Accepted to all 3. Does anyone have experience with what it’s like to be a student with ADHD/Learning Disabilities. How is the accessibility office? Hamilton has the least info on their website.
I don’t have any direct experience and know only about Bates. My daughter’s friend had accommodations there and had no trouble getting them. She ended up graduating cum laude, so it must have worked for her. In general, Bates bends over backwards to be helpful. I would call their office. Accessible Education and Student Support | Bates College
Depending on the nature of the learning differences, it might be worth noting that Bates from this group has the longest experience with test optional admissions, and therefore may provide the most accommodating environment for students with various approaches to learning. Wesleyan also became test optional prior to the pandemic. I recommend that this student consider all three of their choices based on their general attributes as well.
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Thanks for info. What about weed smoking?
Not a weed smoker. Doesn’t mind if others do, but was hoping that the social scene is not dominated by weed. Was concerned that Hamilton is #20 on Princeton’s reviews reefer madness list and that friends at Bates said that a lot of kids smoke.
Wondering how above schools compare to Wesleyan, where we know many kids smoke a lot
With respect to Hamilton, it offers especially varied residence hall options for first-year students, each with different atmospheres. With honest responses on the housing questionnaire, a student should be matched to a suitable environment. For descriptions and photos of available dorms, click on their names:
Kids smoke weed at all these schools. It’s legal in all the states these colleges are in and kids will smoke it. I love Wesleyan, but of these three, it has more of a weed rep than the others. Honestly, I don’t think it matters to anyone these days.
Again, I know about Bates. It’s easy to not partake if you don’t want to. I just asked my D, who graduated last year. Weed is not a huge thing.
You are looking out for your child, but please understand that there is a 100% chance your child is going to see and smell people drinking and smoking. My D was a nerdy and studious geek who rarely stayed late at parties and was on the Dean’s list 6 times, but even she got drunk occasionally. IMHO though, I would say Bates is number three on this list of three, in terms of hard partying. Actually, make that two. I reckon Hamilton and Wesleyan have a lot of partying in their respective ways and are tied at one.
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Recreational marijuana use, with restrictions, has been decriminalized in New York, Maine and Connecticut, but legalized only in New York and Maine, and only for those 21 and over.
Ah, so much has changed since I was an undergraduate at Wesleyan. For a while, the administration had really clamped down on public “blazing” and so long as it was illegal, possession of weed was subject to confiscation and possible referral to the Middletown police. So, it will be interesting to see how that changes with legalization. Also, why smoke it when you have your choice “edibles”?
Yeah, I know. Since when do college kids adhere to not doing stuff they shouldn’t do before the age of 21?
I have a current senior at Hamilton. Don’t think it is any more prevalent there than anywhere else. My student lived in sub free housing one year (best room available in the housing lottery), so I agree with Merc81 that there are lots of options. Frosh year there are fewer and your student will be smelling weed. There are lots of different friend groups though, so not partaking is not at all an issue. Hamilton has been a wonderful place for my student! Good luck to yours!
As far as the academic program, there is a lot of writing at Hamilton. The writing program has really helped my student improve their skills, but it can be tough depending on your student’s comfort with writing. They have people to help you, a great writing center, supportive faculty, but it has been challenging. Can’t compare to the other schools, so not sure how helpful this is.
With respect to cross-disciplinary writing, I’m surprised Hamilton no longer places first among LACs in U.S. News, though it does place second, and among the top 10 overall.