<p>Pros and cons, anybody?</p>
<p><em>heavy, black woman's voice</em>
"Oh No, you didn't!"</p>
<p>In the Stone Age, when I was applying to college, Hamilton was considered a fairly preppy place. A lot like Colgate or Trinity College. Lots of pre-Wall street types.</p>
<p>We have a close family friend who attended Kirkland College, which had been created as a sister school to Hamilton (which was then all male). The Kirkland College culture was liberal, artsy, intellectual- ie more like Oberlin- and she said they hated the Hamilton boys, and had nothing to do with them. Kirkland has since been dissolved into Hamilton, which is now co-ed.</p>
<p>So no idea if this is any measure the same today, but if so the campus cultures may be different to an extent that might matter.</p>
<p>Oberlin is 40 minutes to Cleveland, though for many as it turns out this is not a huge deal. But I don't know what Hamilton is near. I grew up & lived in New York most of my many years but have never found myself anyplace near where Hamilton is.</p>
<p>That same family friend discouraged my daughter from looking at schools anywhere near that part of the country. Evidently she was not enamored with the location, back then.</p>
<p>That's all I can tell you.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot! </p>
<p>I applied and got accepted to both Colgate and Hamilton, so I guess a lot of that applies to Colgate as well. I'm not considering Colgate due to lack of finaid, though.</p>
<p>Also, Hamilton's about two hours from Albany, I know that.</p>
<p>Some other considerations: Oberlin is larger; it also has the Conservatory which makes it unique among liberal arts colleges, with lots of concerts by students and top visiting musicians, and an excellent art museum, surpassed only by Williams among the liberal arts colleges. Culturally, Hamilton is "preppier."</p>
<p>Hamilton's academics are very good, but in terms of campus culture Oberlin and Hamilton are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Hamilton is much more pre-professional, preppy, less political, etc. Of course that's a generalization. I'm sure H has students who don't fit the stereotype.</p>