Hamilton College Top Questions

The size of Hamilton is fantastic to me, as our the students I have met. The professors are phenominal, and Clinton is a fine town. I'd say most people love it here, but it certianly isn't for everyone. It is isolated, and it is small, and you have to want those things to succed here.

The schools is the perfect size and should make sure that it does not get any bigger. If I could change one thing I would focus on really educating the upper class and privilaged part of the population (which is a huge chunk of the population) on understand what their backgrounds do for them and those who don't come from their backgrounds what troubles they run into. I spend most of my time on campus in friends dorms (suites) and the library and random other places to study around campus. Hamilton's open curriculum is amazing and hamilton should make sure to never get rid of that. I couldn't imagine going to a school with requirements and its amazing being able to pick ever classes you would like, its a great freedom.

Hamilton is an amazing school for students that know that they want a small liberal arts college. I think we could work on creating more informal diverse interactions among students. I love the faculty student relationship at Hamilton and the fact that Hamilton has resources available to students. The scholarships, grants, prizes, writing center, career help, and other services available to students are amazing. I think diversity should be a top priority for Hamilton. Hamilton's unique curriculum is a huge benefit and this should be kept and should be highly valued. I think Hamilton could improve its study abroad counseling and options for students. Students complain about the lack of school spirit and I think if Hamilton moved to a NESCAC schedule and created a centralized store on campus and better apparel this could be remedied.

Hamilton is dank. End of story.

One thing everybody would change: put it in a city- and Utica doesn't count as a city.

Hamilton is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and while the town is quaint, there's not a lot to do. Utica isn't exactly the greatest city for activities either -- in fact one Saturday afternoon trying to find something to do we noticed that every single store and restaurant was closed. In the middle of a Saturday afternoon. The most recent controversy was over someone writing "N*gger Lover" on the car of a white girl who was dating a black boy. Not much was done by the administration. This occurance however, I believe is fairly rare, and everyone who heard about it was shocked and disgusted, but not much was done to do something about it.

Hamilton is the perfect size for me, when I tell people I go to Hamilton they're like,"wow you must be really smart!" lolz There is a lot of school pride and I spend most of my time either doing my work in my dorm room or practicing in the chapel.

Hamilton is a small, liberal arts school and if that's what you want then you can't go wrong with Hamilton. The academics are great, the buildings are beautiful, the classes are challenging and the parties are lots of fun. Since it is such a small school, people have often never heard of it which can be frustrating when you have worked so hard to get in! The school is struggling, just as most liberal arts schools are, with how to make the school more accesible to an ethnically diverse population. There is controversy over the proposed building of a cultural center. Some students support it whole-heartedly and others, mostly white males, claim it's a ridiculous waste of money.

The best thing about Hamilton is the academic freedom. Because there are no core requirements, the responsibility to leave Hamilton with a well rounded, liberal arts education falls on the student. Hamilton is definitely one of the more conservative New England liberal arts colleges, which can have a huge impact on the way the college operates. One thing I'd change: The current administration is rarely seen around campus. At a school of less than 2,000 students, higher-ups need to make more of an effort to connect to the student body.

The size of the school is perfect for me: just under 2000 undergraduate students. The lack of graduate students means that professors teach at Hamilton because they want to teach undergraduates. I have received much personalized attention that has helped me grow personally and academically.

Hamilton is unusual in its small size and lack of course requirements, which I really like. We focus a lot on writing here, if thats your thing, and have a fantastic new fitness center (though our sports teams are generally less than stellar). Teachers really love what they do here, and take the time to reach out to individuals, in small, usually discussion based classes. Hamilton is truly the epitome of a great liberal arts education, and I've never had a professor I really didnt like, while I've had several I absolutely adored. On the downside, Clinton, though it tries, is no serious college town. Though all of the essentials are here, go a mile or so away from Hamilton and you are in the middle of cow pasture nowhere. Its pretty, if you're the outdoorsy type. Controversy on campus tends to center around a liberal/conservative dichotomy, because there are strong elements of both here. For example, the closing of the Alexander Hamilton center and the Ward Chruchill incident a few years ago, both partisan arguements that made national headlines. A frequent complaint is that there is nothing to do here but drink. Greek societies aren't that dominant, except in the party scene, because they throw the biggest all-campus parties. The only thing I think I would change is that there is not enough to do, and that makes Hamilton students pretty into drinking. There is no where interesting to really go off-campus, especially when it gets super cold in the winter, so booze is a pretty big factor in social life here.

When I tell people I go to Hamilton, most of them say something like, "Oh. Where's that?" Even though it's not exactly one of the bigger name schools, I think it's a great place to get an education.

The best thing about Hamilton College is the undergraduate research program. This program offers undergrads the opportunity to get into a lab and do real empirical research, something that would never occur at large university. You're actually doing real research too, not just being a glass washer. This is not only a requirement for medical school or something to put on your resume, it is a great career builder that can help you get into graduate school, network with leading scientists in the field, and even publish papers in the leading scientific journals.

Hamilton, like any place, has its ups and downs. it can feel very claustrophobic at times, or can seem very intimate at others. People can easily seem apathetic, but I think if you look closer you will find that everyone is committed to something meaningful in some way. Sometimes it is just ver obscured by the rich and preppy exteriors people possess.

I absolutely love being able to chat with my professor at the campus coffee shop without feeling like I'm intruding on his time. My instructor is interested in my opinions on this literature, really? And these current events? Teaching is always a two-way street at Hamilton, and professors make learning a real pleasure. Chances are, if you hook up with someone, you'll see this person on the central walkway through campus, if not in a class or the dining halls. On the bright side, a majority of the campus has had this awkward experience, so you can play it off without too much trouble. People in the Northeast know about Hamilton, but south of Pennsylvania Hamilton could just as well be a community college as a top liberal arts school. Clinton is a scenic little village that is set about a mile away from campus. This is perfect because students can get off the hill on foot for the cafes and Cider Mill (amazing donuts, ice cream, and apple-related products depending on the season) but don't annoy residents on weekends because the village is too far for a drunken ramble. Students complain about the seven months of winter but still embrace the hibernation period as a valid excuse to be too drunk to walk on weekends. I'll always remember meeting one of my best friends in my new student orientation group. She was interested in journalism, the equestrian team, and intended to major in government. Nothing could be further from my interests, and I viewed this Southerner skeptically. Almost two years later, this Independent, college newspaper columnist, equestrian team quitter, mathematics-and-comparative-literature majoring, moneyed, Light-Sider is my Republican, alumni relations intern, ESL tutor, french-and-comparative-literature majoring, financial-aid-receiving, Dark-Sider self's best friend on campus. This place is too small to be snooty over small things. Fraternity brothers and sorority sisters are friends with everybody on campus; to limit yourself to only jocks or only musicians would make your pool of friends too small.

Has an amazing outing club and AA (Adirondack Adventure) orientation program. Very little time is spent "in town." Humans vs. Zombies (HVZ) is a great time, if you don't know about it google HVZ. The school needs a club hockey team.

Hamilton is a very small college located in upstate NY. I think one of the biggest problems with the school is that it is so secluded from everything else. However, to overcome the problem of seclusion Hamilton brings in a lot of people from off campus. For example, we have the Great Sacerdote Name Series, that since I have been here brought in Bill Clinton, Tom Brokaw, Al Gore and Aretha Franklin. Others who have come in the past have been W.B. Deblois and BB King among many others. One of the things I would change about Hamilton is the housing. I think that Residential life is not very good about accomadating students especially upperclassmen. I think that the administration is awesome. I have never meet a teacher that was not willing to help their students. It is not rare for a student to have lunch/dinner with a professor or advisor.

I really like Hamilton, but it can seem a little too small at times. There really isn't much of a college town, which I regret. There is a lot of school pride and plenty of interesting events going on around campus.

The best thing about Hamilton is diner breakfast. Hands down. The Diner is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 12am-5am. They serve only breakfast food and it's amazing! I would like to change one or two things, like the gym requirement (it's just annoying) and, more importantly, the extent to which the minority student population is integrated into the community. Hamilton does not have a college town, which is probably the biggest downside of our campus. But once you have access to a car as an upper-classman, that issue becomes less important because there are good restaurants, a mall, a movie theater, etc. within easy driving distance. Hamilton does not have a lot of school spirit, but there are a few good teams to cheer for (Boy's Basketball and Girl's Soccor, especially) if that's what you're into. Generally though, students do have a lot of pride in Hamilton as an academic institution.

The best thing about Hamilton is the academics. This campus is beautiful. This school is way too small. I spend most of my time in my or my friends' dorms. Most people don't know what Hamilton is when I tell them I go here. The most unusual thing about Hamilton is the dark side, it is really weird and it sucks in general. The food at Hamilton and in Clinton is not very good.

Hamilton is a small college in the middle of nowhere.

Hamilton's isolated atmosphere is both a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, everyone is forced to find a social group that agrees with them, because otherwise they'd be bored out of their skulls. On the other hand, there is no way to go off campus without a car, and nobody has much interest in going off campus.

I love the open curriculum. If I don't like a class, I can't complain because I chose it. I would change class scheduling. Because Hamilton is a small college, some classes are only offered one semester a year, or classes are only offered at once during a semester making scheduling difficult. I can see why the college got rid of them though. Hamilton is just right. Some people say it's too small, but I really like getting to know everyone. When I tell people I got to Hamilton, most people don't know what it is or where. I think its partially because we do not have a college town. Almost everyone stays on campus and drinks on the weekends.

Here's one experience that I'll always remember. I think it sums up Hamilton. I was going back to my dorm with a friend. As we fumbled to find our keys, a boy--dressed in a sequined green 80s prom dress--ran over, opened the door, and yelled, "Alohamora!" (The door-opening spell in Harry Potter). That's what kids are here: very nice and very quirky. It makes me love the college even more.

The best thing about Hamilton is you can focus on your academics here since there's not a lot of distractions. I would make the student body more diverse. It's a predominantly Caucasian school. When I tell people I go to Hamilton, the older people say "Wow, that's a nice school. You can do anything when you graduate from there." The younger people say, "Why did you do that to yourself? It's in the middle of no where. I would go crazy." There does seem to be a lot of school pride. Most students complain about the food. You get sick of it after while.

On the East Coast, especially in academic circles, Hamilton has a very positive reputation as a college. Outside New England, the recognition factor gets a little spotty, but you don't go to Hamilton for the name. You go because it's one of the best schools for writing in the country, with an intellectual, tightly-knit student body.

If you wan to go to a school were you'll not only know your teachers well, but were you also won't feel like just another face in the crowd amongst your classmates this is the place. If your a big fish, you can work wonders in this small pond.

Overall hamilton is a great place to be minus the fact that it is in the middle of nowhere, noone knows what/where it is, and that there is far too much snow in the winter. Clinton is cute, but I have not actually ever gone and walked through town. Many weekends require a trip into New Hartford, and rarely Utica. The location is nice though, and being near Utica there are many community service opprotunities. Being from Maine, most people haven't heard of Hamilton and I have to tell them it is just like Bowdoin, only in New York.

Hamilton's great; it's pretty easy to get along and make friends here because most of the general groups are represented (hippies, athletes, artists, etc.) It's small, which can sometimes get a little tired but generally it's nice because you know all the people you take classes with and you have a lot of options on weekends since the chances of you knowing someone at a given party are pretty high. There isn't much of a town to speak of, but basically every single student lives on campus so it isn't a big deal; there are plenty of things to do on the weekend. The one downfall is the weather: if you can't deal with the cold, forget about coming here. I found that you acclimate pretty quickly, and the campus looks beautiful in the snow so it doesn't really bother me.

Though there have been several recent controversies at the school, mostly stemming from the political climate amidst the faculty and administration, the trustees are beginning to be aware and take action. At this point, the administration needs to have greater responsibility and transparency, which would solve many existing problems over allocation of funds (for example). I am, however, optimistic about the school's future progress. The redeeming quality in all this is the sincere interest of faculty members in getting to know their students. The size of the school is obviously conducive to familiarity and comfort, which in turn enriches the learning environment. The involvement of professors on campus-- as well as their willingness to offer their knowledge, time, and even their homes-- attests to the sense of community that we have here.

A big controversy currently going on is the ongoing debate about the proposed Cultural Center. The Social Justice Initiative group has proposed a "Cultural Center" for the cultural organizations as well as SJI itself and a few of the other activists clubs. They want to honor our tradition of social justice, give a place for multicultural students to feel comfortable, and have a place for these clubs to meet. Many believe that it will become a recluse and the name itself is uninviting to those who are white. Many argue that we are pointing out our differences, not our similarities, by creating this building. Some believe the building should just be a student union, which I think is a good compromise.

i love the glen - its a gorgeous place to walk (and smoke). the campus has a quaint, intimate feeling. there is no college town to speak of - clinton, ny is no cultural mecca, but it does have its perks. the students have a reputation for being liberal, but i'd say they're more apathetic than anything.

One thing I would change about Hamilton is the weather, it is cold for a lot of the year.

Hamilton is a great fit for a lot of people because you can find so many different groups of students here, as well as many different interest groups, subjects, etc. Also, the open curriculum is awesome.

Hamilton feels like it's too small sometimes. As a senior who is involved in a lot of activities, I can honestly say that I know too many people here. Many people feel like they have no privacy because everyone knows things about everyone. Gossip is terrible here because there is no such thing as anonymity, and there are very distinct social cliques and groups. As many students near graduation, they tend to get fed up with all the crap that goes on socially. Therefore, a divide is created between the people who don't want to leave and the people who can't wait to graduate. All in all, despite all the high school b.s. that we can't seem to get away from for some reason, I can honestly say that my college experience here was pretty close to the best that it could have been.

school is a great size but i would change the way kids thing about alochol and how they abuse it but are in denial about it.

After two years, Hamilton is too small. People usually don't know where Hamilton is, but if you're in the northeast, Hamilton is known as a great institution that produces fabulous writers. I spend most of my time on campus in the library or partying on the weekend. We don't have a college town, but a small town that provides new england-esque comforts. Hamilton's administration is alright - they try their best but fail at gaining a diverse student body. The bigest controversy on campus was diversity issues - a white girl dating an african american boy had the words "nigger-lover" spray-painted on her car. School pride goes to the Hamilton Men's and Women's Rugby Team - NY state champions! We have the #1 Streaking Team - we streaked the NESCACS and many ivies. I will never forget the streaking team streaking the top floor of the library during finals week - one moment, I'm in the middle of memorizing history terms, and the next...I see way too much of the guy who sits next to me in my government class! Students complain about one dining hall being open on the weekend, not enough intro classes open to seniors, and how apathetic the student body is.

To be honest, Hamilton is not at all what I expected. I've been here for almost 4 years now, and I still feel like I do not fit in with the majority of the campus because of the obnoxious attitudes that are fostered and allowed to continue. Many students are coddled by the administration in that there is no sort of responsibility on the student to figure things out for him/herself, and as such, the administration treats the rest of us (who are functioning adults in society) like little children. For instance, I have had many conversations with the dean, campus safety, and other administrative groups on campus regarding many issues I've had with being treated like an adult here. When, after 2 months of not getting the parking spot I WAS PROMISED as a senior with a great lottery number I talked with the person in charge multiple times, I was actually yelled at and told that I was an ungrateful person who had no right to parking in the first place. I'm sorry, but my mother raised me with a great attitude, patience, and positive behavior, and for someone to accuse me of being rude and ungrateful is disgusting. I went to talk to the dean about this issue, and still nothing was done. When my father ended up talking to the dean, OF COURSE immediately the issue was resolved. The school is maybe not too small, but because we are on a hill, 1.5 miles away from the town, away from all other forms of life, it is very restrictive and uncomfortable. If I didn't have a car, I think I would have had to transfer a long time ago. No one has ever heard of Hamilton where I'm from (Pennsylvania), so I basically explain that it's a very small liberal arts school in the middle of nowhere in NY state. As I explained above about the cheerleading team getting no support, there is no school pride in terms of people going to activities and being proud of Hamilton. There is lots of interest from the people who drink all the time and don't do their work that "Hamilton is awesome!" but this does not translate into people being interested in improving the well-being of the students on campus; it translates into self-interest.

I love Hamilton. The best part is the small campus. It's so nice to walk across campus and recognize many faces. Additionally, a small campus allows professors to get to know students really well and give them personal attention in and outside of the classroom. It is a great feeling when I professor I had last semester came up to me a few weeks ago and commented on an article I had written for the campus magazine. Hamilton is a lot of work, which sometimes makes it difficult to have an active social life. On the other hand, most classes are really interesting and since the professors are really challenging, my writing has improved a hundredfold and that is an essential skill I can take with me after graduation.

Small rural community with an emphasis on community. The faculty are outstanding and committed to making your academic experience as good as you care to make it.

The best thing about Hamilton is the small, close knit environment. You are able to form very close relationships with professors and get extra help when needed because of the small student body.

Our school is small, which is good because it ensures that you will have small classes with professors who are always available. One may say that some professors "live" at the science center. When I tell people I go to Hamilton, I either get "oh, where is that?" or "Wow. Great school!". It depends on the person, but most professionals and people who know anything about schools know how great of a college it is.

The only thing I would change about Hamilton would be its location. If you took Hamilton, picked it up, and moved it to a warmer climate, it would definitely be a utopia.

If I could do it all over again, I'd probably have gone to Boston College. With that said, Hamilton has been a great experience for the most part. I think the location of the college is too isolated, creating an intense party scene (and all the good and bad that goes along with it - including a rumor mill you wouldn't believe). Oddly enough, for such a small community, there isn't as much school spirit as I anticipated. I know a lot of this has to do with the fact that we are a Division III school, but I'm always disappointed at the number of students who come out to support the athletics and the arts. In recent years, we've been trying to find ways to get more students involved in Hamilton spirit, such as making a "Social Traditions" committee that organizes and promotes campus community events. I think this is a great addition to the school and really appreciate the work that they do. Hamilton as a whole is a little bubble: a place to meet friends, party, make mistakes, live a little and study in a safe environment. Being on The Hill is like stepping into a universe of our own. We all cohabitate independently of the external world -- free of tremendous responsibility and blissfully unaware of the world waiting for us a quarter mile down College Hill Road.

Hamilton is a small school in a fairly rural setting. That said, students may complain about the lack of anything to do around here but we get along. There is fun to be made in the woods just as much as the fun a person can find in a city. It just depends on what a person is interested in.

Hamilton is a small school but the facilities and resources that it has are equal to that of much larger schools. The professors are great people who really take the time to get to know you, classes are very small compared to other colleges, and are very challenging. There is not much to do around the school, so mostly all parties are held on campus. The school does an excellent job at keeping students on campus and providing transportation on weekend nights as well as an all-night diner.

Hamilton has a beautiful campus that looks like Hogwarts. The weather is AWFUL, and definitely the thing I would change about the school. But when the weather is nice, the campus is gorgeous and great to hang out at. There isn't much of a town, but part of Hamilton is being AT Hamilton, which I really like. I like going to such an exclusive school, because people are really impressed when they hear you go there.

The Split between the dark side and light side is huge here. Except for the mix of kids in classes in sometimes feels like there are two schools here with the more artsy dark side and more preppy light side. Since there's no real town here to go to, everything has to happen on campus and most people stick to their side because they like the people there and also (espescially during the frigid winters) because they dont want to make the trek across campus.

The best thing about Hamilton is the campus community and the openness of the student body to different types of things on campus. The community is tight and supportive of all members of it. It is the perfect size; small class size but a sizable community make it not overwhelming, but not boring either. Most people are impressed when I tell them I go to Hamilton. It has a strong legacy and is competitive with the top schools in the country. I spend most of my time on campus in the athletic buildings, as I play and manage a sport, but also in the Science Center- where I like to do most of my studying and there is a constant influx of people mowing about. The administration of the school are very good. They care about student needs and make student needs a priority. There is a lot of school pride, and there are always a lot of people at athletic events cheering on the school. The unusual thing about Hamilton is its open curriculum- we have no course requirements. We also have a strong interest in the outdoors and tons of outdoor trips, or events outside. The most frequent student complaints are probably about the intensity of the courseload.

I absolutely love Hamilton even after less than 2 semesters at this campus. Although some people find Hamilton to be uncomfortably small in terms of the student body, I really appreciate that you can always meet someone new on the weekends but you can also recognize a lot of students. Another complaint about Hamilton is that it is secluded in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes I do get a cabin-fever feeling but one really positive aspect that comes out of this is that the majority of students stay on campus on the weekends. This gives everyone the opportunity to socialize with students of all classes (in other words it's not just freshman stuck on campus on the weekends). The social scene is incredibly accepting-- every weekend there are parties hosted for the entire campus that are a blast and something that I think are completely unique to Hamilton. There is a lot of school pride and I love being able to say that I go to Hamilton. The reputation for its academics is fantastic and it is true that professors are incredibly helpful and always make themselves as approachable, helpful and available as possible.