Colgate University Top Questions

Colgate is a great size. You know a lot of the people you see in passing but at the same time continue to meet new people with every new class, activity, or function you attend. Hamilton is small and your shopping and dining options are limited but in some ways that is a positive as it encourages students to be more creative and spend less time thinking about material pursuits and instead spend time with each other. Colgate has a great reputation for those who have heard of it. The academics, sports teams, and opportunities here really are fantastic if your willing to seek them out.

The best thing about Colgate is different for everyone because people take from it very different experiences. I'm really not sure what my favorite thing about Colgate has been. Maybe the generally different way it's made me look at the world, as cliche as that sounds. The most frequent student complaints are the weather, it's too small, there's no city nearby, and there's no dating scene. Personally, the lack of dating scene is what gets me.

My favorite thing about Colgate is how easy it is to get involved, whether it is with a club, team, or special activity. One thing I would improve is the availability of transportation. Although not many people are leaving campus on weekends, it's difficualt if you have to leave and you don't have a car. Colgate is just the right size: it's small and personable, but large enough where you're still meeting new people. When I tell people I'm at Colgate, they are either impressed or have no idea what Colgate is. Although not every sports event draws a big crowd, there is a lot of school pride. This comes largely from the fact that the majority of students of Colgate want to be there and like the school.

I know I've made a good choice when I sit back and realize that my biggest complaint about Colgate is the toothpaste jokes. It is a beautiful campus, with up-to-date facilities and professors that want you to succeed. As for the people, Colgate students love other Colgate students; everyone is generally pretty friendly. The small size and secluded location make it a very personal place. I would choose this school again every time. You just have to be ready for a few toothpaste jokes...

The best thing about Colgate is the accessibility to the professors. As a small school in a small town (the town's population approximately doubles when school is in session) it is hard for professors to hide. As a result you get some very tight relationships with the professors; ones that often continue by way of research, advice, or simply conversation after you have completed that professor's class. The social scene is another story, however. Students are relatively nice by day and generally unapproachable by night. Drinking is big at any college campus, but with little-no alternatives at Colgate it is very hard to find a group of people with whom you can have fun without drinking. Now that I'm almost done with my second year I'm finally beginning to build a social base with which I am comfortable, but it seems awfully late to still be struggling with this issue (and you don't want to be in sub-free housing even if you are sub-free; there is a label you will never shed).

I would change the food services, and some of the formalities that are unnecessary and impossible to work around. The campus size is just right, although that is an opinion. For the most part, people have heard of Colgate and know that it is almost Ivy league quality. I spend most of my time in class, at the COOP (student lounge/food area) and in my room. It is a college town - I believe our students fuel half of the local stores and businesses. The administration is good, albeit a little stiff. Biggest recent controversy: a fake shooting threat. Yes, there is a lot of school pride - we all own AND wear Colgate sweatshirts.

The best thing about Colgate is the close sense of community gained from having less than 3000 students. If I could change one thing about Colgate, I would move it about 500 miles South.

"What's the best thing about Colgate?" A sense of ambition that is felt in every aspect of the Colgate experience. "Name one thing you'd change." I'd revamp both the meat choices and the vegetarian protein sources in the cafeteria. "Is your school too large, too small, or just right?" Just right for everything but theater, in which case it's a bit too small. "How do people react when you tell them you go to Colgate?" If they know of the university, they are impressed. "Where do you spend most of your time on campus?" The theater/studio. "College town, or 'what college town?'" "What college town" in that it's located in the middle of nowhere/the Yukon territory of beautiful upstate New York. "What's your opinion of Colgate's administration?" It could use a lesson in humility; there is tension between the admin and the students because of the false sense of trust that is projected by the admin. "What was the biggest recent controversy on campus?" Some chump went on the path of "Oh, why don't I pretend to want to conduct a school shooting" kind of think on JuicyCampus.com, and he was tracked down by the NY Police, gave a statement, &c. "Is there a lot of school pride?" Absolutely. Each year Starr Rink is PACKED for the Colgate-Cornell hockey. "Is there anything unusual about Colgate?" The devotion of the faculty to the students, and the reciprocated drive of the students. "What's one experience you'll always remember?" Receiving my Early Decision I acceptance letter. "What are the most frequent student complaints?" The amount of girls who wear Ugg boots with leggings and miniskirts DURING THE WINTER SNOW STORMS, and popped Polo collars.

The best thing are the people. I love making so many great friends and meeting new people. I would make the school larger. I thought it was a great size for the first three years but then by senior year I felt like there were no longer new people to meet. People are impressed when I say I go to Colgate. I spend most of my time at the athletic center for Lacrosse. Town wouldn't exist without the college. I like the administration on an academic level, but I dislike it from an athletic perspective. Biggest controversy - juicycampus post about shooting people. There is school pride, but not athletic pride. Unusual - it's completely in the middle of nowhere. I will always remember my experiences when the weather gets nice and people start loving life. The most frequent complaints is the bad weather.

Colgate is a place of traditions. We don't necessarily see them every day, but we are living within them. Whenever something has the number "13" on it, you say "Of Course, what else!" (Thirteen is Colgate's lucky number, and it's hard to miss that fact if you hang around here for even just a little while.) You follow the senior honor society (Konosioni) up the hill in a torchlight procession at Orientation, and you walk with your classmates back down in your caps and gowns four years later. You know that "Cornell Sucks". You live for Spring Party Weekend. You've been to most of the men's hockey games in any given season. You wear Colgate gear on Friday the 13th, and even if you're not on campus, you probably see someone else doing the same... and you have a spur-of-the-moment conversation with them like you knew them for years. Did I mention that Cornell Sucks?