Colgate University Top Questions

Colgate really stands true to its small size. You get a lot of attention from faculty and are introduced to experiences you might not have at a large school. Colgate is also very tapped into national/international resources - which is so surprising for its small size. The education is amazing and I know that there is no better place I could have gone. Socially, Colgate is very Greek oriented. The majority of students are not Greek, but the majority of students who are more oriented to partying are Greek. Nonetheless, the Greek system at Colgate isn't as strict as most schools and certainly not like the south. It's just a way to have big parties and an established social group. The college 'village' is a traffic light. It's very small and there isn't a lot of shopping or things like that in Upstate New York. This also works to Colgate's advantage because they rule the village and basically no one ever gets into serious trouble. There isn't a ton of school pride at sporting events. We're division 1, but the school is small so fans are spread out across the different sports. School spirit picks up once you're an alum because you realize what an amazing time you had at Colgate.

Colgate is one of the happiest, friendliest places I've ever been. Students are just so happy to be there. Though people often stick with their friends, it is not cliquey; students branch out and have friends from different activities or classes they are involved in or just people they met and hit it off with. Yes, we know how to party, and love to do so, but we also love to do well in school, and we are a driven, successful bunch. We work hard, pack the library, form study groups, get highly esteemed internships, etc. People not from Colgate are skeptical about how people can enjoy life in a small town like Hamilton, NY. Truth is, we love it! The closeness brings everyone together. And speaking of closeness and small, no, we are not too small a school. I meet people I didn't previously know all the time! Literally, every weekend I meet someone new.

The best thing about Colgate is the community aspect it stresses. Since Colgate is located in central New York with a lack of travel opportunities, most students remain on campus throughout the year. This allows deep relationships to form among the students. Even though from the outside others believe that Colgate and the town of Hamilton is too small to have a social life, I do not feel restricted at all. Fraternity parties are great as well as the townhouses and the off campus houses and apartments. The bars are usually the party scene for seniors while the Jug is a dance club/bar for all to enjoy. Hamilton is truly a college town which is awesome because it basically expands the campus even further. Colgate pride is apparent and is seen when students return to their home friends and try to explain the amazingness that is Colgate but just have to settle with the fact that no one will understand outside the students.

Colgate is college. Work hard play hard.

The best thing about Colgate is the community. Colgate students and alumni LOVE the school and just knowing someone else is from Colgate immediately makes you like them, simply because of that fact. The campus is extremely friendly and close-knit and everyone is very well rounded. Most students excel in academics, sports, extracurriculars and still manage to find time to go out and have fun.

Colgate is an amazing school with a beautiful campus. The students and professors are all exceedingly nice and it is clear how important education is to all who go there. The town of Hamilton is small but the close community makes it a friendly place to go to school. You spend a lot of time studying and working hard but there are always fun things going on that you can use as a distraction.

Great size and lots of good people around if you're willing to search. I would want more people to take a stand for what they believe in and to try to help the surrounding community. We live in a poor county and most people do nothing to improve the lives and their interactions with the surrounding communities. Kind of insular. People respect the name, which is good, but that's not a good reason for anyone to go anywhere. Go for your EXPERIENCE. There could be more of a town around, but you have to do the best you can with what you've got. It's also eye-opening to see a different kind of life, and I think we all have a lot to learn about different ways of life--they exist everywhere. The administration has a lot to deal with, and deals with a lot poorly, but I'm sure it's no worse than most other comparable schools. I will never forget most of my experiences here, and that's a great thing. Even the bad ones teach us a lot; always a good thing to keep in mind.

The administration and faculty do really care, so long as you make the effort to actually get to know them. Sometimes the school can feel a bit claustrophobic, especially when driving elsewhere is not an option. Most people haven't heard of Colgate, or if they have they only mention something about academics or cardiac hill. The most recent controversy deals with juicycampus.com, where a student posted a threat that ended up shutting down the campus. There is a good amount of school pride, but everyone is pretty apathetic. You have to find your little group at Colgate and stick with them- you'll be able to find some really cool people if you look.

Colgate is not exactly a mecca of diversity but you can find a lot of really great things, opportunities, and people here. It's a small town but it doesn't get boring because everyone is usually so busy that they can't possibly take advantage of everything. The Greek life is pretty strong which has been a friction point between students/alumni and the administration. Even so, as a non-Greek I don't find it too oppressive of a culture. People have their different groups of friends and that's that. The party culture is pretty strong and the social scene wears thin by the end (there aren't a whole lot of places to go) but there are alternatives as well.

Colgate is the most beautiful campus I have ever seen, though it is somewhat in the middle of nowhere. Hamilton doesn't have much to offer by way of entertainment, but the places in town are well loved by students and frequented often. Students spend most of their time on campus, but a lot get away on the weekends to go to neighboring cities or universities. Colgate is the perfect size, with about 3000 students. It is neither too large nor too small. You can avoid the people you dont want to see, but you don't walk very far without seeing a familiar face. There is a lot of school pride that extends not just to athletics, but to general pride in what this school has to offer. We are D1, so that is a great source of school spirit, but we also have unique elements that makes colgate truly special. For example, we just had the Dalai Lama come speak here, and for such a small school, it was a major accomplishment.