Every Professor knows your name. Class sizes are maxed out at 40, and those are the intros. The median class size is less than 20. My Russian class was six, and it was just a russian discussion mixed with grammar every day. Similarly, my 425 econ class had 8 people, and we just discussed theories and models in financial markets with our professor (who wrote the textbook). Professors know who you are, and they are teachers, not researchers. They are always available and eager to talk to you about whatever you want. That it includes tangential topics to their courses, extracurricular advice, and just about anything else. Usually, you need to take the initiative to engage your professor, but that is to be expected. Class discussion is normally tame, but students are always happy to discuss extremely controversial subjects. Furthermore, the fact that everyone is so smart as well as extremely relaxed means that you're in a learning environment 24/7. It's common to be downtown at the bars or a house, trashed, and you'll bump into a friend and end up discussing whether pareto efficiency is a good definition for efficient markets, and then probably not remember it the next day. I have never seen anyone criticized for being into their schoolwork. It's admired. People are only criticized for not being socially active. Students are not competitive with one another at all. The school is very small, so you will know just about everyone, and by your senior year you will have taken a lot of classes with other people in your major. They will help you and teach you as much as your professor, and you will help them. Students do care deeply about their grades, but it's not a competitive environment. As an economics major, I am incredibly impressed with the department. The courses are difficult, and I've become an economic encyclopedia. The professors are extremely friendly, brilliant, helpful, and approachable. My advisor is chair of the department, and a borderline savant. Yet I can drop into his office and chit chat about just about whatever, and he is happy to take time out of his work. The best part is that there are no lectures anywhere, including economics. Professors will teach a lesson, but every class is discussion-based, and much of the education comes from the discourse of questions being raised and answered in concert with the lesson. Finally, the educational environment of the school is excellent. As an economics major, I've only taken theory courses. We are a liberal arts school, and we are being taught to train for jobs and industries that don't exist yet to answer questions that won't even arise for 20 years. We're all smart enough that we don't need to learn information, we learn conceptual framework to digest whatever information we want. The only quasi-vocational class I've seen at school is accounting, which is not included in the economics department precisely because the department does not believe it should be encouraging vocational education. Of course, all the students joke that we will never take accounting, because then we might end up being an accountant.

I have one semester remaining at Hamilton and I have absolutely loved my time there. Even before I got there, I knew I was going to love it when I interviewed. My interviewer had been away from Hamilton for decades, yet she remembered so many details of her experience and spoke very highly of it. I think the best thing about the school is simply the people- students, faculty and staff. Every student gets along if you give them the chance, and professors are extremely helpful if you see them outside of class (something I definitely recommend doing). And believe it or not, the custodial staff are probably the kindest people you will meet on campus. I like the open curriculum with a stress on writing and oral communication, as it lets students truly explore the liberal arts (which I have done) while building a solid writing and speaking base. However, one thing I would change would be to strengthen the writing requirements because there are no actual course requirements. It seems like students can sneak through the writing requirement without actually improving (if they choose to) over their time at Hamilton. Coming from a graduating high school class of 70, Hamilton is the perfect size for me. It seemed huge when I got there, starts to seem smaller over time but I still meet new people every semester and even every week. Hamilton has an excellent reputation, so people usually seem to be very impressed when I say I go to Hamilton. Coming from Pittsburgh some people haven't heard of it, so I am also used to explaining "it's a small liberal arts school in upstate New York." I spend most of my time in KJ, which is the academic building housing economics, government, sociology and anthropology. It also doubles as a social student center with comfy chairs and tables and a friendly atmosphere, so it is a great place to spend time. Hamilton is located in Clinton, NY and I couldn't ask for a better college town. It is small, has just a few restaurants, grocery store, liquor store, etc... and the rest is residential. Some people have asked me about safety at Hamilton and in Clinton, and I paused because I have never even had to think about it, which is one great aspect of Hamilton. Having dealt with the administration personally, I think less highly of them than most. I feel like Hamilton preaches a tight-knit community all around, and I do not feel that the administration offers that in some circumstances. In terms of controversies, there was a student who used racial slurs at a recent sporting event against a visiting player. I think the school has taken appropriate action in notifying the campus multiple times the potential ramifications of such an action, and they certainly are doing everything they can to prevent anything like that from happening again. Regardless, tons of school pride from most, if not all, of the campus. Sporting events are usually littered with students and it's great to see professors at them too. I often see students painting faces and chests buff and blue (even in our cold winter), which speaks a lot about how much we support each other. I think the fact that there are no strict course requirements is pretty unique, but I have found it to be one of the best aspects of Hamilton. One experience I will always remember was painting chests with friends to attend a swim meet. The team loved it, and the coach even sent us personal thank yous and we have continued to support the swim team since. They might not get as big of a crowd as other sports, so we find it a really fun thing to do. I have heard students complaining about the workload, but it is certainly manageable, especially if your high school has prepared you well for it. It is incredible to look back and see how much progress I made year to year, and I really think the key is to develop relationships with professors. It benefits both student and professor, during class and down the road, and their main purpose is to help students.

overall, hamilton is the epitome of work hard play hard. classes arent easy, but theyre enlightening. our motto is "know thyself" because hamilton is a place to go if you want to discover and/or embrace who are truly are. we have a strong alumni network because the four years that are spent here are unforgettable. hamilton is a school that fosters self-discovery and overall knowledge as well as effective communication. it's a school that sets you up for the life you want after graduation without focusing solely on the time after graduation and not the time leading up to it.

Anyone would be lucky to go here, but you have to be a self starter and intellectually curious. You can't sit back and let others dictate; Its a place for innovators, gutsy, talented individuals.

Nothing left to say.

great school. i love it.

Hamilton is a great place to be. It was not my first choice school, but I cannot imagine being happier anywhere else!

I love Hamilton. i love it in the way that you grow to love something you have committed to, through thick and thin. And I think that is a realistic way to experience college, not an idealistic one.

Even though I might have said some negative things about Hamilton, it's still a great school. It has it's downfalls, but because it's such a small community you make great friends and manage to always have a good time.

No cake walk here classes are known to not be easy. Quantum Physics and Parables (a religious studies class) were two amazing classes that i took the same semester that suprisingly had many crossovers. During finals week my QPhys class had diner at my professors house who is amazing. Class participation is extremely common and expected. Students are not competitive. Hamilton has almost no general requirements, which gives you great freedom. Hamilton education is not geared at getting a job but the career centers provides great access and help gaining career related experience.

It's a cliche, but work hard, play hard

The fraternities and sororities on campus are popular for throwing good parties and hosting philanthropic fundraisers. I am pledging currently for a sorority on campus and it has been a lot of fun. The dating scene at Hamilton is pretty nonexistent as from what I can tell; it consists of hooking up or "attached-at-the-hip" relationships, but no traditional dating! At 2AM on a Tuesday, if I'm awake I'm probably studying or watching TV haha. People party a good amount here, starting from Thursday or Wednesday till Sunday, but that is always balanced out by class work.

partly

Absolutely.

A lot of kids on campus might fit this description to a T. However it's all dapendent on how you look at things. Yeah a large percentage of kids are financially well off and there is not a ton of diversity (racial or geographic) but there is a ton of diversity in opinion and attitudes. It's incredible how a seemingly homogenious campus can have such different outlooks on issues such as, religion, politics, and human nature.

Yes. Yes. Not really to the athletics stereottype

Are you kidding? Professors know my name, my hometown, attend my swim meets and choir concerts, invite me over for dinner, will pick up things at the grocery store for me (I don't have a car)....99% of the professors are outstanding and ultimately they are the reason I stayed at the school. Hamilton is work intensive. Whether or not that improves our learning processes, if you want to get As it takes a lot of work. Sundays are dedicated to the library and there are a couple hours of work every night in addition. Class participation is encouraged, required, and necessary if you want to do well, presentations are a part of every class. There are occasional intellectual conversations outside of class but not as many as I have seen in other communities. There is a pretty even mix between competitive and relaxed students. The econ department is one of the most respected and distinguished on campus. While heavily male dominated, it is an excellent resource. Keep in mind that Hamilton is a liberal arts school and Econ is not a good substitute for business, we look at the theory of economics. My favorite class at Hamilton was Industrial Organization with Professor Jensen, an amazing course. Requirements? We don't have any! I haven't taken Science or Math since High School and I love it. The requirements for the majors are clear cut and manageable. While the Hamilton education is not pragmatic in terms of the 'I will remember this lecture next year in the workforce' sense Hamilton did a wonderful job teaching me to think creatively, write effectively, and communicate efficiently. These are the transferable skills that I depended on during internships and interviews. Aside from that I feel I am totally prepared to learn the on the job skills following graduation because Hamilton has given me such a good base.

Professors not only know your name, they know where you are from, what you do on the weekends, who your favorite baseball team is ect. Hamilton students definitely work hard and play hard, science majors at Hamilton are especially demanding because all seniors are required to write a senior thesis. Hamilton students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class, but as at any school, the scope of the conversations is very wide. Hamilton does not have any required core requirements which is AMAZING! The only requirements are 3 "writing intensive" classes, which really do not need to be difficult if you choose them carefully. Many people fulfill the requirement just within their normal course load. The education is definitely geared towards learning, but students are always encouraged to think about what they like learning and where they may want to take it into the future.

The best thing about Hamilton is the class size. The small classes really allow students to get to know their professors. The campus is also extremely beautiful. However, it is not in a very populated/busy/interesting area.