Recent grad

Colleges and Universities A-Z Trinity College (Connecticut)
1

I’m a recent graduate of Trinity College, where I majored in Political Science and minored in Urban Studies. I’m currently a student at a top law school. After quickly reading the discussions on this forum, I’d like to offer my two-cents about the campus culture.

Many are quick to label Trinity as a “party school.” In my view, this is an unfounded generalization. Trinity is much like other schools, particularly NESCAC/LACs, in the sense that student social life involves drinking/parties. To assume that a college campus will not have a fair share of these activities is naive. However, there are plenty of other opportunities to socialize/relax/spend your free time. One of the student-run coffee shops on campus hosts open mic nights. Acapella and other musical groups will have concerts. The Fred, a community-focused dorm, hosts alternative/non-exclusive social events on the weekends that are a ton of fun. Downtown Hartford is a short drive away and has tons of great restaurants/venues. For every student who seems to go out 4 nights a week and party hard, there are 3 students who don’t have that type of social life. To offer some perspective, less than 1/3rd of the student body is a member of a Greek organization. There are many other active student groups and organizations that help you meet like-minded people. I was a four-year varsity athlete and had no problem being social when I was in season and required to be sober.

The student body is often criticized for lacking in diversity. Again, I think this is another generalization. There are definitely those “preppy” kids who come from wealthy families and went to private high schools - Trinity is no different than other NESCAC/LACs/New England schools in this regard. But they are not the overwhelming majority by any means. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that there are students from a wide range of backgrounds. The diversity of my classmates was a huge asset to my college education. I had good friends who came to Trinity from South Africa, Columbia, Alaska and New Mexico. There are students from a wide range of socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. I am gay and was able to connect with other LGBT students and faculty.

Academically, Trinity provides a challenging and supportive environment. The engineering and science departments are strong, and provide students with a well-rounded LA education. One of my friends who went on to medical school was a double major in biology and art history. I entered college not knowing what I would major in, and settled on Political Science after taking a range of 100-level classes. Our poli sci department is held in high regard (http://college.usatoday.com/2016/11/04/best-colleges-for-political-science/) and takes advantage of Trinity’s location in Hartford. I was part of the legislative internship program, which places upperclass students in internships at the CT general assembly. Students from all majors have the opportunity to intern at various places in Hartford for academic credit - and a lot do. Also, over half of all students study abroad (including STEM majors) - it’s definitely encouraged and a great experience. The new President Joanne Berger-Sweeney, an African-American neuroscientist, is very well-liked and seems to be leading the college in the right direction moving forward.

I’d also like to note that I struggled with some mental health issues in college. Trinity’s counseling center was extremely valuable to me. I was able to have weekly, hour-long appointments with a therapist on campus, and monthly appointments with a psychiatrist on campus for medication needs - both completely free of cost. Making an appointment was not difficult at all, and they were always available for emergencies outside of office hours. After speaking to friends at other schools, I realized that this was somewhat unusual - a lot of colleges and universities limit the number of free appointments each students has, and don’t provide long-term on campus support. I’m incredibly grateful for the help I received over four years at Trinity.

Let me know if anyone has any questions about my experience, or Trinity in general.

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Thank you so much for the post. I have some questions regarding the students at Trinity
1 Is there any discrimination towards the minorities (Black,Asian,International,etc)
2 Will ppl judge those with disabilities/ugly appearances/
3 What if you don’t drink at all? will they judge?
4 Are there often intellectual talks outside classroom (like political, environmental,equalities,social issues)

3

Zajaca, please see my comments below:

  1. During my time at Trinity, we did have a number of instances (>5) of discrimination against minorities. It is something that the school (and myself as an alum) are not proud of, but I was impressed by the College's rapid response and student body's support. It definitely occurred towards the beginning of my time there, and I haven't heard of anything happening recently. Overall, it is a very welcoming community.
  2. No - I knew multiple students with disabilities who had no issues during their time.
  3. There are plenty of sober students - and plenty of student groups that sponsor alcohol-free events. It wouldn't be an issue
  4. Short answer is yes - if you surround yourself with the right group of people. My sense is that this is the case at most colleges. I engaged in intellectual discussions with my friends and other students that I took classes with, etc. pretty regularly. And upper level classes are often held in a way to facilitate discussion.
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@Bants14 Thank you for your overview of Trinity as it has been quite helpful. I would also like to thank you for your candid story about using the health services as it is a great thing to know. I am the parent of a junior whose top choice is Trinity. You addressed many of my concerns in your post and subsequent responses.

My questions would be:

1- Did you study abroad? Where and how was your experience?
2- If you were on Financial Aid - how would you rate Trinity on this topic?
3- Did you know any students who were arts (not art history) majors and what did they think of the program? If they have graduated - what are they doing now?
5- Regarding diversity - would you say it is a place where like groups stick together? Or would students be able to learn and collaborate with others?

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@magnetnh very sorry for the delayed response - I hope this is still relevant/helpful:

1 - Yes I did study abroad, in Paris. It was a wonderful experience. I think it was very refreshing to study away from campus for a semester and broaden my horizons. Also, I was able to connect with Trinity students I didn’t know previously. Study abroad is very common and in fact encouraged - I think over 2/3rd of students study abroad at some point (either for a whole year, semester, or summer term). Academic services is also helpful in terms of transferring credits - for example, I took one class for my major and one for my minor when I was abroad, and covered my art requirement with an art history class.

2 - I was not on financial aid, so I cannot speak too much to the topic. However, I do remember some friends having positive experiences with the office (e.g. adjusting their aid packages without much issue)

3 - I had a few friends who were art minors, but I don’t know anyone who pursued fine arts as a career.

4 - I think this depends. At every school, like groups are bound to stick together and Trinity is no different. However, I also experienced much collaboration with students outside my socioeconomic “group”. This occurred mainly in the classroom, with other students in my major/minor; or when I was studying abroad. If you are willing to be open-minded, which I was, then I do not think you will have any exclusion issues.

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@Bants14 Thank you so much for this objective post. I’m concern about the safety in the communities around Trinity. There are some rumors saying that Hartford is a dangerous city. How was your experience and is the environment safe?

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@Bants14 Hey! I was recently admitted into Trinity with lots of aid. It was definitely my first choice until a few days ago when I started reading a bit about it. I don’t like drinking. I barely ever go out. I don’t do or intend to do drugs ( esp not cocaine since everyone is saying that’s everywhere on campus). And lastly I’m not from a “wealthy private school” background. But I’m a very outgoing guy and love to chill with interesting people. Considering all this, do you think I’d struggle at Trinity? Because several reviews have said that minorities ( which I am) and kids who don’t come from wealthy backgrounds should consider attending another college. I really want to go to Trinity but the things I’ve read makes me wonder if I would be happy there. I would be very grateful for your two cents on the matter. :slight_smile:

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@Butterfly17 Don’t let that hold you back as it can and probably does happen on many college campuses. This was my S18 top choice earlier this year and we visited and noticed a lack of diversity. This didn’t seem right because I know they are a Posse and LEDA school. After researching some I found out that they actually have a multicultural admissions team where current students of color are there to assist other students of color. Look on their site or call admissions and I think you should ask them these questions. Will you attend accepted students days? S18 also connected with another student of color from our district who had graduated and stayed for another year for a masters who spoke highly about the college. This past weekend they hosted the international hip hop festival and from what I understand they are committed to diversity.

What other colleges are in your final decision? Did Trinity provide the largest FA package?

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@magnetnh Sorry, I should’ve mentioned this earlier but I’m an international student so I don’t have the privilege of visiting any campus. All I have to go on are reviews and opinions. And what reviews are telling me is that I’m the complete opposite of a typical student at Trinity. Also, did you find excessive Greek life on campus? I mean would I be ostracized if I didn’t join a frat ( or party 4 days a week)?
The other school I was looking at is College of Wooster, which also gave me a very good aid package. However, I find that Trinity is far better ranked than wooster and it ( trinity) also gave me a better aid package. Considering all these factors, it does look like I will end up at Trinity in the fall. I just wanted to know whether a student like me will be able to fit in. All the stories about students transferring, drugs on campus, unmotivated wealthy students truly worries me.
PS: I appreciate the time you’re taking to help me :slight_smile:

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@Butterfly17 They do have an active Greek life but from what we were told it’s not the end all be all if you are not a part of it. I think Trinity has a lot to offer and if you got a nice offer, plus their rankings, you will find your village. I will PM you the list of the multicultural interns and I think you should email one of them (maybe more) with your questions.

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@magnetnh I certainly will.
Thank you so much for your help and making me feel more comfortable about Trinity!:smiley:

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@butterfly17 did you commit to Trinity? When would you arrive as an international student? I thought I read they come in earlier for orientation.

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@magnetnh Yea I committed. I arrive some time in late august unless I do a pre-orientation program. And yes, international students do come in earlier for international orientation.

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Congratulations and post your impressions when you arrive on campus.