<p>Choosing between Wesleyan and Hamilton...thoughts on each?</p>
<p>Either can be a great school for the right student and the other one can be a horrible choice - but the more important thing is what are your thoughts and reasons for wanting to attend either one?</p>
<p>have you visited both? </p>
<p>Hamilton has the nicer campus, but, Clinton seems farther away from everything. In that sense it probably has more in common with Williams College, which shares a similarly colder clime. Trivia:
In Thorton Wilder’s play, Our Town, the character Mr. Webb returns on a train after having been away to give a speech at Hamilton College, his alma mater.</p>
<p>Wesleyan’s campus stretches in all directions, often in the form of quaint clapboard houses that serve as offices and in many cases as student housing. That’s also very much in keeping with little ivy tradition. However, the parts of Middletown closest to campus are much more working class in ambience than similarly sized towns like Northampton or Burlington. Trivia: Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the US, briefly taught history and coached football at Wesleyan.</p>
<p>@jkeil911 Hamilton was the first college I visited; I fell in love with its cozy campus and focus on writing. I’m looking to go to Law School after college in order to impact public policy, and I think the ability to write well is essential in policy work (this is kind of responding to MrMom62 as well). I have an overnight and interview scheduled this week for Hamilton.</p>
<p>I visited Wesleyan twice: my first visit, I was so energized by the openness and drive to progress. I loved everything from the unisex bathroom to the protests. The crossing of disciplines manifested in Feet to the Fire, a schoolwide explosion of art to educate students about environmental issues made sense to me. Also I could see myself participating in the Second Stage at Wesleyan: a theater dedicated to giving non-theater majors a chance to play around with acting and playwriting. The idea of playwriting is super exciting to me, as I’ve written and directed three plays so far for my highschool’s art competition. </p>
<p>When I visited Wesleyan overnight, however, I was a little put off by the amount of talk about drug use and casual sex. I loved how open and down-to-earth the students were, but I just wasn’t used to that. </p>
<p>Interesting dilemma.</p>
<p>Full disclosure - my daughter goes to Hamilton. </p>
<p>That said, I’m going to read your two statements as saying that Hamilton may be the better fit for you. Having investigated just about every top LAC in the Northeast, I knew early on the Wesleyan was not for my daughter for the issues you raise. Unlike you, she’s not an activist and really dislikes politics. Wesleyan has a 24/7 politics reputation which is great if you want that, but it wasn’t for her. So in that sense, it may be better for you, as Hamilton has a much more laid back reputation, though there are activists on campus if you want to find them. Politics at Hamilton is also a little more balanced, which some people find annoying, but if you want to hear the other side, that seems to be available as well, as there is a libertarian/conservative contingent on campus.</p>
<p>Hamilton does have the new Arts center, which you should definitely check out, the dedication is next weekend. Not sure if they’ll have everything you’re looking for, as Wes is known for its arts programs, but you may find it adequate.</p>
<p>I was also aware of the drug and sex reputation Wesleyan has and it also wasn’t for D. (It becomes the focus of a student’s visit to Wesleyan in “The Gatekeepers”, who also feels rather uncomfortable, and that was about a student over 15 years ago. Excellent book you should read.) D is a little more modest. It’s definitely there at Hamilton if you want it, but you don’t feel like an outcast if you don’t. Again, it seems to be a matter of how “in your face” they are about such things, Hamilton is just a less “out there” kind of place. More “nerdy” would be one way of putting it - but everything is there if you’re looking for it.</p>
<p>The writing program at Hamilton can’t be beat because it’s the focus of the college. Great training if you want to be a lawyer, as every class will have a writing or communications component. (Haven’t heard how they do that in Calculus, I’ll have to ask D.)</p>
<p>In short, I can see either place working for you, but it’s sounds like it’s a matter of where you want the flaws to lie - Wesleyan is going to have more pushing your boundary moments which may not be what you want and they are going to be harder to turn away. Hamilton may be more “boring” and not everyone will join in everything, which some people insist on. It’s more a be your own kind of person place, from what I can tell, you just may have to work a little harder there to find what it is you want. That’s my take anyway as a parent, students may have a different perspective.</p>
<p>@MrMom62
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<p>It’s a matter of learning to say, “No, thank you.” a lot. Over the space of three and a half years at Wesleyan I managed to navigate hundreds of social gatherings with nothing stronger than a plastic cup of red wine in my hand which I carefully nursed; I learned how to politely pass a joint without crushing it; and pretty much learned (the hard way) to stay away from any concoction with the name “purple” attached to it. It’s true, we didn’t have pregaming in those days; wine and cheese hours - often with faculty - were pretty ubiquitous. I, along with many college presidents, think that binge drinking in private is by far the bigger problem on most college campuses today. </p>
<p>I completely agree, but some people have an easier time saying “no” than others. And some are just uncomfortable in that situation period, which I can respect. Which I why I suggested that either could work, but sometimes you need to trust your gut instinct and OPs gut instinct seemed to indicate that Wes may be a problem. Sometimes, everything may be perfect on paper, but it’s not a matter of being perfect on paper, it’s a matter of feeling at home. </p>
<p>I would never tell my daughter to marry a guy because he was perfect on paper but she just had this gut feel he wasn’t right. (“He’s a doctor, what’s not to love? So he’s an egomaniac who cheats at the drop of a hat, he’ll take care of you and the children”, said no father ever.) I’d say take a look at what you like, make a note of it, and move on to the next one. Colleges are the same way - there is so much to pick from, you shouldn’t go convincing yourself that something is right when it isn’t. It’s not you being uptight, it’s you being true to yourself.</p>
<p>Teen-age marriages don’t fail because the couple aren’t comfortable with each other (they’re usually very comfortable with each other), but, rather because they they are still growing emotionally and intellectually and can’t anticipate their what their needs will be in a few years. Same thing with colleges.</p>
<p>is there data-driven evidence for this claim, @circuitrider? My observational experience with teen marriage failure is not at all monolithic, that they fail for a ton of reasons, like most marriages that fail. I ask because I’m always interested in learning something that I didn’t know.</p>
<p>Once you have narrowed your choices, I think the single best way to decide between them is with the overnight visit. The overnight visit is much like the first few days of actual college – you can learn more during it than with any other aspect of the selection process. If you override your experience during the overnight, with a hope for a better experience when you are actually at that college, then you are likely to be disappointed.</p>
<p>As for Hamilton matching your interest in writing: the college is the only one that can be positively cross-referenced between USNWR’s “Writing in the Disciplines” and a USA TODAY article, “The 10 best American colleges for writers.”</p>
<p>You will find an opinion on Hamilton’s architecture on a Hamilton/Colgate/Lehigh thread.</p>
<p>Wes is an excellent school but, reputationally at least, is quite different socially from Hamilton. </p>
<p>So see how you like the Hamilton overnight. If everything starts to point in the same direction, then your decision can be easier than you think.</p>
<p>Keep us posted!</p>
<p>Be aware that you can take a theatre course in playwriting as part of your regular academic schedule. At a college with an open curriculum (Hamilton) in particular, it is not only possible to take upper-level courses outside of your concentration, it’s typical.</p>