<p>hey, im a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill, but its simply not the place for me [too big academically and socially, too greek focused, too much like my home (im from NC about an hour away) and academically too focused on grades rather than learning/simply not challenging). i definately plan on transfering after this year, and at the moment im considering colordado college, bates, colby, hamilton, and swarthmore (although its VERY unlikely i could get in there). i feel like academically any of these schools would be what im looking for, so im mainly wondering about the atmoshpere, but heres some info about me and the type of school i think would be best for me, and id love to hear if you think bates would be a good fit (and how good of a fit it would be), or if you know anywhere else that might be a better fit. thanks so muuch for your input.</p>
<p>im pretty laid back, dont get too stressed out, esp about school (work). but i do take my studies seriously. i want to be somewhere that values learning, rather than simply getting good gradess; personally im not really motivated by getting an A but simply by studying what interests me (this was a big problem for me at UNC)... im trying to find a laid back atmostphere with this same approach to learning. one thing i really want is a place where ill have small classes, where learning takes place through (chellenging) discussions (i hated just sitting in a lecture 3-4 hours a week, and honestly could not learn in that type of enviroment). i think im going to major in political science (theory) and english (literature and/or creative writing), so i'd definately like a school strong in one of these, and a strong writing program would be best. politically im pretty liberal, and (agreeing with Locke) feel that as long as you dont harm others, or infringe upon their rights, you should be able to do/think as you please: i definately want to go somewhere the reflects this idea; where free thinking and ideas are accepted and encouraged.</p>
<p>also, one thing im really concerned about with Hamilton is that ive heard that most students are kind of stuck up/elitist (most being from NE prep schools)? is this true? i really like it when i visited (plus they have a very strong writing program), but i wasnt there when students were on campus so i didnt really get any feel for the campus.</p>
<p>i know this is a lot, but i definately dont want to choose the wrong school for a second time. any input is greatly appreciated. thanks.</p>
<p>I visited Hamilton at the beginning of the academic year, and from what I saw, they didn't seem stuck up at all. Everyone that I saw smiled, and one random person said hi to me while I was just wandering around campus. While grades are important, I truly believe that they value learning on top of everything else. And it is definitely small and intimate, placed in the middle of nowhere (at least Colgate is only 20 minutes away!) Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I think Hamilton and Colgate are conservative and preppy.
How about Oberlin, Kenyon, or Macalester? Maybe Reed if you are not adverse to a lot of work. I have heard mixed things about the intellectual atmosphere at Bates. Colorado College sounds like a good fit if you like skiing/snowboarding outdoorsy stuff.</p>
<p>I think it is unfair to immediately call Hamilton and Colgate "conservative and preppy"</p>
<p>I will be attending Hamilton next fall and think I conducted a very thorough search and this is what I found....</p>
<p>Hamilton kids do not look like a J. Crew catalog. When I visited campus I thought everyone seemed friendly, very laid-back, and there is definitely an outdoorsy niche too. I was not struck by any typical "New England snobs." The tour guides I met were from Minnesota and Tennessee!
I asked a Hamilton rep about the political scene there and he had really interesting things to say....If you know Hamilton you know that there are two sides to campus--the old Hamilton campus and the Kirkland side of campus. He spoke about how Hamilton (the man) was your typical conservative and Hamilton WAS originally an all male school, so granted there is a sort of conservative history there. However, Kirkland was a very liberal women's school founded during the '60's and the two sides of campus sort of embody the way the student body has a good mix of ideas.</p>
<p>As for the Macalester sect....I was interested in Mac for a long time. However, I crossed it off my list because I do not think there is a diversity of thought on that campus. My tour guide was from Newton Mass (or should I say snootin??) yet was dressed like a Latvian folk dancer. I was not impressed by these rich kids who wear birkenstocks and smoke more pot. Taking a closer look, it was obvious to me that the campus was SO liberal there was no room for differing opinions. That is why Hamilton is appealing--there is actually room for discussion.</p>
<p>You should be careful about labelling comments as unfair when you make remarks like there is no diversity of thought at Macalester and calling a town Snootin. We are obviously all sharing opinions, not facts. If the OP tends to lean conservative, I say go Hamilton, if very liberal then Macalester or other liberal leaning schools. It's all about fit. I believe that all these schools will meet his need for intellectual rigor, small class sizes etc.</p>
<p>Aghast, of course it's my opinion. I'm just sharing a different point of view with the OP than yours.</p>
<p>Also, I think we may have a different barometer of what is "conservative" than bct1989 who lives in NC... Conservative is Furman and W&L. If the OP wants to go to Mac maybe she'll shake things up. Join CHEEBA--Creating a Harmless Environment to Enjoy Buds Appropriately! (see Mac website for more details).</p>
<p>Who knows, maybe that's what the OP is interested in.
The OP did refer to him/herself as liberal, why do you assume that just because he is from NC that he is socially conservative?</p>
<p>Aghast,
the way I see it Hester wasn't suggesting the OP was conservative. She said she was liberal and you suggested that Hamilton was conservative whereas Macalester and others more liberal. My view is that Mac is beyond liberal to the point of being a caricature. On that point I agree with Hester.</p>
<p>bct1989,
as for your list of schools, I have not visited or investigated Colorado College or Swarthmore. I'd nix Colby based on your description of what you're after. It seemed to me to be everything you worry Hamilton is. As for Hamilton, I thought the students were genuine, likable and relaxed. The Bates students seemed laid back also.</p>
<p>thanks for the help. sounds like the stereotypes ive heard about Hamilton (stuck up NE prep school kids) probably are as true as i was worried they were. hopefully ill be able to get up and check it out for myself. i do actually feel that id be considered liberal (socially and economically) pretty much anywhere, although you are def right that a lot of people that are considered liberal in NC would really be more centered or even actually a bit conservative. thanks again for the help with Hamilton, sounds good since theres a wide array of opinions, and not politically oppressive (either to the right or left). i was worried about the same things for Colby, and it sounds like its a lot more true there, thanks for that info too.</p>
<p>Minnesota in a very general way is liberal, despite having a republican governor. I would consider myself conservative, but probably more in a fiscal sense where everyone is responsible for their own destiny given a fair start. It's the latter part that is not alway applicable. What's that saying, give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. I just think there is a huge difference between someone being given a rod and reel and someone else having a string on a stick. Everyone should have the opportunity to obtain a rod. Key word: Opportunity, not a right just for showing up.</p>
<p>Also, I went to boarding school and come from a fairly lengthy lineage of the same. I never considered myself or my friends to be stuck up, nor would I think to fair to make such a generalization about any school or group of people fair in the least. There are pretty much all kinds wherever you go. </p>
<p>This said, and not really knowing much about Hamilton in general, what I think Reed lacks is any kind of school spirit in that there are absolutely no teams or athletics. Granted, this probably frees up a lot of funding for other things, but my niece went there and while she LOVED it and is brilliant, she is not a overtly social person in the least (this is probably an understatement).</p>
<p>For the record, Reed fields basketball, rugby, soccer, squash, and ultimate frisbee teams (some both men's and women's) that compete with regional schools. Athletic school spirit is not at NCAA levels, but non-athletic school spirit is way up there at Reed (check out Renn Fayre videos, for example). Plus, every Reed student is required to take six quarters of all kinds of PE classes (the usual, plus things like juggling, snow shoeing, dance, yoga, ...). Reed is quite athletic, but not in the traditional big-bucks business way.</p>
<p>bct1989-Just thought I'd add my 2cents. Son was accepted to Hamilton ED1. He's a very down to earth kid, liberal and from a public HS. He found the kids, professors and coaches to be extremely helpful and friendly. He had his pick of LAC and chose Hamilton because of all the above. Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree with McDad. Everyone at Hamilton is generally nice and helpful. Never once have I heard them described as "stuck up" from someone who actually goes there, works there, or knows someone who does/</p>
<p>My son is a freshman a Hamilton and is really happy. There is a very active liberal political scene and the creative writing and theatre opportunities are excellent. He actually had a conservative poly-sci professor and found the class really thought provoking. He was alos concerned that it might be too preppy but has not found that to be the case at all, it's really just a stereotype. He chose H over Reed and Macalester.</p>
<p>Pearlie,
What were your son’s stats? Also, does he say anything about the frat scene? My son is a junior and I’m trying to steer him away from schools with frats but Hamilton does look great in every other way. Anyone?</p>
<p>you shouldn’t “try to steer your son away from schools with frats”. frats or not, there are copious amounts of drinking at virtually every college. being a control freak won’t change that; it will only drive him to rebel more vigorously.</p>
<p>I agree with ChelseaMorning. I would also add that eliminating schools with frats would not only eliminate a large portion of colleges, but would also eliminate many schools that are, like you (hohum) said, “great in every other way.”</p>
<p>I am a freshman at Hamilton, and boy, is there a lot to respond to on this thread! I think that there is so much more to Hamilton that the liberal versus conservative spectrum. To be honest, the best thing about Hamilton is that the politics don’t lean too far to the right or left, so there is a lot of different perspectives. I have heard it said that if you ask any conservative, they will say Hamilton is liberal. And if you ask any liberal, they will say Hamilton is conservative. That being said, Hamilton does not harbor snobby preps. Before coming to Hamilton, I heard about that stereotype, but found it to be completely unfounded. All of my friends and everyone that I have met has been friendly and kind. There is one girl in my dorm that dressed very preppy… but as soon as I talked to her, I realized that she wasn’t at all snobby. It is important not to judge a person based on the way he/she dresses or the background he/she comes from. And it is really important to not judge a whole student body on a stereotypical perception.</p>
<p>Now on to the frat scene… there is drinking at every single college. There is no way around it. I, personally, am not into the party scene, so I tried to find a school that did not have a huge frat scene. The thing I love about Hamilton is how open the party scene is. Everyone on campus is invited to the parties, and everyone respects other people’s choices to drink or to abstain. At Hamilton, about 33% of campus does not drink at all, about 33% of campus drinks one to seven drinks a week, and 33% of campus drinks more than 7 drinks a week. No matter who you are, you will find people like you!</p>