Colgate University Top Questions

Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

Nathan

My school had the best student to teacher ratio. also, as a liberal arts school, it does not have solely career-driven majors.

Halley

Colgate's campus is incredibly beautiful. The views from my dorm room window are priceless. Everyday I am awed by the campus's beauty and the spectacular views that surround it.

Jim

If your a fit for Colgate, your going to LOVE IT. But if your not, you would probably regret coming here. Do you research because you only have four years, and if you hate your school, you really have no one to blame but yourself.

Catherine

Students discuss their favorite, and not-so-favorite, aspects of 'Gate. Hitting on younger girls at the jug, the Colgate cruiser system, and the joke that is our "Campus Safety Report" all came out on top. Parking, ketchup dispensers and one poor roommate, unfortunately, did not.

James

The picture of Colgate that is painted by our website and admissions is not the reality of Colgate so take everything in the pamphlets with a grain of salt. For example, the school says that about one third of men are in fraternities. This statistic may be true, but misleading and does not present the whole picture. When they calculate the statistic, the school includes Freshman, despite the fact they are not eligible to rush and join a fraternity until the first semester of their Sophomore year. So the percentage of those who are eligible to participate in Greek life and do so, is actually much higher. Make sure you visit, talk to current students and don't be shy to ask the hard questions.

Brenna

I did not consider other schools, I knew Colgate was perfect for me. I applied early decision.

Martha

Lots of fun, but an intimate setting.

Jason

Your college experience is Colgate. We never had the distraction of a big city, and the community is extremely close. For 4 years, I felt like I was part of something unique and special. It was a definititive time in my life and one that will and could never be repeated. it was awesome.

Catherine

Heather, senior and mail center pro, shares how it really feels to be behind the wheel of a Colgate University mail van.

Catherine

Huntington Gym has something for everyone. Squash, racquetball, basketball and volleyball courts combine with the fitness center, pool and climbing wall for the total workout experience.

Catherine

The Coop, Colgate's student center, now features the newly renovated computer lab, fully equipped with free printers and tech-savvy students on hand to ease any paper-jam woes.

Catherine

In need of a pre-class power nap? Look no further than the coop TV room, featuring velvety red couches that you can move around for your own personalized nap experience.

Catherine

This new Mexican restaurant and tapas bar is a much welcomed addition to the downtown scene and a great option for Colgate couples.

Allison

The surrounding areas are beautiful and administration is close to students.

Laura

I love Colgate and the connections I've made there. Its a great place that will follow you wherever you go, meeting alumni etc. who share the same love of Colgate is the best feeling in the world.

Ryan

Not much else to stay. Just some advice; be selfish during the college process, go somewhere that is right for you.

Meghan

I LOVE COLGATE!

Scott

Everybody who goes to colgate likes colgate

Wil

Colgate is a great place and the best decision I ever made was to attend the university.

Jack

Colgate is the shit.

Torry

Colgate students work hard and play hard. There is no doubt that the student body is serious about academics, but also no doubt that Colgate has a great party scene. I thought I would get bored and sick of such a small school, but the truth is any large school will seem small to you after living there for four years. Colgate students are never bored and are very creative when it comes to play time! The local bars are great especially if you become friends with the people who work in them. My only complaint about Colgate, or the one thing I would change if I could rather, would be the dining services (b/c you WILL gain the freshman 15 eating the dining hall food) and I would put an ice machine in every dorm.

Alex

The Jug downtown is wildly popular, but you need to be there on a night when just the right amount of the right (hot) people are there. When it gets full of ugly people eating each others faces, the Jug can be the lamest time of your life, even if you're trashed. Nichols hard to get into if you don't know anybody that works there, or if your fake ID is weak. Anyway, Colgate was the perfect choice for me, I couldn't imagine going anywhere else.

Whitney

I had a hard time at first being away from my friends, family and home but after some time Colgate became my second home and I loved it very much. If I could go back I would choose Colgate all over again.

Kathleen

Keep an open mind and you'll find your niche, trust me!

Nina

Go to Colgate! It's great.

Evan

Nope!

Alex

Not a college I would recommend

Daniel

Despite all of Colgate's shortcomings, I still have a lot of fun here. It's just easy to fall into a routine doing the same stuff over and over if you don't look out. Colgate has a lot of wealthy alumni who typically hook people up with great jobs after graduation. In all, I'd say life at Colgate is pretty good.

John

Love it!

Becca

There were some gay issues last year and earlier. Some drunk jocks discovered a young man in one of the LGBTQ safe houses and scared him pretty badly. Also, another young man in one of the acapella groups was kicked out/left because he was gay and getting flak for it.

Jon

Ok, this is where I'll be bluntly honest. I love this school, but it gets really claustrophobic after a few years. You'll party with the same people over and over again, take classes in the same rooms over and over again, and eat pizza more times than you ever thought you could. The weather here blows, unless you've never seen snow before, in which case you'll act like a kid in a candy store. If you drink, be prepared to drink heavily - two to three nights per week. In four years, you will destroy your liver. If you don't drink, bring Risk- easily the most fun board game you'll ever play in a group. Oh, and bring lots of movies. Finally, don't come to this campus looking for romance. It's entirely a hookup scene, unless you're one of the 10-12 couples on campus who end up staying together forever.

Whitney

Colgate is the perfect school for you if you are rich, preppy, and white. Otherwise, you might have some trouble fitting in. It's not impossible to if you are not, but it'll be harder.

Susan

Everyday I wake up excited that I'm here. I love Colgate. The atmosphere, the BEAUTIFUL campus and the people are great. I have a great routine that is fun, exciting and keeps me on my toes. Two things about Colgate that will never change is its love for the number 13 and ice cream. After your tour you get an ice cream sandwich. During April Visit Days there is a required ice cream social. Your very first and very last days at Colgate will involve an ice cream social. Oh and we have a frozen yogurt machine and well stocked ice cream buckets in the dining hall.

Grant

Obviously I am not the rule but I am also not the exception...I would never go anywhere else now that I know how amazing this place is.

Andy

There's nothing quite like the first days of sun and warmth every spring. After 4 months of brutal winter (yes, its really that bad), not a soul is inside for the last couple of weeks of school. The education is wonderful, and I'm definitely proud to be a student here. There is the occasional big fib that the administration spreads around to attract prospective students, though; those ice cream socials don't really happen after you get in. The administration tends to talk a big game about things, so you have to be careful about their propaganda sometimes.

Michael

Meh.

Chris

I would do it all over again. Differently.

Alex

Everyone who comes to Colgate basically falls in love with it. There's a reason we have rabid alumni support here; it's a great place to be. It has its downsides, like the weather, the small town, and the gigantic hill, but overall it is fantastic. You can get anything you want out of Colgate. The campus is gorgeous, and so are the people. I'm not joking; everyone here is good-looking. I've visited some of my other friends at college, and other student bodies are just not as attractive as ours.

Nikki

It is very popular to go abroad at Colgate which I think is an amazing part of the college experience. Students are encouraged to go out of the country junior year which is beneficial on many different levels. The obvious is that you get a whole new experience and learn to grow in a different culture and experience things you could never find anywhere near Hamilton New York. However another aspect of this that I think is important is that it makes it so you never get sick of the "same old." It shakes things up a little and makes it so you never get sick of going to the Jug three times a week. By the time it was time to go abroad, I had been doing basically the same thing with the same people every night for over 2 years and I needed a change. When I returned, I was a senior and was excited to go back to my original routine that I loved so much.

Matthew

Need more fans at sporting events. Weather isn't an excuse.

Rory

Colgate has the best combination of small school and big time athletics.

Maddy

People who do well here are social, athletic and smart. It is academically challenging and you definetly have to work hard. There is grade inflation in only a few departments.

Jeff

I love Colgate. I'm sad I have to go.

Ryan

One should try to visit during multicultural weekend.

Jesse

I really like Colgate but do not, do not come here if you don't like drinking. It's not like we're all alcoholics but let's face it, it's a small town and a small campus and while the administration tries to bring lots of non-drinking activities on campus that's how most people have fun.

Sarah

Go abroad if you can! It's an amazing opportunity and experience! It will also preserve Colgate for you--it keeps the balance in check of wanting to be at Colgate, but also needing some space and some diversion.

Katrina

Good school but it has been hard to settle in. Needs to be more environmentally friendly.

Mark

Greek life is pretty popular here, given the size of the school. One complaint is that the school administration is very heavy-handed and draconian in its dealing with fraternities and sororities. For example, a few years ago, they forced all Greek institutes on campus to sell their houses to the school. Several Greek houses refused to sell and were kicked off campus.

Charlie

Yay Colgate!