Colgate University Top Questions

The best thing about Colgate is how students and professors interact with one antoher. The size of the school is small enough to feel at home, but large enough to still meet new people each day. When people hear that I attend Colgate University, they are always impressed due to its reputation. While on campus, I spend most of my time in neighboring freshman dorms. Hamilton, NY is truly a college town, as the students make up a large portion of the towns population. The Colgate administration is very proud of the institution as a whole and its students, they truly immerse themselves in the Colgate scene. One of the biggest controversies on campus at the moment is the institution's ownership of the Greek life houses. School spirit is always on high at Colgate. Unusual events frequently occur on campus, as each student is an interesting individual with different ideas. Many students frequently complain about the food here, however, they find themselves frequenting the dining halls very often (not only for the food but for the social atmosphere)

The 'gate is the best place on Earth!!!

The best thing that comes with Colgate is the name. You tell someone you go to Colgate, and all of a sudden they have everything to say to you.

Colgate is a small, rural college with small, intimate classes. For me, as a Japanese major and an Outdoor Education staff member, it is the perfect place to study, make friends, and play in the outdoors. The language program here is very good, and the teachers are great (at least in the Japanese department). The Adirondacks are pretty close for hiking and skiing is only 45 minutes away in the winter. Plus, there are trails around campus that are perfect for running, biking, or skiing in the winter.

Colgate is a gorgeous school built onto a hill, overlooking a lake with swans and willow trees. If you're looking for a secluded, beautiful campus with a strong sense of community, this is the place for you. Everyone here is really friendly, and this is one of the safest places I've ever been. On the flip side, the town is small, so if you need to go to Wal-mart, be prepared to drive for a half hour (assuming you have a car). For better or for worse, by the end of your college experience, you will probably know more than half the campus. So it's great to go anywhere and see people you know, but it can be awkward when you hook up with someone and the next day, everyone on campus knows. It's also not a good dating campus, because your friends are your significant other's friends, and despite breaking up, you may still see your ex daily. On another note, this is an incredibly diverse campus. I guarantee that at least one of your best friends will live on an entirely different continent.

People may ask...why Colgate? It's in the middle of nowhere. It may not be in the middle of NYC or Chicago, but that's what makes it Colgate. We are a community that enjoys being at Colgate with one another and spending time on campus. From lying out in the Hamilton green, playing softball on Whitnall field, or watching Dancefest in the chapel there is always something to do without leaving campus.

Colgate, on the whole, is fantastic. This past year has been one of the best of my life. Between its relatively small size, absolutely incredible events and speakers that come here (i.e. Dali Lama, Ben Stein, etc) and the fact that even though there is no "town" per se, there is always something to do on campus Colgate is great. Even if you want to maintain the sober lifestyle there's always something to do. Although I recommend you come here with the intention to drink. It makes life much easier.

Colgate life is pretty much spent within a bubble. We do not really get to experience life outside of Colgate. The town is really small and seems as if it's only there for our use. It sometimes gets boring and kind of repetitive. It's also in the middle of nowhere and the closest city is Syracuse, which isn't too exciting. It snows way too much. It snowed till April this year. The cold is unbelievable. The snow is one of the things I dislike the most about Colgate. You feel trapped.

Best thing about Colgate is the student body, we are all smart, motivated people who are truly kind and generous. One thing I'd change is the weather, it's cloudy and rainy from November-March. For me, the size of Colgate is just right, it seems a bit small at times but it's comforting to know that everywhere you go you will see someone you know. I spend majority of my time either in the dining hall, in the training room (work), sleeping in my bed or at the library. The town (village) of Hamilton is nice, but very small. Not a whole lot to do and we are very isolated, but the college does a great job of providing things to do and access to daily needs. There is very little school pride when it comes to sports. First football game is probably the best attended sporting events. There is a lot of grumbling about Colgate's administration and the tight regulations that it imposes on the curriculum. The most frequent complaint is the strictness of the dining halls on meals.

Colgate is in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York and I thought that I wouldn't really notice that fact, but it ended up that I did. The town is one intersection big and a lot of the time it seems like there is nothing to do here but drink/go out. There's a movie theater, but the popcorn tastes bad. The town is cute, the people are nice, other towns aren't too far away. If you don't have a car though, you might end up feeling trapped. People tend to find their groups of friends really quickly and easily and for those that do, college at Colgate is amazing. For those that don't find that group, it sometimes feels like it's really hard to get into one/to find a place to belong. Almost everyone here loves it, but I've found some reasons not to. I don't have a close group of friends and find it difficult to integrate myself into groups to call them my best friends. I don't play a sport and, as a high school athlete, that was a huge void to fill. Classes can be boring sometimes or they can be alright. The work load isn't too bad and there's lots of time to get the work doe if you're not playing a sport. I find it easy to be lazy here and not want to partake in things that are going on.

The best people go here. Great culture. Nearly everyone is friendly. The "colgate hello" is not a myth. It has a great reputation academically. If you don't mind the small town setting that is DOMINATED by the university this is a great place to be. Administration is ? Things are always being updated. Great new library and science center. Updates on athletic center and huntington gymnasium to come.

Colgate students are proud to go to Colgate. With its small size and even smaller town, the Colgate community is always emphasized and you really feel at home when you are here. People are friendly, and always want to have fun. WORK HARD, PLAY HARD - our mantra that comes through so clearly as you see every student cramming in the library and then out that night. The students are connected in this commmunity to each other, their professors, and the administration, and it is not strange to see strong friendships and working relationships among all of them. I have always loved and embraced this sense of community, and while I know most of the faces I see around campus, I am always ready to meet the ones I do not know. My only complaints - the snow and the Cruiser's inability to follow a schedule.

Everyone loves it here. Out of the whole first year that I was here I only heard one real complaint about the school and it was from a girl who didn't fit here and because of this she left.

The best part about Colgate is the students. Everybody seems to work really hard and get their stuff done and then have a great time, and everyone is very sociable and friendly. Also, there is a lot of student involvement, but at the same time people tend to be very apathetic to the "real world." The town is completely geared towards the student body, but its small size limits your possibilities pretty quickly. There is a lot of friction between the administration and the Greek system, but the houses are all old enough that they should be around for some time no matter what. The campus is absolutely beautiful, especially on perfect summer days and snowfalls.

I love classes here and I love the atmosphere. It is a great school!

When I tell people I go to Colgate, most people seem to know someone who went there, or have heard about it, which I always find surprising given the size. I am very proud of the fact of the size that we are that we make a very loud splash. Although I think everyone has different experiences that they will remember about Colgate, I think the friends that people make and the connections made are the most important part. Frankly, the administration could care less about the well-being of the student body, they just appear to care about what looks good for them, and what helps put Colgate higher on the US News rankings. I think that school pride has decreased, evident in the poor attendance at sports events, and the attempt of the school to shut down anything that involves alcohol. I will always remember riding down in a wheel chair at the DKE house at 4 in the morning.

Colgate has helped make who I am today. Spending almost all my time on campus in a secluded area of Hamilton village during the school time forces me to really indulge in the special environment where unlimited opportunities are offered and created. I have taken advantage of many things available at Colgate. Informative lectures, challenging classes, study abroad group, networking events, etc. I owe most of my achievements so far to Colgate. If you come here with the right attitude, you will learn from and love it a lot.

Colgate could be a little bigger or nearer to other colleges, a city- it's nice to be small and have more personal attention and see familiar faces, but at the same time it'd be nice to have the refreshing experience of meeting someone new. Despite Colgate's best efforts, there is effectively no college town here, and diversity isn't as great as one is led to believe The administration run Colgate very efficiently and do a lot to entice/reward/bribe the student population into experiencing Colgate in all ways, academics and culture. For some reason, however the administration has a very negative view on fraternity life and ... two ply toilet paper.

Colgate is a pretty small school located in the middle-of-nowhere New York. Sometimes the small town is a bit stifling, and if you don't have a car it is always a big deal to get a ride with someone else off campus. Even going to Target is a luxury. However, the smallness of it all means that the community is pretty self-contained; you could almost call it a bubble. The administration tries to emphasize how we cooperate with the community, and there are certainly many community service groups at Colgate, but from my perspective the town is very separate from the university. It serves the needs of students when we need it, yet otherwise I feel that we all ignore it. And we love the number 13. It's kind of a big deal.

The best thing about Colgate is that everyone loves to have a good time. As soon as people finish their work, everyone is looking to party and there is always something to do. Another great thing about Colgate is that everyone loves it equally. When I was abroad the Colgate kids (whether or not they were actually friends at school) only wanted to hang out with each other. We have a special bond that other schools can not relate to because we are in the "colgate bubble" and develop a certain life style that is different from other schools. Some people may think Colgate is too small, but I love the feeling of knowing the majority of people out at the bars or in a fraternity party and there are always new faces to meet if you try. When I tell people I go to Colgate they say "wow, thats a great school" or "everyone I know that goes there is absolutely obsessed with it, you guys really know how to have a good time up there. Although there are not many bars downtown, each one is slightly different and the fact that the Jug is 19 and over really allows freshman to join the scene and gives them something fun to do. The one thing that I would change about Colgate is that there is not really any school pride. You would think a division one small school would support each other but really we have very little attendance at sports games. People tailgate the football game and its really fun but then they leave when the game actually begins. Hockey games are also rarely attended by upperclassman.