I got accepted RD to both of these schools with same financial aid offer + spot on basketball team. What is each school like and what are some big differences?
Vassar: beautiful campus with a unified look to buildings, suburban near small city, liberal, artsy, intellectual, coed for many years by now but formerly all-female, no fraternities, mostly open curriculum (language and quantitative requirements).
Hamilton: Rural, a mix of pretty older buildings and more modern buildings (light side/ dark side, in their parlance), formerly all-male Hamilton merged with female Kirkland, part of competitive NESCAC athletic conference, significant fraternity presence by percentage (although no frat houses), fully open curriculum (one of very few incl. Brown, Smith, Amherst, Grinnell).
My husband went to Vassar and loved it. I hear great things about Hamilton, too. Visit both. Which matches you better in ‘feel’? You won’t go wrong academically.
For kind of a sense of what Vassar “jocks” do in their “spare time” and how students there support each other’s varied talents and interests, here’s a story about some of DS’s friends:
https://shar.es/1YDNKX
Check the basketball schedules. Most of the NESCAC schools are in New England so there may be more travel time involved at Hamilton. You will spend a lot of time with the team so I hope you get to meet the team before you decide. S2 loved his athletic team and particparticipated all four years at Vassar. Both schools are great options!