<p>After some research, I've noticed a lot of similarities between these two schools. Can anyone offer some input to differentiate them from one other?</p>
<p>Colgate has more people who are pre-professional and a little more of a sports (D-I vs D-III) and party focus. It's also more than 50% larger than Hamilton. Colgate has more of a sciences, social sciences bent to it, while Hamilton has more of a humanities focus. Also, almost half of Hamilton's student body comes from private high schools while at Colgate about a third come from private schools and have gotten the sense that this creates a notable difference in the feel of each school. I've always had the impression that a lot of Hamilton comes from third rate boarding school students who get rejected not only at Harvard and Yale, but also rejected/wait-listed at Amherst, Bowdoin and Middlebury, while Colgate has more top (but not the very top) public high school applicants who got rejected/wait-listed at Dartmouth, Williams and Cornell. Academically, I would give a slight edge to Colgate and think Colgate is more well known, if for no other reason than it is larger with a bigger time sports program. Both are solid schools and I've found even though they have many similarities that most students who like one don't necessarily like the other because of the different prevailing campus feel at each.</p>
<p>I appreciate the help, gellino. Do you attend either of these schools?</p>
<p>Yes, attended Colgate. I was one of those W/L @ Dartmouth and Cornell.</p>
<p>I am currently a freshmen at Colgate, and all though I mostly love it, I am dissatisfied with the night life. It seems the ONLY thing to do on a Friday/Saturday night is drink. I know that happens at most colleges, but Gate seems extreme. I'm down with partying occasionally, like maybe once a week, but at colgate it seems like the only form of entertainment on weekends.<br>
Is Hamilton the same way? If it isn't I would be somewhat interested in transferring.</p>
<p>I am a rising senior applying to both Hamilton and Colgate this year because I think they are both wonderful schools. However, after visiting I liked Hamilton better and am thinking of applying ED II there. I want to go Pre-med and Hamilton's new $67 million dollar science centre is very nice and well equiped. Also, everyone I met was so friendly! And the campus was so beautiful, it felt more like a country club than a college, but all the better right? Colgate was also nice, they are also putting up some new building, and it was also beautiful, but overall when I compared it to Hamilton, it came up short. However, that was just my feeling, you really should visit, because everyone will have different perceptions. However, the one thing I think everyone can agree on is that both are very secluded from major cities, unless you consider syricues a major city...and that night life, short of drinking, will be less than exciting. I live twenty minutes from San Fransisco, and I know this is a little bothersome to me. Good luck!</p>
<p>i was thinking about this too. but i'd choose colgate since it's more diverse.</p>
<p>Colgate is a bit more diverse and larger, has a wider variety of off-campus programs, plays Division I sports, and is better known. Hamilton and Colgate are equally good academically. Hamilton is closer to Utica! (not exactly a plus, though)</p>
<p>Just about all small, rural colleges have a lack of diversions and perhaps too much drinking. I don’t think Colgate stands out particularly in that regard, though there are undoubtedly other schools where drug use exceeds alcohol use, or where not much of either use is common (I sure don’t know of any, though). </p>
<p>As for diversions, there are movies, plays, speakers, parties, and so on, but not enough to even come close to what you’d have in a very large university or in an urban area. But, this is also one of the factors that brings people together. You have to make friends and hang out with people, so you do. If everyone were rushing off to this off campus activity or another, you’d be at NYU or USC. It’s a small, rural liberal arts college with top quality academics, Division I athletics, a decent number of activities to get involved in (clubs, off-campus study groups, lots of sports, films, and so on). </p>
<p>People I’ve known at Hamilton have been somewhat disappointed at the lack of regular diversions, too, so you’d better like the college itself and make good friends. If you do, you’ll be happy.</p>
<p>I am a current high school senior who visited and applied to both schools (accepted to Hamilton, wait-listed at Colgate…both letters came with handwritten notes!). I am most likely going to attend Hamilton.</p>
<p>My observations were similar to what the others wrote. </p>
<p>Hamilton definitely has more of a humanities focus–they offer unusual majors in Public Policy, World Politics, etc.–specific areas that many schools don’t have. This is part of my reason for applying (and attending). </p>
<p>Colgate is bigger, has D1 sports, and does seem like more of a party school, if only because of the Greek system. </p>
<p>At Hamilton, the fraternities and sororities don’t have houses, which I expect will make at least some things different about the party scene. </p>
<p>Hamilton, while still remote, is easier to access than Colgate…it’s about 50 minutes from Syracuse and close to Utica (but not by a whole lot)</p>
<p>However, when visiting Hamilton, I really did get the feeling that because it is a smaller school, you really want to make sure you’ll fit in–I’m not saying that the students seemed exclusive or snobby–just that everyone seemed pretty similar. I don’t have a problem with this but someone else may, so it’s something to think about.</p>
<p>Colgate is ranked a few places higher on US News and did have the second-highest-paid graduates according to Forbes or some other ranking. Ultimately I have a really good feeling about Hamilton and I think it will be a great fit. I was impressed by how friendly and kind the admissions office is as well as the range of programs they offer to someone like myself. Both are amazing schools though and offer great opportunities.</p>
<p>THe OP inquiry was in 2006. Why the bump?</p>
<p>Wow, I didn’t even notice that!</p>
<p>Not sure how it ended up here again, but it seems like someone is always asking the same question–I know I was when I was applying.</p>
<p>Yes at least in 1968-72 it was</p>