<p>Hey there! Recent admit to Hamilton and trying to decide between it and a number of very different schools... wondering about the school spirit and sports? Do students attend games? Do they cheer/tailgate/etc.? When, say, a home football game rolls around, what's the student reaction? Thanks!</p>
<p>Football games? Hahaha we’re pretty terrible at most sports. I’ve never been to a football game (granted I’m only a freshman) but it’s usually just people supporting their friends.</p>
<p>That’s not to say we don’t have ANY spirit- we just express it in slightly more non-athletic ways. (We are very skilled in hating Colgate.) But seriously, Hamilton has more a sense of community than school spirit I guess. (I can’t wait for Class and Charter Day, which is supposedly the ultimate Hamiltonian experience. The entire school comes together on the last day of class for a concert, and in the grand tradition of college life, gets drunk.) Overall, people are super nice here but aren’t very rah-rah.</p>
<p>Hi Anna999,</p>
<p>I noticed your recent postings on the Colby, Hamilton and Colgate threads. Are you currently deciding between these three schools? My son also was accepted to these schools (as well as Bates), and has ultimately decided on Hamilton. All three schools are of very similar quality, but each seems to have a different feel. Colgate seems to be the most sports and fraternity/sorority focused and is also a bit larger, Colby seems to attract students who love the outdoors – in particular winter outdoor activities, while Hamilton seems to attract students who are a little more “intellectual” and “academic focused”. We also liked very much the fact that at Hamilton, there are no distribution requirements; my son is interested in double majoring, and he will be able to focus on classes that he truly wants to take, as opposed to needs to take. Given your questions about school spirit, it might be the case that Colgate is the best fit for you.</p>
<p>Perhaps there are others who currently have or in previous years had similar options who can chime in and give their points of view.</p>
<p>Congrats! I graduated from Hamilton in '10. I also had friends at the schools EW2012 speculates you’re choosing between, so here are my thoughts:</p>
<p>Colgate is more athletic. Whether that means they have more school spirit I really can’t say. It’s definitely a more exclusive social scene than Hamilton’s, so that might hurt the sense of community, even though intense Greek life bolsters school spirit in some ways. Hamiltonians might not attend many games, but EVERY party is open to the whole campus. (Free drinks for one and all!) And as they’ll tell you on the tour, Hamilton really is one of the top 10 schools for alumni participation–</p>
<p>[Young</a> Alumni Reluctant to Give at Most Colleges and Universities](<a href=“http://education-portal.com/articles/Young_Alumni_Reluctant_to_Give_at_Most_Colleges_and_Universities.html]Young”>Young Alumni Reluctant to Give at Most Colleges and Universities)</p>
<p>–which means people have a good enough time during their 4 years that they feel they owe the school more than the ridiculously high tuition they already paid. I’ve been out for two years and make a point of donating my measly $5 every so often.</p>
<p>I think Colby is more like Hamilton in terms of school spirit. Differences would definitely be political leanings (Hamilton runs blue but has a stronger red presence than you’d find at other NESCAC schools), green vibe (Hamilton is definitely into the movement, but Maine schools take the cake), and obviously, LOCATION! Do you want to be in upstate NY or Maine?</p>
<p>Colgate (partially because it’s a university) falls into a different category of schools than Hamilton, Bates, Colby, Bowdoin, etc. and I think you’ll feel that on the various campuses.</p>
<p>As Adalkia already said, Hamilton has more community than it does “rah rah” school spirit. The campus personality is definitely more intellectual than athletic, but PLENTY of students play. Women’s sports have an especially large presence. Sports are just more self contained at Hamilton than at other schools.</p>
<p>Hamilton’s spirit shows in other ways–I’ve heard visitors to campus liken it to camp more than once. Class and Charter Day is certainly the best example of that, but alcohol isn’t the only thing that brings the student body together. It’s hard to understand how profound the sense of community is and how deep it runs until you’re pried out of your dorm room senior year.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>