Colgate University Top Questions

I really enjoy the small, intimate classroom sizes. The campus is also very beautiful. I would change some of the ResLife policies. I think some of them are a little absurd such as charging a fee for "inappropriate check in and check out." I'd also change their policies about parking up the hill between 7am and 3pm or atleast work on the Cruiser schedules and efficiency. I think Colgate is, overall, just right in size. My freshman year I attended the University of Wisconsin which has a student body of about 44, 000. That environment was too overwhelming for me, so I am really pleased about the smaller atmosphere at Colgate. However, at times, it can definitely feel a little too small which is only emphasized by the size of Hamilton. People generally sound impressed when I say I go to Colgate. It obviously has quite an outstanding reputation and that is reflected by the comments I receive. Hamilton is in the middle of nowhere. It's a cute and quaint town, but it gets a little tiring going to the same places over and over again. I'm pretty pleased with Colgate's administration. Biggest recent controversy was over the scandal with the college gossip website in which a student made a threatening remark that caused the school to go into a tizzy. I'm actually not that impressed with our student body pride. At sporting events, it seems that not that many students end up attending or there just isn't a lot of cheering and enthusiasm.

Colgate is a fun place despite what people say about how it is in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. There is always something fun to do whether it is drinking or other. The only problem is that the administration hates fun and wants to get rid of fraternities.

Colgate is a small community of leaders and innovators. The best thing about Colgate is the passion that everyone has for the place and making it better. Colgate is undoubtedly a college town with a majority of the downtown establishments being connected to the university. The administration is receptive and friendly and willing to work with students.

Colgate is amazing. It is a glorified country club where we earn an "education". We call it the Colgate bubble because that's what it is and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's the perfect size in the sense that whereever you are you always know someone, yet you never stop meeting new people. The best things about Colgate are the parties, THE JUG, the professors, the small campus (everything is within walking distance), and the natural beauty of the school. The worst part is the administration which is generally uptight and trying to ruin the school's party reputation. They should let it be. The reason kids come to Colgate in the first place is because they are looking for the perfect balance between work and play. We are a school with a great academic reputation as well as a school that likes to "get down" as the kids say. The most recent controversy was when some kid said on Juicycampus.com that he could shoot up the school and everyone went apeshit. There is school pride (but no athletic pride really with the exception of hockey) and the most common student complaint is the bitter cold during the winter months.

In my opinion, Colgate provides the perfect college experience. Academically, it's top notch. Most students make personal relationships with almost all of their professors. Professors are always more than willing to reach out to students, have lunch with them, help them, answer last minute questions on their home number at 3 a.m. etc. There is always research being conducted as with most larger institutions and Colgate is very accommodating to students whose interests are not met on campus. Colgate even got all students to see the Dalai Llama on campus this spring! In light of arts and athletics, Colgate is also hard to beat. Colgate athletics are a large part of the community, I think, as everyone knows some athletes personally and that sporting events draw in a large pool of the community (or at least the tail gates do...). With several patriot league championships earned this year alone, how could Colgate students not feel a sense of pride when supporting their school. As for the arts, Colgate has wonderful programs. I love having classes in Ryan and Dana so I can admire all the beautful work on the way to class. Colgate's always bringing in great performances for the students, like everything from world class piano players and jazz groups to African Art troupes to modern photography exhibits. Most schools have amazing opportunities like that for their students, but I feel that at Colgate, everything is more personalized for the students and hits closer to home as it is a smaller institution. As for the social scene, my Colgate experience has far exceeded what any College Prowler told me it would be. Although it's a small school, I am constantly meeting new people. As a freshman, there is not a lot to do if you don't like to party, which I think is Colgate's biggest problem. However, Colgate's location is beautiful and I always make my family just drive around the surrounding area when they come because it is so beautiful. Hamilton is also home to Big Norm: the world's largest pig! Norm is quite the attraction and you can ride him for $1 although on most days he doesn't move. Greek life is a large part of the Colgate scene, but it's very different than most other schools. Colgate students do not rush until the fall of their sophmore year which gives time for students to make their own friends for a year first and really get to know people in all different kinds of groups before commiting to one. Also, Greek life isn't as serious as it is at larger institutions. For the most part, everyone gets along and Beta guys will hang out with Sigma guys with no animosity. Everyone just likes to party together. The sorority scene is nothing terrible either. Each sorority takes large pledge classes and are really nice and accepting you most always get bids to which ever you want. Overall, the greek life is just a way to get to know people without being on a sports team and provides great parties! Other than the Greek scene, Colgate students for the most part get along. I meet new people all the time and most of campus can be seen intermingling on a Saturday night in the Old Stone Jug or eating Slices (the famous one slice New York Pizzeria). Colgate provides the perfect blend of the academia of an Ivy League, the school spirit and athletics of a Big 10, the small feel of a rural, safe small town school, and the party scene of animal house.

Colgate is an interesting school. Sure, it's interesting that we share the name of a popular brand of toothpaste, but by that statement I'm referring to the fact that in the span of one week, you can hear a lecture on happiness by the Dalai Lama himself and live out that lesson by attending an OkGo concert during Spring Party Weekend. Obviously, Colgate University is multi-faceted. There is a heavy emphasis on scholarship, of course, but we are not just about the serious stuff in life. We can laugh at the silly dentist school jokes our family members crack, but we're also capable of coming up with witty retorts. We use the multi-million dollar Ho Science Center for labs and a quiet space to study, but its planetarium also comes in handy for watching the Magic School Bus. We're a veritable oxymoron: tanned students in the middle of a Central New York winter, a small school with a big-campus attitude. Without it, we'd probably just be Colgate "College".

The size and location of Colgate are perfect for my tastes. I'm a townie from a big state university, so Colgate's close and intimate environment were the main attractions for me. Colgate's administration, in my experience, is very efficient in dealing with students. Although they've made some very disagreeable decisions over the years (see DKE affair), the administration has given the campus very nice new facilities (Ho Science Center, Case Library) and helps keep Colgate running smoothly. Downtown Hamilton itself is a very nice little town with nice people who like Colgate (and Colgate students with fat wallets), but outside of the immediate town the countryside seems poor.

The education is amazing, the Professors are all wonderful and the size of the school is great! The student to teacher ratio is 10:1 which means you have an opportunity to know your Professors on a more personal level. The class sizes are smaller so discussion is a main factor really making the learning environment much more interactive and enjoyable. The town is pretty small, and far from any city but it is very nice and all the necessities are nearby. The athletic facilities are very nice, except for maybe one or two. When people hear that you are attending Colgate or have graduated from there they are always very impressed and it is very useful when applying for jobs. The Alumni network is incredible. It is large and spreads throughout the world giving many connections in order to find jobs or internships. Most complaints about the school are the amount of homework, the smallness of the town, and the distance from any large city.

Colgate's faculty is top notch, and I love how the school is isolated. This environment has fostered passions and nurtured friendships for all of us. I hated Colgate freshman year--very few students seemed intellectual or genuiniely interested in academics, and Greek life dominated the social scene. I decided against rushing sophomore year, and for a while I felt left out of a lot of rights of passage and traditions at Colgate. However, I tried as hard as possible to maintain an open mind. It took a lot of hard work for me to enjoy Colgate, but once I found my niche(s), I couldn't be happier. I've learned to love Hamilton and the idea of being guaranteed to see my fellow classmates wherever I choose to go on a Friday or Saturday night. I've developed interests and passions, and close relationships with professors. Colgate's size is perfect--small enough to know everyone and to have personal attention and access to various resources, and large enough to offer a variety of research opportunities, etc. A lot of the criticisms are true: Colgate students are mostly preppy and White; Hamilton is small, isolated, and cold; Greek life dominates the social scene, etc.; but if you trust yourself and your ability to find your niche despite all of this, you will be rewarded, and you will grow to love Colgate!

If you want to go to a school that offers you a great opportunity for success after college than Colgate is the place to go. The alumni network is unbelievable and the alumni are very accessible.