<p>i hear that it is....is it?</p>
<p>i know they have greek/frat life, so usually a party scene comes along with it. i visited a lot of places and spent the night at 4, and to be honest there was definitely a party scene at every school even if they weren't considered "a party school". i think at most colleges if you look for the party you will find it.</p>
<p>I don't know if it means anything, but Colgate was ranked by Princeton Review as having a particularly large problem with "hard liquor." Like most schools set in rural/small-town areas, though, there is little life outside of campus, so many kids turn to alcohol for entertainment. Any school like Colgate will probably have the same reputation, it's a pretty unavoidable trade off for a good northeastern liberal arts education.</p>
<p>Have a drink and chill out man</p>
<p>As with any campus anywhere in the US, if you're looking for a party, you'll find one. If not, you won't.</p>
<p>You just have to know where to look. It's all about connections. Yes, people do get drunk and stuff but nothing too different from other schools. But the students are more responsible about drinking than say... those at state universities.</p>
<p>As a parent I am thrilled to see my son go to Colgate, I would like to ask for those who have any answers, Does Colgate have a, "Jock-Preppy," mentality? Is there enough diversity on campus to find your niche?</p>
<p>Yes to both.</p>
<p>"Yes to both."</p>
<p>With the following caveat.....While a school the size of Colgate has a variety of sub-groups, in addition to the "Jock-Preppy" group, to settle comfortably into one of those subgroups your child must be someone who is comfortable being outside the mainstream.</p>
<p>Thank you jb, is it ok to be outside of mainstream or are you ostracized because of it?</p>
<p>No, I don't think you'd be ostracized for being outside the mainstream. I've answered you in more detail in a PM.</p>
<p>wjb... since many students are interested in this question it wd be helpful if u posted the detailed answer on the forum.. thnks</p>
<p>OK. Im going to try to measure my words carefully, because I dont want to disparage Colgate, which is a terrific school academically and a good fit for many. </p>
<p>Im actually the mom of a former Colgate student. She transferred from Colgate to a mid-sized research U. after her first year. (Shes a sophomore now.) She transferred because she was uncomfortable with the prevalent campus culture. For her, the combination of rural isolation plus heavy Greek system plus strong emphasis on sports was not a good fit. Although she is NOT a non-drinker, she found the drinking excessive and the social scene monotonous and even depressing. </p>
<p>Now ..a school of 2700 is not a monolith. There are clearly many subcultures at Colgate, including an intellectual, serious-minded subculture and others. My daughter has a high school acquaintance there who is definitely outside the mainstream, and blissfully happy. (I think theres another parent who posts on this board whose daughter is also a bit off the beaten path and very happy at Colgate. Maybe hell chime in.) But I think my daughters perception of the dominant culture at Colgate is probably dead on.</p>
<p>As long as youre someone who is comfortable being outside the mainstream, you can find your niche at Colgate, and I am quite certain you will NOT be ostracized. My daughter enjoys being right smack dab in the middle of things, and she was definitely not in that spot at Colgate. So although she made some great friends there, and although the academics and advising system were truly excellent, she made the tough decision to transfer.</p>
<p>To WJB, if you don't mind asking where did your daughter transfer to and is she happy? Does she regret transferring? So one can find there niche of no drinking, no frats, and still find friends?</p>
<p>"So one can find there niche of no drinking, no frats, and still find friends?"</p>
<p>Yes. Also, there is one sub-free dorm -- I believe it's East Hall.</p>
<p>My daughter transferred to WUSTL. She is extremely happy there.</p>
<p>Prevelant Greek life?! I doubt it- at least not for sororities. I am on Panhellenic Association exec board and we are actually having trouble with the freshmen being extremely unknowledagable about Greek life. Maybe some negativity towards it. They have so many questions and are being pretty cautious about it. I'll find out for sure next week when we start "selling" Greek life to them. Yes, true many students are members but there are plenty who choose to opt out and do just fine.</p>
<p>Agreed with above psoters- you already have to be comfortable with yourself if your type doesn't match up with the mainstream. But you WILL find people to hang out with- students are SO passionate about their activities.</p>
<p>One of my best girlfriends is non-frat type, non-drinker type. She does seem to do okay as long she keeps her friends around her when she needs them. Unfortunately, many of her friends went Greek and I think pretty much left her in the dust. But as a good friend, I try to eat with her once or twice a week and join her for a show that we both love when I don't have a meeting for a non-Greek org. I'm actually not a drinker either but I do just find by finding other things to entertain myself with. Since drinking almost always go with visiting frat houses, I don't bother going in there (welllll it's part of my responsiblity of being on the Exec Board- no associating with boys in their domain while alochol is present).</p>
<p>Perhaps I should have chosen my words more carefully. Fraternities are a large part of the social life at Colgate.</p>
<p>My daughter, BTW, is not anti-Greek: she joined a sorority at WUSTL.</p>
<p>I think I'm the other poster here WJB referred to whose daughter is neither jocky nor preppy. In HS my daughter was pretty close to what I guess would be referred to on these boards as a tree hugging, left wing vegan. Someone who also went into NYC several times a month. She also applied and got into amongst others, NYU and Oberlin.</p>
<p>I don't want to blow her cover, but my daughter's experience at Colgate or at least her reaction to it, has been different from WJB's daughter and she is very happy there.</p>
<p>First, It may surprise some people to know that along with the active CORE (community service group) at Colgate there are also Amnesty International and other political groups there. And when we filled out her first semester shedule the P.E. choices included Yoga and Tai Chi. Outdoor Adventure is gnarly as you need it to be. A Capella singing is very big at Colgate. There are a non preppy non jocky things at Colgate. </p>
<p>That said, the short answer to the original question is probably yes to both: Colgate is somewhat preppy and jocky but a kid can easily find their niche. Acually it seems to me that a fuller answer is that neither type of kid has to remain in any niche they happen to come from or have been in HS, and that Colgate somehow seems to have engendered her being able to interact with other types of kids and expanding her horizons.</p>
<p>My daughter found she actually liked many of the atheletes she met at school. She gets along with them and her Varsity room mates. Occassionally, I gather, they find her a bit...odd, but they seem to like her too. </p>
<p>She's found some good friends at Colgate more like herself but gets along and spends time with other kids too. She goes out and drinks (responsibly I hope, though she's told me some hair raising stories of others who are more exhuberant). She hangs out and ~mirabile dictu~ even attends frat parties. I think she said she even went to a hockey game once. And she surprised me even more by going out for and remaining active in a club sport. </p>
<p>Maybe it's the size of the place, the innate goodness of the kids or the fact that the admissions people do a really good job in picking a class. At any rate my daughter is very happy with her choice and at Colgate.</p>
<p>MHC and WJB: You have given me a realistic expression of what it is like there.....in summary one is able to find friends with similar likes and dislikes, by the way what is WUSTL?</p>
<p>Washington University in St. Louis</p>