I’m hesitant to say I’m leaning towards Hamilton because I haven’t gotten in yet, and I don’t want to jinx myself. So I’ll heavily imply the notion…
Emory may have the more prestigious faculty (in the sense that they’ve won a bunch of awards and stuff), but Hamilton’s faculty looks pretty great as well. I’m also really drawn to that open curriculum, especially as a transfer. It would sure make transferring credits over a lot easier. I’m also drawn to its awesome Outdoors program (the lack of outdoor/nature activities is another reason why I’m leaving Emerson/Boston). It seems to be much more active than Emory’s, at least from looking at their individual trips. I just jinxed myself, didn’t I?
CC I’m still not sure about. Colorado itself would be awesome to live in, and I’ve always wanted to live there, but I’m entirely sure how I feel about the blocks. An entire semester’s worth of work in three weeks and a half sounds like maybe too much. And a lot of students have reported that it’s hard to make friends because you only see them for those three weeks.
After doing some more research and reading a lot of student reviews (from Unigo mainly), it seems like Hamilton’s political atmosphere is more balanced than I thought (certainly more so than Emerson is). I think I might end up choosing Hamilton.
The one thing putting me off about Emory is that you have to apply for the more advanced CW classes. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
If there’s one good thing about Emerson, it’s the bonds I’ve made with some of the faculty. And from what I’ve read, Hamilton seems to emphasize and cherish that faculty-student bond more than Emory.
Well Emory’s deposit date has just passed, and I’m not feeling any regret about not depositing, so that’s good. I’m heavily leaning towards Hamilton now. I’ve been reading so much info on the school the past few days, and it seems like it has that personal feel I’m looking for. Colorado might be one of my favorite states, but Hamilton seems to be a better fit for me than CC (and it has a pretty awesome outdoors program, as well). But still, I don’t know, I guess I just feel kind of scared. Scared of making the wrong choice again, which is probably a pretty common thing with transfer students, I’m assuming. I’m already an incredibly indecisive person, so that doesn’t help.
I still have a few schools to hear back from (Colgate, Colby, Whitman), but I don’t think any of them will factor into the decision now. Back when I was first thinking about transferring, Whitman was my top choice, mainly because I was distracted by the idea of living in Washington and just being around nature and the (what seemed like) complete, outright happiness of everyone there. But it’s across the country, and its English/Writing program doesn’t seem as good as either Hamilton’s or CC’s. And I realize now, it wasn’t Whitman that I loved but the idea of everything it is. That what I want, what drove me to transfer, to apply to so many schools, to feel more homesickness this semester than I’ve ever felt before, is to just be happy and feel excited and go home for breaks and feel some sort of gladness about going back to school. I’m really hoping Hamilton is that place.
@merc81, in my opinion, prestige is not only (or even mostly) a function of selectivity/student stats. Emory’s prestige, for instance, is due in large part to its Goizueta school, its medical school and CDC ties – and what many think that means in terms of biological science quality – and its old relationship with Coca-Cola. I think a school’s rep is moreso tied to its academic, research and “social/news cycle hype” (the last being frivolous, but no less existent) than it is to its selectivity, at least in the short term.
But rep is s terrible reason to choose among these three schools – they all offer plenty from the Awesome Department.
If you want beautiful mountain vistas and related hiking and skiing opportunities – and if you think you can make the block plan work – choose CC. If you want a small, quaint, lovely Upstate NY setting and that aforementioned beautiful campus, choose Hamilton. If a bit of urbanness and heat is up your alley, and probably a bit more name recognition among lay Americans, choose Emory.
I feel like the academics at Hamilton and Emory – reputation-wise, anyway – are a bit more established than they are at CC. But CC is highly regarded in its own right, so according to USNews metrics, at least, it’s a fine school too.
Colorado College is inside the Colorado Springs city limits. To get around campus you’ll have to cross some heavily-trafficked city streets. The campus itself is very nice, but most college students wouldn’t find the city of Colorado Springs as appealing as Boston … unless of course you’re interested in mountain recreation. Keep in mind that although you can see the Rockies towering above campus, some of the major ski resorts are 2 hours or more away by car. So CC might empty out more on weekends (or block breaks) compared to Hamilton College. CC does offer more to do off campus (either in town or in the mountains) as well as a sunnier, drier climate than Clinton NY.
When considering Hamilton, do not overlook their active relationship with Adirondack Mountain activities, including a semester-length program open to students across all majors (as well as transfer students, of course):
Have you visited each of these campuses? I think it is important to get a feel for the atmosphere of the politics and activism on each campus.
Emory politics/protests/safe spaces/social justice seems to be increasing, from the perspective of following the local news as a resident here in metro Atlanta. Is that a good sign for you? Or a concern? Not sure what your goal is.
It seems that you have specific ideals you are looking for. I would not leave this crucial choice to be made based on personal opinions of random strangers.