Personally, I would do lots of research to see which schools you would have the best chance of getting into. Macalester is for sure the easiest of the four, but still not a sure thing. Look at your naviance, look at the demographics (see which of these schools has fewer kids from CA). That might make you an appealing candidate. See which schools have activities that would appeal to you. If you have a talent, figure out which schools need someone with your talent. Just things to think about. I have been to Hamilton, Colgate and Carleton. Carleton is lovely, but not as breathtaking as the other two. I thought Hamilton was amazing, but the most important thing is figuring out where you have the best chance of getting in. GL
For pure fit, I’d say Mac is the winner in the Minnesota showdown. It’s also easier to get into than Carleton. Carleton has the bigger academic rep overall but Mac is right there in the state capital.
As for the New York elites you listed… that’s a tougher one. I think they are of about equal strength overall and roughly equally selective – a 28% admit rate for Colgate, 24% for Hamilton, with equally talented applicants. I think you should choose on fit:
- Colgate is more rah-rah and is more known for its heavy(ish) party scene.
- Hamilton is a bit more laid back and intellectual than Colgate.
- Greek participation rates, from what I could find, are similar: I saw a 30% stat posted for Hamilton for 2015, while Colgate says that about a third of their students go Greek. So -- not much separation there. (not sure i trust the Hamilton numbers though -- seems high)
So maybe the biggest differences are the sports scenes – big at Colby, not so much at Hamilton – and the overall vibes of the school: more chest-thumping, partying, pre-professional at Colgate and more laid-back, quirky/nerdy (but still balanced…) and intellectual at Hamilton.
The person you are, and want to be, should make your Colgate/Hamilton decision fairly easy, IMO.
BTW, for an odd read, check out the description under Sigma Phi here (under Greek Organizations…):
https://www.hamilton.edu/campuslife/what-to-do/student-organizations
What the heck is this drivel and who put it there? lol
@prezbucky I think the Sigma Phi guys are dating the Kappa Delta Omega gals. Did you see their entry? 8-| to both.
“I’d regard some of the posts on this thread with respect to Hamilton College’s rural location with skepticism.”
Truth is:
Source. * Princeton Review*
Another vote for Mac. Located in Saint Paul, there are opportunities to volunteer and interact with the community and be involved in state government. It is an activist campus, but my impression was that it is a friendly, accepting one.
@CrewDad, actually Colgate, which is in the small town of Hamilton, is in the middle of nowhere. Hamilton College has plenty of stores in nearby New Hartford to get anything one needs.
^^but with Colgate the very small town is at the base of campus, so there is quick access to things directly off campus, though you could get bored of those quickly!
It’s mostly geared to tourists and Alumni - not too different than the village of Clinton down the hill from Hamilton. Having New Hartford nearby by is good for Hamilton students as they get easy access to a Moe’s, Panera Bread, Barnes and Noble, Sports Authority, etc…
New Hartford is only accessible by car or > 1hr round trip bus ride. Colgate is located a 5 minute walk from the attractive and vibrant village of Hamilton.
http://www.hamiltonny.com/
@CrewDad, New Hartford is 10 minutes from Hamilton College and they provide shuttle access for students who don’t have cars. Both the towns of Hamilton and Clinton are tiny; the fact that one is a 5 minute closer walk is inconsequential - IMHO.
@littylamp Instead of comparing the relative remoteness of two schools in the middle of nowhere…let me address this:
Colgate is more professionally focused. The information session spent a lot of time on internships, the alumni network, and careers. The student vibe was more athletic (Div 1), and the kids (to generalize) lean toward preppy. The campus is pretty, with nearly all of the buildings being brick. We have friends and their children who are alums and current students, and they have only good things to say about their experiences.
Hamilton is a more liberal arts vibe. The information session and much of their focus are in communication and writing. Sports (D3) are important, but not as much as Colgate. The students and the campus environment feel more eclectic, more laid back, more diverse. Hamilton is noted for being well run, and everything we experienced confirmed that. It was the most organized school we visited (out of roughly 2 dozen).
We visited Hamilton because we were in the neighborhood after visiting Colgate, and left with Hamilton as a finalist for D2’s ED application. Both schools are pretty…but Hamilton felt much more laidback.
True. But the bus runs only every hour, hence, >1 hour round trip.
The village of Hamilton is much larger than Clinton and has far more services.
The difference is much more than 5 minutes .The walk from Hamilton College to Clinton is at least 22 minutes. Going back is uphill and will take longer. Not fun in cold or inclement weather. 
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Hamilton+College,+198+College+Hill+Rd,+Clinton,+NY+13323/Clinton,+NY+13323/@43.0504274,-75.409215,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89d96919f77e5ee7:0x7c9ba02c7a949895!2m2!1d-75.4050437!2d43.0525874!1m5!1m1!1s0x89d9699bb23e5115:0x9f4897ec1ace56e7!2m2!1d-75.3785034!2d43.0484029!3e2
Regardless of Colgate’s location, that doesn’t change the fact that Hamilton College is isolated. There’s nothing wrong with attending a college in a very rural area. Let it go. 
@CrewDad, there is nothing isolated about Hamilton’s location - it’s no different than most of its similarly located LAC peers whether it’s Williams, Grinnell, Colby, Middlebury, Kenyon or Colgate.
Eyeveee,
The vast majority of Colgate buildings are entirely in bluestone, not brick. The traditon started with stone quarried from above the campus 200 years ago! The expense is viewed as contributing towards making Colgate’s architecture so distinctive and memorable.
Go ‘gate!
Sorry…you’re right. Very memorable.
OP, I think @EyeVeee summed up our DD’s impressions of Colgate and Hamilton - I thought Colgate’s campus was stunning, but I don’t get to go; they were accepted to both and have classmates at both - more seemed to be accepted to Colgate than Hamilton in our area.
They were also both accepted to Carleton, and both really liked the eclectic Midwest nice vibe as well as the very strong STEM programs and for XC DD a very strong nationally ranked team, but both felt that it was too far away - nether applied to Macalester.
You’re kidding, correct? There’s no comparison between Clinton and Williamstown, Middlebury, and Grinnell.
Middlebury, Williamstown and Grinnell are 5 times larger than Clinton. Middlebury and Williamstown are also major tourist destinations. Williamstown is home to the internationally famous Clark Museum. Middlebury has a major hospital, many internationally known artists-in-residence, hosts thousands of language students in the summer…and so forth.
@CrewDad, yes in the eyes of the students they are all similarly isolated, albeit with different geographies and in some instances cultural vibes. They all have populations less than 10,000 - there are master planned communities with far more people.
Not the students I know. Not even close. To each his own.