Connecticut College Top Questions

I really love the community at Conn, especially in the Spring. Everybody is so friendly when the weather is nice, and people enjoy the outdoors together. I feel that getting involved in extracurriculars is extremely important because you meet people that you may not meet in classes, or socially. It also helps you form a community, which then becomes your best group of friends. New London as a college community is slowly but surely improving. Since Conn is in a "bubble" (a bit separated from New London), you do not have to leave campus for anything, really. It is nice though, to explore New London and the surrounding areas because it has some really great stuff to offer- cafes, shopping, movies, other entertainment. It can get a bit monotonous on campus and leaving always offers a new taste to what there is out there.

Conn coll is a small school where you will really get to know everyone. This is a good thing, but it can sometimes feel suffocating, especially in the social sense. The campus is full of amazing resources if you are brave enough to seek them out and go outside your comfort zone. New London is a fabulous college town, don't be scared of it. It's amazing. Conn has a very normal front but underneath its got this totally awesome artsy side full of musicians and dancers.

The best thing about Conn College, for me is the student body. While Conn is not racially diverse, it is diverse in "types" meaning students have a broad range of interests; the school does not simply sports oriented or arts oriented, there is a great balance. The students are positive and very well-rounded: most play at least one sport, are in a couple of clubs, and put considerable care into their studies. Downtown New London gets a worse rep than it deserves. The problem is not the city but the lack of transportation: downtown has galleries, cafes, bars, and a nice "progressive" atmosphere, but it is not close to campus and the "camel van" is inconvenient and unreliable. The campus itself is gorgeous with old stone buildings and a view of the Long Island Sound and Thames River. There are hundreds of acres to hike around--a resource often neglected by the student body. I have had great experiences with dorms and they tend to be spacious; Sophomores are pretty much garenteed singles, which is great, and all dorms are an equal mix off all classes which really helps breakdown age barriers and create an integrated community. They have been improving the athletic facilities, and will have a totally new fitness center by next year. The library is not very attractive or luxurious, but is large and sufficient for student research, and is part of a consortium with Trinity and Wesleyan, so finding the books I need has never been a problem. The problem with the campus is that the physical area of where there are actually buildings is only about 90 of the campus' 750 acres, add that to the fact that we are surrounded by woods and the campus can feel clostrophobic. People's reaction when I tell them I go to Conn College various: those who know what Connecticut College is are impressed, and those who don't ask about UConn basketball. In the Boston area, where I am from Conn is quite prestigious, so I was suprised to find out that was not the case elsewhere. The reason much of the student body seems to be wealthy is because NESCAC schools seem to attract private school students who have the oppertunity to learn about schools through ample college counseling as opposed to mere word of mouth. But let me put in this way: I came Conn know that most people would not have heard of my school, but that people that mattered (grad schools, jobs) would know my school-- the lack of of a name does not seem to hurt the many Conn students who go on to some of the best grad schools and prestigious financial institutions after graduation. Many students complain that all there is to do on weekends is drink. I have not felt limited to drinking. What I really like about Conn's party scene is the Friday break, meaning, at Conn people generally party on Thursday and Saturday leaving Friday as a night for relaxation. Every Friday the school hosts indie bands at the student center for "Friday Nights Live," there are also student performances, films, and a generally "low-key" atmosphere. This adds a nice break to the weekend. As far as Thursday and Saturday: there is a lot of drinking. Its a work hard/play hard type of school, and many feel that all there is to do is go to a keg (which are held in dorm common rooms) drink in friends' rooms, go then go to the student center which serves as a holding tank for drunk students. It took some searching for me to realize that, while this is the easiest and most common weekend activity, it is by no means all there is to do. Students make oppertunities: Conn's large music community plays a part in this. "MOBROC" the society of bands on campus hosts concerts, djs compete and host dance parties, on campus apartments host theme parties; and then there is always off campus: Providence and New Haven, both of which have great night life are only 45 minutes away, and Boston and New York are two hours respectively. Downtown New London offers a veriety of bars and venues. Ultimately, however, this is a small isolated college, and drinking and socializing is the typical method of blowing off steam. A new president and dean arrived in 2006 who have ambitious plans that seem to be paying off: in the last year, alone, dozens of renovations have occured around campus, our endowment has increased by $60,000,000, and admissions statistics have changed favorably. As a result, Conn seems to be on an up-swing and there is a positive consensus around campus about the changes that are occuring. The administration, however, tends to baby the students, leading to the nickname "camp Conn". Lastly, I think saying any school is "too small" or "too large" is not a helpful comment because it is part of the nature of the school, not a problem with it; if Conn is too small then hundreds of schools are too small... if NYU is too big, then hudreds of schools are too big. Being a small school is an essential part of the Conn College experience: there is a strong sense of community; professors and students form close relationships; and one becomes an important part of the pace and lifeblood of the school after a year or so and finding their "niche".

As with most small schools, sometimes it feels VERY small. Once you meet someone you will see them everywhere, often when you don't want to. Also your business will often become common knowledge. However the small size is one of my favorite parts about the school. I am not an outgoing person and yet I feel like I know everyone. There is also a definite sense of community.

Conn is a small great school that has alot of personality. Everyone gets along and everyone has their own unique style and ideas. Students are able to come together easily and discuss matters from differnt music to politics. You may feel like you know everyone cause you walk by the same people to class everyday but i see someone in harris everytime that i have never seen before.

A little small, but provides amazing opportunities to be close to the faculty. The social scene gets stifling, but there really is no better way to get in touch with the material than look at it closely with professors. The faculty here is PHENOMENAL, and really CARES about the students. There is not very much dating, and the girl/guy ratio really does make a difference...it is hard to find a descent guy because they are in such high demand that they dont want to be tied to one person. The campus is gorgeous, though New London is not. There are a lot of nice restaurants though, and Mystic and Harkness beach are wonderful and easily accessible. Cars are allowed for all four years and all non-freshman get singles.

The best thing about Conn College is the people. Most everyone is very friendly and laid back and generally just wants to have a well-rounded college experience. People usually react in a very nice way, they know that it's an extremely respectable school. Most of the time spent on campus is in friend's room/dorms and on the green (when the weather's nice). Shain library becomes very social when the weather's too cold for the green. The biggest controversy on campus was when a student was kicked out of school for very unfair reasons. There is a bunch of school pride, everyone's always out on the green cheering for lacrosse or soccer games. Hockey games are huge as well, and of course the spring music festival is like Christmas for everyone on campus. The best little known thing about Conn is that the beach is so close, even when it's freezing you can have bonfires on the beach!

The people that go to conn are extremely friendly. The sport teams suck but people still go to all the games and support their friends.

The best thing about Connecticut College is my friends, the small and beautiful campus with its arboretum its close proximity to the water and nice beaches and its fairly liberal students. The worst thing about Connecticut College is its lack of common spaces, housing that accommodates friends living together and party activities. As well if you do not have a car, you can virtually go nowhere and the campus can get very constrictive and boring. I spend most of my time with my friends, during summer it is the beach and during winter it is mostly in my dorm. Although Conn College does not have much of a college town, New London is a growing town in which over my four years at Conn College I have learned to love New London and its many quant restaurants such as lobster dock! As well surrounding towns such as Mystic are very enjoyable and cute. I don't believe there is a lot of school pride because we do not have any major sports teams but when our teams do succeed all of the school goes out to the games to support. One experience that I will remember is FLORALIA and ski club. As well, the first few weeks of school after summer and when the spring comes, the entire school congregates at the beach is something I will never forgot. One thing about Conn College that I do not like is the lack of classes offered and the lack of information about important events or needs that are required by the college.

Conn College is a great place to be because of it's small ratio. However, I would change campus life because some dorms are just tacky! like Lazrus! yo they need some help!!!!!!! People think I go to UCONN when I say i go to Conn College. I spend most of my time at the library so I wish it were open 24 hours.

If you're talking to anyone familiar with small liberal arts colleges, when you say you go to Conn College, you usually get an "Oh! My __ goes there" or "Is it still a women's college?" When you talk to anyone not familiar with these schools (which was pretty much my entire hometown), the response is generally more like, "UConn?" Conn is pretty small and not one of those schools that people easily recognize like Brown or Stanford or Johns Hopkins. Despite the general lack of name recognition outside of the Northeast, I think that Conn is a really great school. I'm studying at one of the best places to learn about Environmental Studies and getting a great education. I wasn't a big fan of the past president, but President Higdon has really gotten involved in the college community and shown that he's going to make Conn a better place. Known as Big Hig on campus, President Higdon really makes an effort to interact with students, learn our names, and remember what we're doing or studying. Conn doesn't have much of an endowment thanks to some past presidential actions, so most students complain about the lack of funding. However, President Higdon really seems committed to improving our financial situation.

Its location is the best thing. 2 hours from boston, 2 hours from NYC and right on the sound. Id change the food. Just right. They usually say "oh great basket ball team"-- meaning U Conn. I spend most of my time in my room, on the water, and in the library. the biggest recent controversy on campus was the development of the conn coll confessional. There could be more school spirit. its unusual that almost everyone that wants a single gets one after freshman year. and its unusal that we have kegs in common rooms. Ill always remember camel sailing. the most frequent complaints are bad food, the internet not working, and campus saftey sucks.

I like the Conn campus, its very pretty. I love walking back from the AC and being able to see the Long Island Sound. And its really fun when the Green is full of students when the weather is nice. I like the size of Conn because its big enough to meet new people and have character, but the relatively small size encourages a stronger sense of community. Unfortunately, New London is lacking and not very accessible. Having a car on campus is the best solution to this pitfall. The school spirit could use a boost. Camplympics is a great demonstration of school spirit, but during the other normal weekends of the school year, the spirit lacks a bit.

The best thing about Conn College is the attitude of the students and staff on campus towards others. Everyone is polite and helpful, and very friendly. If there was one thing I'd change about Connecticut College, it would be the parking situation. There are not very many spots on campus. The school size feels at times too small (as everyone knows everyone); however, this can also be nice because you never feel as though you are just a number. When I tell people that I go to Conn, they are usually impressed. I spend the most time on campus hanging out in my friend's rooms. I go off campus often to dine or shop, but there really is no "college town". I wouldn't choose New London to hang out in. I think there is a lot of school pride- going to games is very popular. Students often complain about the campus safety at Conn, but in reality, their rules are pretty lenient.

I think the best thing about the school is the small atmosphere because it makes the professors approachable and we can build real relationships with faculty. Most of my time on campus is spent hanging out with friends in dorms or apartments or at the athletic center. New London is not much of a college town to be honest, but it has really improved over the past four years and the city is making an effort to improve the downtown. There are some good cafes, bars, and little shops that werent there just a few years ago. The President of the college right now is amazing. He is moving the school in the right direction and is very involved in all aspects of campus life. One thing that does bother me is the lack of school pride. People do not really attend alot of the sporting events and I think not having a football team plays a large part in the lack of school pride.

The best thing about Conn College is the intimate environment. The enormous amount of personal attention and the comfortable size have enabled me to really figure myself out through my major, my interests and my friends. One thing I would absolutely change is the lack of Greek life. On a small campus without access to a city or even a town within walking distance, students need somewhere to go outside of the halls of their dorms. I wish that Conn was close to bars or to frathouses-it would give people somewhere different to socialize than where they live and would be a fun organized way to meet people. Some say that sports team serve as the alternative to Greek life, which shouldn't be the case. Another thing I would change about the school is the residential arrangement. We need suite style living instead of merely singles or doubles. My best friend at BC lives in an 8 man suite with four doubles and a common room, and another group of her friends has one next door. I think it would completely change the dorm life and if the college is looking to make renovations, this is the best place to start. When I tell people that I go to Connecticut College I either get a confused reaction (UConn) or an indifferent one, which always sounds to me like they are blowing it off as a small, mediocre place, which always bothers me.

the small community. coming from the midwest nobody knows about conn.

Too small people are very friendly most time spent in dorm rooms or outside during warm seasons no college town, new londo sucks administration is fair, strait-forward for the most part school pride, but not at sporting events ConnColl Confessional is biggest contraversy

Best thing about conn college: its academics. One thing I'd change: it is very isolated. A little too small, not enough going on socially.

The best thing about Connecticut College is its landscape. It is absolutely beautiful. It overlooks Long Island Sound, which is amazing, but I feel as though it isn't as impressive, because you can see Long Island, and I personally would prefer to just look out on the vast expanse of the ocean, not just what would seem to a Minnesotan to be a lake but for the knowledge that it is the Atlantic. Otherwise, there is an Arboretum on-campus, and it is incredible. For those of you who aren't Environmental Studies savvy, an Arboretum is basically a giant park. No, playgrounds are not included, but there is a lot of Nature. Trees everywhere, a nice lake, even a marsh-type area. A great place to take walks, or lie in the sun on the main hill that leads down to the lake. That's another thing about Conn: there are a lot of 'greens' to relax on, play on, run through, whatever. Just a lot of green mowed fields throughout campus. When it isn't raining, they are covered in students.