acting courses, Dreamings and Tellings, Stagecraft, History of Theatre, an Introduction to World Theatre…and those are just the ones I have at the top of my head at 1:25am! I’d also like to point out, that due to my double major with Geology, I was forced to forsake a bunch of other fascinating courses, including Playwriting, Avante-Garde, Theatre of Asia, African-American Theatre, 2 classes cross-listed with Comparative Literature, Intro to Visual Theatre, Set Design, and Set Painting. …sure doesn’t sound like a limited course load to me.</p>
<p>Furthermore, “most classes” are not offered every other year for bad reason. The department is working on expanding (we have hired a new technical director and scenic design professor in my time here alone), as of right now, each professor teaching 6 classes is just unreasonable, and is therefore why, I would say, “a few” courses are offered every other semester. In addition, study abroad is not difficult in the theater department! Not by a long shot! Every person in the Class of 2011, barring 3 students out of the possible 12, have gone abroad (take note, 2 of the aforementioned students who did not go abroad are international students).</p>
<p>Hamilton College is a LIBERAL ARTS college, meaning we offer a Bachelor of Arts degree and not a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Still, that does not mean our students have not excelled in their post-graduate studies. Five 2008 and three 2009 Hamilton Theatre Alums have successfully made a living acting in New York City straight out of college, two of those alums have received critical acclaim in the NYC Fringe Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (the largest theatre festival in the world). We also have recent alums (I’m talking 4 years) working at Family Guy, NBC, modeling for Ralph Lauren, ESPN, Teach For America, and a casting assistant at Glimmerglass Opera House, not to mention several pursuing grad school. I’ll have you all know, these are just the ones I still keep in touch with on a daily basis. </p>
<p>Lastly, I’d like to comment on our professors. These professors have not only introduced me to theatre, they continue to keep me coming back for more. Our department is truly like no other. Carole Bellini-Sharp is a gem, and by political, Matahari1309 just might be hinting to the fact that Carole is what some might call, a feminist. Yet, Carole does not impose her beliefs on anyone. In my opinion, she is the rock of the department, a fighter. Sure, sometimes we wonder what exactly she is up to, but she never ceases to amaze me; she is brilliant. As are the other two members of our Department, Craig Latrell & Mark Cryer. All three professors have their own unique personalities. Sometimes personalities clash, and I regret that Matahari1309 feels this way about a department that has given me so much.</p>
<p>I don’t have a problem with feminism. What I meant by political is political. For others who find this thread in their research for schools, I highly suggest going on Ratemyprofessor.com and looking at the reviews. Hamilton is a wonderful school, like all schools. What really matters is if it is the BEST choice for you. Hamilton does not have a recognized theatre program in the LIBERAL ARTS classification (Wesleyan, Skidmore, Vassar) and the department offers very little choices. Another important note to look into are the pre-reqs for classes as well as to use online search engines to do some personal research on past jobs/performances/degrees on professors. Most people hear either LOVE or HATE Hamilton. The more research you do, the better chance you’ll have of finding a school that fits.</p>