Connecticut College Top Questions

We have a very diverse student body in many ways. Students come from all kinds of backgrounds, states, and countries which really enriches the campus. It is nice to be in class with people who have such differing perspectives on the world.

I feel very welcome at Conn but I know that there have been racial and anti-gay comments made around the campus which is disheartening. The student body is fairly homogeneous and it seems like the minority kids stick together, especially in the dining hall. Most people are from wealthy backgrounds and tend to think that they will continue to live in that way after graduating. Some students are politically aware but that is not a main focus.

There are a lot of various groups, and since I am a freshmen, most were introduced to me. I wonder if that will be the case when I'm a sophomore.-Goths, city people, extreme competitors-mainly casual and usually presentable.- there could be a lot more interaction between groups.-international table with awkward but nice students, sports table,gossipy and chatty loud table, others.-Massachusetts.-upper upper middle class.-yes, predominantly left. no.

conn's diversity comes primarily from a lot of international students

I find, that if you are a warm, friendly person, people will reciprocate. If you have a bad rep, however, people can be quick to judge. In a small school, gossip can spread, and that's when you get into trouble.

Like I said, the student body is quite wealthy compared to most schools and it is the most expensive in the NESCAC. But, most people are pretty cool and though some may flaunt a bit, they're not too pretentious. Most people where jeans and a polo or sweater. Some girls (and guys) dress up a bit for class though people don't care too much if you don't. I mentioned the school's lack of diversity, which is frustrating. About 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the school is from New England. Though there is a small international and african american population, the school does seem kind of segregated. Most minority students sit on one side of the cafateria, relatively normal people sit in the middle, sports teams sit on the other side and the generally more studious crew in the anti social room. This is kind of annoying because I went to a very international school. However, the lack of diversity forces you to look beyond people's appearances and really get to know people on a deeper level, which is totally possible if you're patient. It was kind of hard adjusting at first but once I got to know people better everything was great. I'd say most people are liberal or moderate. Definitely right of Wesleyan but left of Trinity, which is a nice balance in my opinion.

Conn College can be very much like high school in that there are a lot of cliques. The student body is very active in creating an evironmentally-friendly campus. Most students come from an upper-middle class background. When you ask a Conn College student where they are from it seems like about 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} respond "just outside of Boston." Most students at Conn College are liberal and are pretty active in politics.

Its true that students at Conn tend to hang out with people like them. And many students here have similar backgrounds. But at the same time I do think that most students do a good job of embracing the differences between people and thats definately something the college itself is committed to.

I think we're a very racially diverse community and that's one of our strengths but economically not so much. Everyone seems to be quite well off. People with financial problems would probably feel out of place here.

People say that Conn isn't diverse, but I think we are more so than people recognize. I think all groups are accepted, and as a student of color I feel very comfortable at Conn. Sometimes there is a division between races and ethnicities, but it is not as bad as other schools. Most people are liberal, so those who are not may feel targeted at times.

Conn College has a bit of clique problem, but this is only an issue if you let it be. If you don't care and can just get over it, than you will be fine. Make friends with whoever you want and don't let other people sway your decisions about who is cool. Most Conn Coll students are wealthy and white and from 20 minutes outside of Boston. But that should not be held against them.

See above on stereotypes, and in addition: Conn is extremely open to alternative lifestyles and has a large and active gay community. Socio-economically the school tends to consist primarily of upper-middle class students. The school is very "WASPY" and has a large Jewish population as well. To class students where all sorts of things. The student body seems divided between preps who wear polo shirts to class, and artsy students who wear trendy cloths to class. All the different types frequently interact which is one of my favorite things about Conn--jocks, musicians, nerds, ect. all hang out. Racially, however, the school lacks in diversity and, while there are many exceptions, races tend not to interact with as much frequency they should which may have to do with the way the school recruits minorities: they target minorities from particular urban schools which creates a situation uncomfortable for minorities if not for race than because of the drastic contrast between wealthy New Englanders and working class New Yorkers. Politically students are overwhelmingly liberal. I can count the number of republicans I have met here on one hand. With a focus on the environment and internationalism, this seems logical. Students do not seem preoccupied with how much they will earn one day.

I am a full scholarship student and have NEVER felt out of place or looked down on by my classmates. True, i have specifically sought out friends who are not like this, but for the most part i feel that even the very wealthy people here (and there are a lot of them) are not snobby. Generally there a lot of rich white new englanders, as well as a surprising number of Californians. Most people here failed to get into ivy league schools.

I feel like Conn's campus is very well rounded. Because of the LGBTQ center alot more people are open about their sexuality and no student seems to be closeminded. It creates a comfortable atomosphere.

Most students do care about how they look, and in general are very attractive. I think overweight people would feel really uncomfortable, because there just arent very many heavy people here. It is definitely a very pretty school, especially the girls. Most kids are well-off new englanders who do want well paying jobs, but there are also a lot of people who plan to work for the peace corps or who spend a lot of time doing community service.

Most kids at Conn College are white and rich, but unlike the prestigious sterotype that goes along with that minority, Conn College is not like that. Most people are friendly and generally socially adept and outgoing. Conn College is also very casual, and people reflect that in there attire, personality and lifestyle. People are very accepting as well and generally everyone interacts with everyone. Most kids are from outside Boston but the student body is getting more diverse; when i first arrived at Conn College I knew every West Coaster at the school and now it is unbelievable how large that population has grown. Students are extremely politically aware and are both left, right and center, I dont believe there is more of one group.

The typical "uniform" at Conn (at least when it's chilly, which is the majority of the time), a pair of jeans, some clogs/sneakers/moccasins, and a Northface fleece. When it's warmer, and people are less worried about how much they're going to freeze wearing other clothes, the style (for girls) is pretty J. Crew meets Urban Outfitters. Preppy bohemian might be a good way to put it. For guys, it definitely leans more towards the preppy side of things (lots of docksiders going on). However, I'm just generalizing and that's certainly not the case for everyone. I would say that, because we're so small, people do generally interact with each other. Yet, there's definitely a separation between the minority students and the rest of the student body. If you walked into Harris dining hall, you'd see a lot of international and/or African American students sitting to your right, a fairly random mix of people in the middle struggling to find seats, and the sports teams dominating the right side. However, I don't personally feel that this separation occurs in all aspects of life at Conn. It's just especially visible in the dining hall. Most Conn students are from "right outside Boston." If you're not from outside Boston, you're probably from California or from any state above Massachusetts. I think there's probably about five or ten people that I personally know from Pennsylvania. I think that most people could find a niche at Conn. However, it's not incredibly politically active, so if you're looking for a school to really get involved in politics and issues, Conn might not be the place for you. Unless, however, those issues are environmental ones! If you're looking for the big city/lots of bars/lots of things to do off campus experience, Conn wouldn't be the best fit either. Conn is located kind of outside New London, which is a small and rather run down town along the coast. There's not really much going on there, but the Mohegan Sun casino is about ten minutes away where a lot of people go. New London gets kind of a bad reputation, but it really does have some good restaurants (Bangkok City for Thai food, Northern India for Indian food, Illiano's for great pizza...). Also, you can't forget that the beach is like ten minutes away!

most are from outside boston or jersey. Most are white upper middle class.

Conn students are very nice and approachable people. I do not feel like there is a pretentious attitude that is often stereotyped to East coast private schools. Many students are from the Northeast, but there is diversity; for instance among my friends I know people from Massachusetts (of course), Minnesota, California, Washington, Washington D.C., Florida, Connecticut, New York, Maine, Turkey and Ecuador. The student body is predominantly liberal, but not significantly politically active.

I'm not sure that I can think of a specific kind of student who would feel out of place. I think it might be hard socially to interact on campus if you do not drink, but there are people on campus who do not engage in activities with alcohol. Most students wear casual clothes to class- and in general, I would say that the girls put more effort in to their appearance than the boys for class. Different types of students interact, but often similar students end up forming their own social groups. Most Conn students come from New England, more specifically "just outside of Boston" or New York City.

I personally do not feel that Conn. is very diverse because I grew up in an inner city school district and went to high school with people from all backgrounds. I do think that the administration and admissions is trying to promote the school to all different types of people and that they are doing their best with this endeavor. There is interaction among different groups of people but at times it feels very segregated. Most conn students are from massachusetts and are middle or upper middle class. Students are for the most part politically aware and there are some active groups on campus. Most people are to the left but there is some right perspectives.

I have had very little experience with the aforementioned groups on campus-I've seen what they're doing, which I like. I think that no student would really feel out of place here. Students wear a variety of clothing to class, from extremely casual to dress clothing. Different types of students don't interact unless given an opportunity through classes or extracurricular activities, which fortunately happens more often here than in other places because of the size. Most students are from outside New York or Boston. I think that upper middle class backgrounds are the most prevalent. Students are politically aware and active, although not as much as they should be. They are strongly left or right. Students do talk about how much they'll earn one day in the context of their career goals.

Lots of support for all sorts of people casual wear all around extremely left-wing politically

pretty sweet.

ConnColl isn't the most diverse place, but people find their niches. The people that apply to a competitive liberal arts college in New England all fit in, because that only reaches out to a certain number of demographics. Conn is an accepting place, getting more so, but it isn't yet a place where people can show their diversities on the forefront and feel entirely at ease. It's a small school, keep in mind. Word travels fast, and most people are at least on a recognition basis by sophomore year. But the changing classes (graduating seniors, incoming freshman) keep you on your feet. One nice thing is that classes don't matter so much. Seniority isn't held over anyone's head, and all the classes intermingle. There are no freshman dorms, and one can feel easily comfortable in regards to age. Dorm community is great, depending on your dorm, but most are great. Most students are from "just outside Boston" which is an ongoing joke in the school. With the tuition being so high (getting close to $50,000) most students are relatively wealthy, but that isn't exclusively the case.

While there are religious groups on campus, they are relatively small. Major religions, Christianity in particular, often carry a negative connotation because many at Conn College believe that religion is a weakness and an immaturity; almost like something you should grow out of believing in, like Santa Claus. There is pretty good racial diversity, but most groups keep to themselves. There is an evident LGBT community at Conn that is made to feel comfortable for the most part and is given support by faculty, staff, the student body, and the college in general. Many students at Conn are well-off and a good number come from wealthy families. I feel like a very actively conservative (politically) student would feel out of place at Conn. Most students put forth some effort in getting dressed up for class, at least a little bit, but sweatpants and t-shirts are common, too, especially in morning classes. Yes, different types of students interact. I am friends with students from across the world, of different economic situations, and with different political and religious views. Four tables in dining hall: sports teams, loud gossiping girls, the quiet-shy types, "normal" groups of friends usually smiling and having a good time (the majority) Most college students are from New England (especially Boston and New York City areas) and California for whatever reason. Students are many times very politically active, and this activism is predominantly leftist. Yes, money seems to be a major consideration for most students at Conn College. It appears to be a measure of success to most of them and the thing that will lead them to "the good life."

Those groups that you mentioned are very active, which is good, but oftentimes they kind of get in people's faces, which can lead to resentment, which in turn acts against the goals of that group. I am glad that we have them, and I think they serve a valuable function. Students that don't fit in are the kind that are very withdrawn and keep to themselves and their rooms all the time...though I suppose those are the kind of students who wouldn't fit in anywhere. That being said, Conn is a very open environment, and there is a place for just about everyone. Students wear a range of clothes, from pajamas to somewhat "dressy" outfit. There is a joke that everyone from Conn is "twenty minutes outside of Boston" and it's true that many come from New England or the Northeast, there are also a lot of students who come from such places as CA, TX, and GA...as well as from other countries. Students do tend to be wealthier, though. Political ideology is an interesting topic. Students are predominantly left, so much so that people who are different from them are almost treated worse. To be a Republican is to be almost like being gay in Texas, it's something you try to keep hidden. I find this annoying, to tell the truth, since the whole point of college is to hear different viewpoints. No.

I feel like everyone is generally accepting and tolerant in terms of race, religion, and LGBT-- all jokes aside. However, I still feel like the minority students are out of place. I mean, they are surrounded by a sea of white people. Similarly, the international students are isolated as well. I don't blame either of these groups for sticking together because you tend to hang out with people who are the same as you and with whom you can relate.

i dont have any experience with those groups. A shy student who isnt involved in alot of activites. It a mixture most girls will dress up in skirts and pants and some boys do as well, but there is a group of people who just wear sweat pants. Yes diffrent students interact all the time. Most conn students are form either mass, conn or new york. middle class to upper middle class. yes students are politically aware. I am not sure. No.

A majority of my close friends are from different racial and socio-economic groups. This is a big change from high school. Most students get pretty dressed up for class but there are kids who wear sweatpants. If there are four tables of students in the dining hall, there would be a sports team table, an international kid table, and then two tables of mixed groups of students. Most students are politically aware and predominantly left. Different types of students do interact but there are still separations.

groups-very few experiences but all positive feedback out of place-dunno wear-everything! interactions-not as much as we should ethnic/international tables, athletic tables, normal tables, and antisocial room most-new england, especially mass financial-pretty well off, upper middle-upper politically aware-yes predominantly-very balanced as far as i can tell earnings-not too talked about

Conn is very aware of different social groups on campus, almost too aware. They are pointed out all too often and exaggerated. I don't know how other students feel, but as a student marked "of color" (I'm from Venezuela but I couldn't be less "hispanic"), it drives me insane. I don't think students feel out of place at Conn because everyone manages to find a niche (people who feel out of place usually do because of this place, not the people). Most students are the typical trendy rich New-Englanders, but there are exceptions. Students are fairly politically aware, predominantly associating with the left. As diverse as Conn is considering its size and location, its total detachment from New London and its surroundings make it a socially limiting environment.

The campus cultute is pretty cliquey with students mostly assosciating with other students like them; I've found a lot of race division for sure; as a queer student myself, I feel accepted, but that no one really knows what to make of me because I don't hang out in "the queer" group It bothers me sometimes in the dining hall because I see people eating with only their "friend group" every single day; there isn't a whole lot of branching out I'd say that most students are middle to upper socioeconomic class If I were to characterize four tables in the dining hall i would say that they were: preppy kids (j. crew, abercrombie, uggs, etc.), the jocks (usually wearing Conn College athletic gear), the weird nerdy kids, and a lot of kids that fall into some sort of hippie-hipster alternative mix It's not a very politically active campus but the political leaning is definately to the left

generally very wealthy affluent people

Conn has a small amount of diversity that seems well integrated with the rest of campus. Some of the international events are the most popular of the year.

I know there were a few indiscretions on campus last year in regards to racial/sexual slurs but on the whole i find most of the students here to be very open minded. I think any kid who is completely inflexible, hates partying, and close-minded will basically hate it here. Most students are actually very well dressed. Girls are fashion fab and boys I think still think there's a dress code (prep school habits are hard to break) ABSOLUTELY. It's funny how there can such different people who are such great friends here. I have ass-opposite groups of friends and they all get along great. 4 tables: The sweet LAXers just got out of practice. Cute but predatory. Nearby is the group of pretty, blonde, tall, skinny and HUNGRY girls with plates of salad. Cute but predatory. Next to them are the artsy kids. They wear skinny jeans and long striped cardigans and ironic t-shirts and say things that are incredibly over your head. They smell like cigarettes. Um fourth table is just normal people. Combo of all three, I guess - good people in general. Most kids are from "30 minutes outside Boston" but there's a large contingent of New Yorkers and LA kids WEALTHY. Not "rich", not "well-off". WEALTHY. Maybe "wealthy as hell". I think the kids in general could be a lot more politically active than they are. I think a lot of them have ideas and they like to talk about them but when it comes down to it they won't do much about it. Predominately Left. No one talks about how much they'll earn one day. They all know.

Conn is the most painfully politically correct college in the country (admittedly I have extensive experience with only two, but I still think it's a safe generalization, or at least a testable hypothesis). Everything here is disgustingly sanitized, glossed over, or ignored, and there are ironic counterpoints to our much-loved diversity everywhere (e.g. the multicultural "Unity House" where white people are shunned beyond belief). I have to give the school credit though, it's a very welcoming environment to the vast majority of students; admittedly, this is because the vast majority of students are sheltered, sanitized and lacking in any realistic conception of the world, but hey, credit where credit is due. Students wear either 400 dollars worth of trendy shit, or they wear their pajamas, there isn't a whole lot of in-between. Different types of students interact, but in a very self-aggrandizing, masturbatorily politically correct sense. As to the dining hall (Harris in this case, not really familiar with the small ones): the left side is minority kids, the right side is jocks, the middle is "normal" people that don't have a gang, and there's the "Anti-Social Room" off to the side for everyone else. We may have diversity, but it's some pretty segregated artificial bullshit diversity ("artificial" and "bullshit" being perennial descriptors of the bulk of the school). Everyone at Conn is either from just-outside-Boston or the rest of the world. Everyone at Conn is either on a full ride scholarship or paying full tuition (or at least everyone portrays themselves as one or the other of those). Students are very politically active, but nauseatingly politically unaware: all the bullshit causes du jour are very very popular here - if you believe the hype, then by this point, I have personally SAVED DARFUR NOW at least 3 times, STOPPED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE twice, and ENDED RACISM about once a day (and don't even get me started on the Jena Six, dear Jesus...). It's pretty empowering until you get a fucking clue... Everyone here labels themselves as liberals and leftists, but I'll be damned if I've met more than 10 people who know what actually refers to. And finally, students here don't just TALK about how much they'll earn one day, they DEFINE THEMSELVES by it.

I'm part of the Christian group on campus, and although it may be small, it is very supportive, and I love it! I wish there was more diversity on campus. There are all different kinds of people, I don't think I could describe just one "typical" student. To calss, a lot of people waer swats and sweatshirts, but at night, some people get really dressed up! Most students are from outside of Boston, or at least New England/New York/New Jersey area. Most people don't get or really need financial aid.

We have a huge range of different minorities here, although they don't make up a big enough percentage of the student body. I don't personally have many black friends because I literally don't run into them ever. I do, however, have quite a few gay friends and Jewish friends, and there is a pretty large basis of Asians here. On the socio-economic level, however, most people come from a very rich background. -- I'm not sure that there really is a specific type of student that wouldn't fit in here. -- We aren't segregated at all; everyone mixes and mingles. What it mostly comes down to is who lives near you and who is in your classes. If there aren't any of one type of minority living near you or in any of your classes, then you probably won't be found hanging out with any of them not because you don't want to or don't like them but because you literally don't come into contact with them. -- If there is any true racial/minority/social group separation here, you'll find it in the dining halls. One side of the room holds the "jocks" and the other holds the "minorities" while everyone else is thrown into the middle, except for the a few people who stay in the side room who can't be accurately placed in any of the groups. -- Most Conn students are from New England and New York/New Jersey with much emphasis on Massachusetts. However, we do have random spatterings of people from Colorado or Oregon or California. -- Most kids are from rich families in ritzy suburbs. -- Politics and activism are very prevalent on campus, especially liberal students and enviromentalists. -- I don't typically hear anyone saying that they are going to be earning so many dollars when they graduate from here, no. But many people talk about their aspirations or dreams.

I think a common misperception about Conn is that everyone is from upper middle class families, when the reality is that there is a great range of financial backgrounds at our school, which is something I appreciate. I feel that most students here are liberal, but that in general, our student body is politically apathetic and needs some rejuvenation.

The student body is very clique-ish. Mostly liberals from New England looking to get rich quick Vineyard Vines and Polo all over the place.

I'm a member of Feminist Majority, Spectrum (the LGBTQQIA group), CCASA (Connecticut College Asian/Asian American Student Association), and SOAR (Society Organized Against Racism). These clubs are very active, and CCASA is the most popular student group on campus. While there are sometimes racial tensions on campus, I have not had any personal experience with them and can honestly say that my closest group of friends is diverse in all ways possible, from race to sexual orientation. I come from a public high school where not many graduates went to college, let alone a private one like Connecticut College, and while the "rich kid" factor on campus can sometimes bother me, it's not in my face or even something I really think about a lot. Students are generally upper-middle class and liberal, which I think is typical at a school like Conn, but you can basically find anybody from any background here if you look hard enough.

I believe many students at Conn feel very comfortable. Most Conn students are from Connecticut and Massachusettes, but I have a number of friends from California, as well as Turkey and Greece. There is a great deal of interaction between all the different types of students because there is such a close-knit community at this school. very student is involved in some type of extracurricular activity, although it's usually more like 2-4. The largest dorm is 128 people, which is very small for almost any college, I feel. Most are under 100, and so there is a strong sense of community and good neighborly interaction.

I really wish Conn was more diverse in all aspects. Most students wear either jeans or sweatpants. People tend to either be messy or preppy.. Most Conn students are from the east coast. Most also are pretty wealthy, but don't talk about how much they'll earn one day.

The only student who would feel out of place at Conn is a close-minded one. The students at Conn are generally very empathetic towards their peers. Being a preppy girl myself, I do see many items I recognize (by name and specific color) from J.Crew. This being said, I also do see many girls with eclectic outfits which I wish I could emulate in style and creativity. Conn's campus dresses very well! On a lazy day, students will be seen wearing Connecticut College sweatpants, moccasin slippers and a polo shirt. Most Connecticut College students are from Massachusetts. I've met more people that live in Massachusetts than anywhere else here.

Conn is a very open community. Conn may not be as diverse as some colleges, but for what it lacks its diversity it makes up for in acceptance. There is one exception, however. Conn is a very environmental campus, and as a result, you will be looked down upon if you liter, leave your lights on, and/or waste your food in the dining hall.

Most students at Conn are either from New York, Connecticut, or Outside of Boston. Be weary of this last category; Some of them are a good two hours outside of Boston. Most of the students body is relatively athletic looking and attractive. You don’t really realize how good looking are campus is until you see how relatively unattractive other campuses are. Diversity, however, is not one of our strengths. A recently issues Connecticut College calendar depicted a far too revealing scene for June: an all-white audience attending a soccer game. We are quiet a milky student body, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. While this is disappointing, what’s more disappointing is the fact that the few minorities on campus keep to themselves. It is rare to friendship cross the racial border at Connecticut College.

Conn is an incredibly liberal school that can almost get out of hand with going out of its' way to be politically correct all the time. Though of course I am a rather liberal individual, I wish that multiple types of thought were supported on campus in order to facilitate more intellectual discussion throughout the campus. The student body would initially appear to be preppy, but really is a rather mixed bunch. There are your typically preppy bunch, but also a great deal of your typical hippy, crunchy, granola type folks as well. You also get your fair share of city kids (the wealthy ones) and there are a good number of floaters who just march to the beat of their own drum (Conn is an excellent place for dressing in extremes and not being judged). Also everyone is incredibly friendly and welcoming on the campus-I've never met so many nice people in my life.