<p>Hey everyone, I've recently come across Trinity in my search and have become interested. I'd appreciate help in deciding whether the college is a fit for me, because some aspects of the school leave me unsure.</p>
<p>I'm basically looking for a small to medium sized school strong in social sciences (political science in particular), a moderate to liberal political student body, with great internship and study abroad opportunities. I hope to work in something along the lines of a lobbying firm, law firm, special interests groups or in journalism upon graduation. I may look to law school, and a college geared to prep students for that will be plus. I'm a little weary towards schools with overbearing Greek and/or preppy populations and do not want to pledge.</p>
<p>What has so far drawn me to the school:
-Academics. I've heard it's great in the social sciences and has a strong law school admit record.
-Size.
-Great need based aid (a huge factor in my college selection is COST).
-Location (in a capital, great for my interests).
-Gothic Style (although it sounds possibly depressing, I've always appreciated Gothic architecture. Can anyone clarify both how depressing / how beautiful the campus is?).</p>
<p>What makes me unsure:
-Large Greek scene.
-Preppy student stereotype
-Rumors of the race/class tension.</p>
<p>Should I look farther into the school? All the positives of the school would make it the perfect school for me if not for the rumors of the less than great student body. How exclusive/elitist is the Greek scene? Are non-Greeks notably less happy with their social lives? Also how is the library?</p>
<p>Bump.
Any information would be great, I feel like this forum lacks discussion of Trinity in general (such as it's strongest programs, campus feel, what makes it unique, etc.). What I've mainly gotten from the few threads is that there are tons of preppy students and possibly some race/class issues.</p>
<p>LOL. Any surprise you can't get people to respond when you speak of a "less than great student body".</p>
<p>"for the rumors of the less than great student body"
It was not my intention at all to assume anything about the character of the Trinity student body. What I do know is what I have read on these forums, guide books, etc. that have lead me to believe (hence the words "rumor of" in my quote) not everyone is overly impressed with the students. I myself have no personal experiences with Trinity students. I've never met a graduate of the college, vistied, etc. This is why I posted a topic on these forums, because I don't know everything about the college, and want to learn more about the college (for example, the student body). Please don't insiuate things that are not true. :(</p>
<p>greg6or - Trinity is a great school. I am graduate and I am thrilled with my education and the doors it has opened for me. If you want more details I can go into a long response but what makes Trinity unique are: internship opportunities (can't do much of that in Willamstown!), a culture of volunteerism, outstanding graduate school admittance rates (I got my MBA at Kellogg with 5 other Trin grads in my class! - the only larger school represented was Northwestern undergraduates!), excellent study abroad options, great profs (better than my profs at Kellogg). Yes, I do recall during my freshman year that it seemed that everyone went to an elite prep school but I eventually came to the conclusion that because they were more comfortable being away from home they just seem more confident and stuck out more. I could go on and on.</p>
<p>Thanks a ton twin^23. This was the responce I was looking for! :) Interning seems like a smart idea and Hartford does seem pretty nice for that. If you do want to go into a longer responce that'd be great, I'm up for any length of read. Thanks for the reasurance about the away from home confidence deal, seems to make sence.</p>
<p>greg6or - well here you go. I was a lax player and there were two 'lax' fraternities. While I did not rush either, both wanted me to join and offered a spot. Well, I just wasn't comfortable joining a frat and so I didn't. No regrets. That decision had zero impact on my frienships, social calendar, etc. Matter-of-fact, I recall one of my teammates who was in a frat commenting on how I made a mature, thoughtful decision. </p>
<p>The campus is beautiful. There is a great video on the website that shows the renovated, historic, Long Walk.</p>
<p>Trinity honed my critical reasoning and persuasive writing skills. I joined a large NYC bank after college. There were about 30 of us from various colleges such as: Yale, Harvard, Williams, Middlebury, Columbia, etc. But most of the group were from undergraduate business schools such as: Wharton, UVA, UNC, Michigan, Berkeley. We were put in a 3 month training program. We were first taught accounting by two Columbia business school professors. I had never taken an accounting course and I struggled while the undergrad business majors breezed through. However, the next part of the training was to interpret the numbers and explain them, in writing. Well, that is where the skills I honed at Trinity shined. The abililty to assimilate a great deal of information and summarize it is a skill that I have used ever since. To graduate the bank training program we had to write 4 credit reviews and receive at least 1 satisfactory rating by a senior banker. I received a satisfactory rating on my first and the highest rating on my 2nd. They didn't make me do anymore. The business majors struggled with writing clearly, succintly and persuasively. They had to complete all 4 assignments. I have Trinity to thank for developing my ability to write - something I had to do in nearly every class. BTW, I am convinced I got the job because of my internship at a Hartford area corporation during my senior year. Looked great on my resume.</p>
<p>Finally, I would say that those people that I know who did not enjoy Trinity as much as I did were individuals who did not participate in an extracurricular activities (sports, drama, student government, volunteering, etc..) It is a 100 acre campus with 2200 students. It can begin to feel small and cramped, so studying abroad is also a great way to diversify your experience.</p>
<p>I hope this helps.</p>