Question about culture/vibe/students at Hamilton

[STL1972]

Hi-My DC has narrowed down their choices and Hamilton is a top contender. We were recently there for a revisit and as others have pointed out the students were very welcoming and friendly. My student sat in on a class and was slightly disappointed but realizes one class is not going to be representative of the school. Our question (for current students/parents) do you find that the students dynamic and is there an intellectual vibe? Are students invested in their academic pursuits? Are most of the professors engaging? Have you encountered students from varying backgrounds? Any further insight you can provide would be most appreciated. Many thanks.

[apple23]

I’m confused as to the status of this student. Your other thread indicated that she is your granddaughter and an ED admit. If that’s the case, then she already would be committed to attend. But here you indicate that the student is close to committing. Which is it?

[STL1972]

sorry for confusion. Yes, my mom (DC grandma) posted and there was some confusion in communications as DC decided to wait for RD and happily got in.

[merc81]

@STL1972

is there an intellectual vibe?

With respect to this, a Hamilton professor, when interviewed (https://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/faculty-jason-cieply-russian-studies), noted a distinctly stronger intellectual atmosphere at Hamilton than at the large university at which he previously taught:

Why did you choose Hamilton?

As a grad student I taught at a big research institution, Stanford, and there are very smart students there as well, but they weren’t the ideal I had in mind, which was the engaged, enthusiastic liberal arts student who’s in it for the ideas, for the love of knowledge …

Nonetheless, the professor notes that the college includes students with various proclivities:

I also found that there are different varieties of liberal arts students; there are the ones who are more academically inclined, the ones who are more athletically inclined, the ones who are more counterculture, and the ones who are more mainstream. So far, I’ve found Hamilton students to be a similar variety and disposition to the ones at my undergrad school, so I think I was lucky in that respect.

@STL1972

Are most of the professors engaging?

Based on survey data from attending students, Hamilton rates highly in this area:

Best Colleges for Classroom Experience | The Princeton Review

As an opinion, the individual intellectual experience at Hamilton will be determined partly through course selection. The courses chosen as a first-year student will be especially important since the experiences in them will strongly influence later intellectual experiences.