Gene
For the most part, the professors at Trinity are excellent. Anyone can get a good education by dedicating himself to his work, no problem. It's the student body that's the main problem: others are stupid, inarticulate, and thoughtless. Partying is the main order of the day. Hartford is a slummy dump, so there's no real escape. The most frequent student complaints are against the homophobic, misogynistic, and racist fraternities and against the general danger of being outside past 9:00.
Monique
We go to a small school but we can do all the things that a big University can do. Trinity embraces the individual voice. You can move mountains at Trinity, as long as you're motivated. Hartford has a lot to offer; most students don't take advantage of the great resources available in Hartford. We have an amazing faculty at our disposal. Racism is rampant at Trinity. The TrinTrin culture continually assults women and students of color.
Courtney
Trinity is a small school, and it is perfect that way. Despite the bad reputation of the Hartford area, Trinity is a gem among the area. The campus is very beautiful, and after the long walk renovation, it will be even more beautiful. There is a lot to do on campus, and a lot of diversity. There is a great scene at Trinity, and a small bar across the street. The administration and professors are excellent, for the most part. I find it is very difficult to find a professor that I don't like.
Laura
The best thing about Trinity is the available resources it has to offer.
I would make more classes available, or make the student body larger-campus larger.
Some people say Trinity is a godd school and some never heard about it.
I spend most of my time in the library using computers.
"What college town?"
Controversy-personal safety, some kid's are being to reckless- they are not street smart at all.
School pride is there.
Harper
Best thing is the quality of the professors. Great professors in philosophy and poli sci departments especially.
-there is no parking. students forced off campus, made to register, then get ticketed / towed --all the time. no parking, for commuters especially, is absurd.
-school is too small and not diverse (but this was expected before i came here)
-not much school pride, i dont think
-frats are the social scene, organized in a heierarchy of wealth. also absurd.
-lots of drinking, drugs, and cigarette smoking
-one girl was raped the other week at 4:00am on trinity campus. this is the major controversy, safety. was it her fault? campus safety's fault?
Rory
The best thing about Trinity is the size. Its small enough so that I see people I know basically everywhere, and I know the majority of people in my class, even if only by face. The people are really friendly, and I feel like there really aren't that many loners. Everybody fits in somewhere and people tend to find their groups of friends pretty quickly. The one major let down of going to Trinity is being in Hartford. It's basically a shit show, so people spend basically all of their time on campus. The majority of the party scene takes place at the fraternities which also gets a little old at times.
Crissy
Horrible location, bring a handgun to school because campus safety wont do anything to keep you safe and the locals are armed. The campus needs to be closed or made safer.
But that doesn't stop the fun and we still manage to have a good time.
Sasha
Trinity is somewhat isolated from the local Hartford community, despite efforts to the contrary. Camp Trin-Trin is an accurate nickname.
Caroline
The best thing about Trinity is the cultural opportunities provided to students, both through the school and through the city. I think the size is just right. While it can feel small at times, a school of 2,300 students means that there will always be new people to meet yet there are recognizable faces that greet you with a smile each time you leave your dorm room.
Casey
Trinity is a small school, which means small classes. Students and professors know each other and you begin to build relationships with your professors from the first day of class. I've never taken a class that had more than 40 people in it and that was an intro. class. Trinity is a party school, but students take their work very seriously as well. Trinity is in a city and is located in a very poor neighborhood. Hartford as a lot to offer and there's access to public transportation in and out of the city. People don't go downtown as often as one would think. However, if you want to the option is always there. Trinity students prefer to stay inside the Trinity bubble than travel outside of it. Trinity has had some problems with campus safety and racism. As a minority student, I've always felt completely comfortable at Trinity and never have had to deal with any racism. Other minority students tend to segragate themselves and, in my opinion, that plays a major role in the campus climate in terms of racism. Trinity administration isn't always as concerned about the student body as one would think it should be at such a small school. For example, they guaranteed housing for four years, but my junior year there was a housing shortage and half of the junior class had to move off-campus. Another example is their planning of Spring Weekend during the first days of Passover.
Virginia
I love Trinity! One of Trinity's many appeals is its small size- only about 2,200 total undergraduate students. It provides for a close-knit and personable community that all sorts of individuals can excel in and enjoy. Most people positively respond when I tell them I go to Trinity; however since I am from California, many people on the West Coast have not heard of small, private liberal arts colleges in New England. Those from the East Coast, especially the New England area, respect Trinity students and the schools academic reputation. The most common response you would receive to the question of "what would you change about the school?" would be the location, which is Hartford, Connecticut. Most people would describe the surrounding area of Trinity's campus as a "ghetto," and to be perfectly honest that is fairly accurate. The biggest controversy at Trinity would be related to the surrounding city and its role of safety on the campus itself. Although Hartford may not be your typical college town, in its defense it has a lot of really good restaurants that the students frequent. During the week I spend time studying in the library- which is beautiful- or hanging out in Peter B's, the coffee shop. On the weekends my time, along with the majority of the very social campus, is spent in the fraternities. A lot of students play sports here, and are proud of our unique and quirky mascot- the Bantam- but there isn't an overwhelming sense of school spirit. In the beginning of the year there is quite a show at the football games and the same in the spring with baseball, because both of the teams are good and the students will usually take advantage of the good weather and drink with their friends.
Brooke
I would get rid of the Greek life. It's unnecessary at such a small school, and kids, especially freshmen, think it's awesome to get drunk and go out to frats and dance with strangers. I guess you'd call this the social life, but there's nothing social about dancing belligerently with strangers, is there? Unless you have a car, you're pretty stranded on campus. The area of Hartford is really dangerous and you shouldn't go anywhere by yourself if you walk off campus. Having a car is awesome - you can go to the mall or to West Hartford which are both about a 10 minute drive and are really nice.
maggie
I really like that Trinity is not at all a 'suitcase school' meaning that most students remain on or around campus throughout the week and weekends. However, this can lead to a 'bubbling' affect. There is not as much interaction with the Hartford community because most students are campus centered.
alyce
i think there is a great deal of school pride-i spend a majority of time involved with my accapello group, the trinitones, and i love it. i am amazed by how many students at trinity support accapello as there is always a huge turnout for all of our concerts. I spend the majority of time on campus in either a. the dining halls or b. the library. i love the library at trinity-i find it to be the best place to get your work done as there is such a warm and calm atmosphere to it.
Ashley
there is a diverse social climate on this campus, and at times that can make things rocky. i would love for there to be one thing that ties all students together (possibly a college town), but in the meantime, there are countless debates that come up along this point, with little to be done about the problem.
Danielle
Academically Trinity is a spectacular school. I cannot say enough about how supportive and knowledgable my professors are or how stimulating my classes are. There are ample opportunities to enrich your knowledge outside of the classroom and wonderful events that are held on campus. Unfortunately, I wish more students took advantage of the wonderful things Trinity has to offer. Many events are sparsely attended.
Socially, Trinity is an active and fun environment, however, given its size it can feel a little small by senior year. Greek life plays an active role in the social scene at Trinity, which is an excellent outlet for those involved. However, can be difficult for those outside of it. The resources of Trinity's Greek community i.e. the number of frats and sororities and the number of events they hold or people they accept does not match the demand. Students are thus sometimes left out in the cold.
The downtown scene in Hartford and Trinity's college bar, The Tap helps to alleviate this problem for many seniors. Dtudents from all different social circles go to bars downtown and The Tap, thus they become excellent places for running into friends.
Britney
The best thing about Trinity are the friends you make. this school has a prestigious reputation and has gret classes.
amanda
the best thing about trinity is the beautiful campus green, springtime on the quad. i'd make it safer by adding more lights. trinity is just right. i get positive reactions when i say i go to trinity. i spend most of my time in the library. downtown hartford and west hartford are great- delicious restaurants; however, the surrounding area is a bit dangerous. safety is a big issue at our school, and the fact that a student just recently was assaulted is a horrible problem.
Stephanie
I like that its a smaller school in a urban setting but has a campus. The downside is that the urban setting is Hartford, although it does provide for a good learning experience. Go school for connections but only in this part of the country. Biggest controversies on campus are safety and diversity.
Shelby
For the most part, Trinity is a fantastic college. Trinity facilitates an environment where kids work hard and party hard. Although located in a terrible neighborhood, the city of Hartford and West Hartford offer a lot of opportunities to students... internships, shopping, banks, restaurants, etc
biggest (recent) conroversy: racism