Trinity College Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Kellie

Trinity is a little small, you get to know most people freshman year. This can be both a good and a bad thing. The professors are amazing, and the social life is awesome. There's very little diversity. The surrounding area sucks, but sometimes you forget that it's a city.

Olivia

My biggest complaint about Trinity is its size. I've always seen myself as an anonymous student at some overwhelmingly large school like NYU. Yet while I've always wondered what it would be like to be completely independent of any sort of institution aside from my classes, I think I've grown accustomed to the community-like feel of a college like Trinity. In the warmer months, I enjoy the fact that I can walk across the Long-Walk and greet more than 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students who pass me by.

Meghan

Trinity is an amazing place: It is a great size where you can foster intimate relationships with peers and professors and though it is in a "tough" neighborhood offers many opportunities to get involved in a major thriving capital city that has lots to offer.

Megan

the best part about trinity is the size of the school-it is small enough so that you are able to see familiar faces on campus pretty much where ever you go, and are able to establish good relationships, but at the same time, it is large enough to make for a variety of opportunities and things to be a part of

Rosie

Trinity offers an incomparable and intimate education. I would ask that Trinity's student body become more diverse. I find the size just right for me. When people learn that I attend Trinity, they are always impressed by its quality of academics. I spend most of my time in the fantastic Raether Library. Hartford is an extremely unsafe neighborhood; West Hartford and the downtown area, however, have tons to offer particularly in terms of delicious food.

tory

trinity is a pretty enclosed campus because it is not in a very good neighborhood. almost everyone lives on campus. while sometimes you may get tired of dorm living, it is nice that everyone is in such close proximity to each other. since it is so small everyone seems to know everything about everyone, especially within your grade, and you see a lot of the same people everyday. but obviously you chose a small school on purpose, and that is the environment you choose. its nice having the deans and presidents walking around, eating lunch with students, and going to sporting events.

Katie

The pretty inner campus. I would ahcnge the fact that this school isn't closed

Liz

I spend most of my time in the dining hall or library. Both are very social places. I like the size of our school even though its on the small end of colleges. Hartford is by no means a college town. Its actually dangerous and scary. I think the biggest complaint students would have is concerning campus safety.

Ashton

I love Trinity for its size. I wish we were in a better city. The school has done a horrible job by trying to establish a relationship with the locals... because of the school trying to accept the locals into our community, Trinity students end up feeling unsafe on their own campus. Not enough safe parking, especially in safe areas.

Kristina

Perfect size school for me, its small enough to feel like a community and for you to feel like you recognize everyone around campus. I spend most of my time on Campus at the athletic center, the library, and visiting people in their dorms/houses.

Charlie

Trinity is slightly small. I had no idea what type of college I wanted to attend when applying but Trinity turned out to be a fabulous fit especially size wise in terms of my relationship with professors and the academics. Socially, the school is a little small--after a while things get old. I would have also liked Trinity to be in another location. Hartford has great restaurants, museums etc. to offer but for freshman who can't have cars it is very isolating because the surrounding area is not safe at all!

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 think sometimes the school feels a little too small but it is what you make of it.

Casey

People who attend Trinity, love Trinity. School Pride makes me never want to give back.

Allison

The best part about Trinity is it's size and location. Hartford isn't the best city to live it, but it's right in the middle of New York and Boston, and a short flight from Philadelphia. It's nice to not be so far away.

Andy

The best thing about Trinity is the professors. Some of them are the best professors I've ever had, and they all genuinely care about students. I have wonderful, personal relationships with them. I spend most of my time on campus working in my friend's room, I have great friends on campus. The food is good. The administration is all right. We have school pride.

Ali

The best thing about Trinity is that you know you're going to see your friends when you're just walking around campus because of it's small and intimate environment. If anything, I would say it's actually a little too small. I love telling people I go to Trinity because it definitely makes me very proud. Because of it's unsafe neighborhoods outside the gates, it is anyone's best bet to stay on campus. People complain that it's not a very diverse campus and that it may be hard to fit in but if you go to a school this small which attracts a certain genre of people, you can't really expect much more.

Antonia

As far as im concerned trinity is the perfect size. I love that all of my teachers know my name and all seem to care about how im doing. the only downside to that is that its hard to expand socially in such a small environment. I hate living in Hartford. coming from NYC, this is a huge step down for me city wise and its really tough to be in an urban area that seems both so empty and so dangerous. there is literally nothing around the school except for one organics cafe and a pizza place, oh yea, and a headstone engraver.

Payden

Best- small close knit Worst- bad support of athletic events a little too small dont know where it is in class, dorm, ferris what college town great teachers saftey aspects at night yes to school pride its out of a j crew catalog and everyone is pretty some party that I prob. dont remember all of safty complaints

Laura

Trinity is just right for me. When I tell people that I go to Trinity, their response is that its a really good school and also really fun. Most of my time on campus is spent in my dorm hanging out with my friends, in the library, and on the weekends I spend most of my time across campus going out at the fraternities. We don't have a college town considering we are located right in the middle of a really bad area in Hartford. We have a lot of school pride while many students attend every sporting event. I will always remember going to these sporting events, which are really fun especially in the spring when there is really nice weather.

Sam

overall, I would say that school is pretty good. I have good friends, good classes, good teachers, etc. Hartford is interesting, and once students have cars on campus, it makes it a lot easier to explore Hartford, which despite what people may say, really does have a lot going on.

Jessica

I'm transfering so i do not think that there is a best thing about Trinity. I would change the location and the nightlife here. this schools campus is WAY too small and the student body is too small too. when i tell people that i go to trinity they say that it is a great school and ask if i love it, to which i respond no. i spend most of my time on campus in my dorm and room. this is the absolute worst college town. there is nothing to do on campus and you cannot walk off campus. you cant even walk on campus at night feeling completelly safe. you are not guarenteed a car until your junior year and there is not enough parking anyway. i have seen many cars get hit by paralel parkers. the only thing to do is go to the mall....which you can only get to by car. i dont know annything about trinity's admininstration but i liked when they opened up more classes. there is zero school pride. i would not be surprised if i completely forget about my trinity experience. the most frequent complaints are that the night life sucks.

Lindsey

I think the students at Trinity are the best part. I love my friends and I love hanging out with them all of the time. Sometimes I do think the campus is somewhat small because most people know what goes on with everyone else, but the class sizes are great and you can find many great groups of friends! There is good amount of school pride, but it's not like the big division 1 schools. A lot of people attend sporting events because most Trinity teams are really good and the games are fun to watch. Sporting events are also a good social event. I will always remember Spring Weekend. It is absolutely crazy and I have never had more fun in weekend at Trinity!

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.

Brittany

Trinity is the perfect size school. I love going to a school where there is always the chance to meet new people, yet I also feel like I have a large network of friends and therefore, I am always walking on campus and saying Hi to different people. I feel that Trinity is full of students who like to work hard yet also play hard on the weekend, which is great! I love having fun on the weekends but also being at a school where everyone really cares about their school work. I think Trinity has great school pride because of our tight knit community.

Kelly

The social scene is a lot of fun, its small but I like that because you know a lot of people around campus. Hartford is not a great city but West Hartford is close by and it has many good restaurants etc. Safety on campus is a big issue.

Katherine

Trinity is a small school, but there are many new activities and people to experience if you seek them out. The size allows people to be involved. If you are willing to put in the effort any opportunity will be available to you. Professors are extremely attentive, available, interested and helpful. We're in a rough neighborhood, but the school has become conscientious in the past couple years about improving campus safety. We have few security incidents compared to other urban schools. The campus can seem isolating if you don't have a car.

Lindsey

I don't like having such a great school in such a terrible neighborhood. It definately takes away from my experience here. It's unsafe and I feel like the campus is not equiped to handle this.

Jillian

I was just recently in Nantucket for a family funeral. Amungst relatives and friends I was asked how I was enjoying college and where I went. Every time I answered with "I'm at Trinity College" each response was extremly postive and telling of just how much pride we have in our school, especially when we graduate. "I work with a guy from Trinity and he is always talking about how great his years at Trinity were" or "the networking from there is incredible, you'll have no trouble finding a job" or "how about the campus, its in Hartford but just 10 minutes away is West Hartford, what amazing resturants that town has" For me it's just amazing being at a college I know I will continue to be proud of even after I graduate.

Kendall

I think the school is a perfect size; big enough to not know everyone, yet small enough to know people while walking around campus. I also like the advantages of being located close to both Boston and New York.

julia

trinity has a beautiful campus, but there is no "college town" area. the area it is in is really bad so you just have to be smart and protect yourself (dont walk alone at night, etc). its a great place if you want a small school but you have to know that is what you want because otherwise you could feel it is too small. the dorms are pretty terrible, but whats great is that everyone lives on campus so its a really fun community to be in.

jenny

I love that are student population is smaller, and thus you really get a feel of a close-knit community. In addition, I have relationships with Professors and feel that I get a lot more out of the smaller classes that are available at Trinity. I also like the social environment such as, sports games, greek life, and community service programs available to help out the rest of the Hartford community. However, I would, without a doubt, change the open campus policy and hope that there will be better means of security and safety precautions on campus. While I am aware of the dangers of living in any City, Hartford has proven to be especially problematic as a result of nearby gangs and their lack of respect for the Trinity community. As a female student, who was also driven off campus during my sophomore year for lack of housing, I find that streets such as Allen place and Crescent need far better surveilance. In addition, the rest of the campus should be closed because there are far too many instances of Trinity students, women and men alike, being assaulted or harassed.

Kristina

I love the size of Trinity, the small student popular

Sarah

The size of trinity is both its best and worst feature. It is great to be able to see so many of your friends on a daily basis and get to know such a larger number of people so well because you see them so repeatedly. At the same time, the size leads to everyone knowing everyone else's business. Hartford is nice because of the advantages of a city such as a variety of restaurants and easy access to stores etc. However, it is not a typical college town and poses some major dangers that often make students nervous to walk alone on campus. There is a lot of school pride and a fairly decent turn out at sporting events. The biggest recent controversy on campus was the way campus safety handled a sexual assault on Vernon street.

Jesse

trinity is amazing. the professors are amazing. strong science dept with lots of oppertunities for student envolvement. professor really care about students and want to get to know them beyond just the classroom. the surrounding area of hartford is bad but in a 5 minute drive you can be someplace nice either downtown or in the suburbs. Also our squash team is incredible. its our only D1 sport and weve been the national chapions for a decade now.

Rachel

Trinity is a small liberal arts college that values well-rounded educational system. The school offers a variety of courses, has lots of organizations and clubs and sports teams. The best thing about Trinity is that each student not only values their academics but also extra-curricular activities. There are many athletes on campus and most of students take the advantage of going abroad during their junior year.

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.

Katie

I love the social life at Trinity, because everyone is together almost all the time and you get to know a lot of people. The school is just the right size. People are usually impressed by the fact that I go to Trinity because it is a good school. I spend most of my time in Mather.

Lorie

Trinity is a great place for the most part. It offers a small community in city surroundings. There is always something to do whether you're looking for a good time on campus or off. One of the biggest controversies on campus is our financial status as a college. For a campus that is rumored to be full of rich students and one of the highest tuitions in the country, it is shocking that we are in such a financial hard place that we can't increase our security on campus. One of the other biggest problems is about safety. Campus safety does the best it can; it is just not a large enough force to combat the dangers that a city like Trinity offers. One often wonders why our tuition isn't directed more to our own safety.

Margot

Trinity is an amazing campus. In the fall and spring the set up is fabulous. You can walk from your dorm to the library and stop by to watch Tennis on the way and afterwards when going to get dinner you can pause and watch soccer or lacrosse. You definitely become familiar with the faces you see in a short period of time, but then you will always find yourself surprised to meet someone new randomly. While the Hartford area may not be the ideal setting for a college campus is provides terrific opportunities for community service, I have been able to partake in numerous tutoring programs, and if you have a car, there are a lot of amazing restaurants and places to visit in downtown Hartford or West Hartford. Trinity may be a scenic respite in urban Hartford, but it is not cutoff from the surrounding community and city problems do sometimes creep onto campus.

Emily

The best thing about Trinity is the school spirit and the love and pride that people have for the school. If I could change one thing about the school it would be the immediate area around it. Trinity is fairly small but it makes it a cozy intimate school. I am constantly so proud to tell people I am a Trinity student.

Katherine

Anyone I know that goes to Trinity absolutely raves about it. We're a pretty small school, so its a tight knit family on campus. Since we're surrounded by the bad part of the inner city of Hartford, we are that much closer, since we can't really go off campus at night, if we don't go downtown or into West Hartford. The most frequent student complaints are that Trinity doesn't have good food (WHICH IS VALID) even though we just had a $4 million renovation on our main dining hall, Mather. Overall though, the academics and the social life are great. Greek life is huge, and even if you're not in it, you can still go to the frats and sororities or there are other things to do with other organizations and the school has weekly social events.

Trinity

Trinity’s location and relationship with the Hartford community is one of the great advantages of our college. As a student body, we are very socially responsible, and for this reason we give back to the Hartford community whenever possible. There are numerous community service groups on campus who are dedicated year round to supporting our surrounding neighborhood with fundraisers and services. The location of the Learning Corridor makes it easy for students to interact with Hartford children without needing to leave the campus. There is also emphasis of community involvement in the classroom, with many courses incorporating a community learning aspect into their curriculum. Since we are located in the heart of a major metropolis, many students have easy access to internships with numerous organizations and businesses surrounding the campus, and the convenience of having the Internship Office available makes it easy for students to apply. Hartford is also a great college city for Trinity students. Being conveniently located between New York City and Boston, a number of the cultural influences from either city have made their way to Hartford. There are numerous theatres and museums, as well as parks, restaurants, and shopping centers. Hartford is both an advantage academically and socially!

Kelly

The best thing about Trinity is how well the school responds to students who want to take initiate and make something happen. Expanding an existing group on campus or founding a new one, Trinity loves seeing students step up and take the reigns. And because not everyone is stepping up and protesting something - like at our neighbor, Wesleyan, where I originally wanted to go to school - when you do speak up, your voice is heard by the entire campus. Students who would be just part of the masses at other schools have the space and resources to take on leadership roles and make a difference.

Jake

I absolutely love it here at Trinity. The school size is perfect, I have ample opportunities to interact with my professors, and I feel very connected with other individuals at the school. School size allows for very personalized attention and I have been able to succeed because of it. There are many different programs offered on campus and its not difficult to start something new. My three roommates and I started a group called the Summit Society and through it we bring professors and students together for casual conversations about whatever we're interested in. I absolutely loved the time our Dean of Students attended and told us stories from his college experience at Trinity from 1958. They were hilarious! I'm not sure if I could build the same personal bonds with faculty and professors at other schools in the same way I have at Trinity.

Cindy

best- parties change- more food choices too small, maybe a thousand more spend most time- common room experience- great theme parties

Mark

I love the architecture and small class sizes. I would change the strong cliques that exist. School size is just right. People either don't know what it is or automatically make an assumption that you are wealthy. In the library or dorm room. It's in Hartford, so most activities stay on campus. The administration is much better compared to the older ones. There's been lots of progress. The endowment and where we're going to be getting a lot of our future money. School pride is here, but it's not huge. Trinity is a big crime bubble (whatever illegal happens on campus never turns into anything big unless its committed by someone who doesn't go here). I'll always remember hanging out on the quad in the warm weather. Most frequent complaints are the area we live in.

elizabeth

Impressive athletic program. Vernon Street (frats) is where most weekend social life takes place, though people do have house and dorm parties.

Gene

The best thing about Trinity is the size. You get to know people really well over the time here and form a bond because of it. However, the size also backfires when you don't like people and you're forced to deal with them so often. The one thing I would change is to get rid of the frat system on campus. For the most part it can be a lot of fun and I know a lot of great guys in the system. However, it promotes a culture of privileged kids that use there "power" to exclude many. It is also a symbol for a divide on campus as many kids don't go to the frats because they don't want to deal with the hassle of getting in and the feeling of being on the outside. People always react well when I say I go to Trinity. I always get that's a great school, or something like that. The worst part about Hartford is our location in the city. It is less than ideal, though I've never felt unsafe. There are incidents but if you stay smart like any city you'll be fine. What makes it tough is that going off campus is very difficult because you tend to need a car. However, once off campus there is a ton of good bars, and restaurants in the area. School spirit was almost non-existent when I got here but this year it has been through the roof. Kids now go to most sporting events and get really into it. The school has tons of great athletic teams so there is a lot to be excited about. One of the thing's I'll remember the most about Trinity are the problems with race. One year we had several incidents and it made me embarassed to say I go here. These events sparked off a fight between those in frats and those on the outside. It also created serious racial tension on campus, only fueled by the fact that there was poor racial mixing already. However, the school was quick to address these problems, holding a meeting that drew nearly the entire school's population. Since then I truly feel that things have changed on campus in terms of race relations. The culture that existed that allowed those events to occur has been eroded and will eventually disappear.

Jordan

The best thing about trinity is the people, the professors, the quad and the small liberal arts college atmosphere. People go out to dinner, the Westfarms Mall, and West Hartford when they want to get off campus. There are enough fun things to do that you never feel stranded from society, or trapped in small liberal arts college bubble. There is a ton of school pride, though there have been a lot of complaints recently with the housing crisis, re-vamped dining facilities from Chartwells, the budget crisis, and excessive construction. However, overall everyone loves it here and loves meeting people who went here, want to go here, or whose parents went here.

Carver

The best thing about Trinity is the small size and personal attention that you get from fellow students and professors. It is a very tight-knit community where people really get to know one another. I would like to eliminate the amount of bureaucracy that is in place. Often times there is too much red tape and channels that need to be traveled in order to get something new and different done. I spend most of my time on campus either in the library or socializing at meals, fraternities, bars or other student's rooms. The most recent controversy was over the decision to pay for cable in dorm rooms from a Student Activities Fund. The students expressed the opinion that money in such a fund could be spent more substantively to improve the campus climate. The Student Government Association responded by voting down the proposed renewal of the cable contract. The school really does listen to student concerns when they are widely made. The most frequent student complaints have to do with the location of Trinity. Being in Hartford is a great benefit in terms of internship opportunities, social life and proximity to other big cities. However, the exact neighborhood surrounding Trinity isn't one of the nicest. The school is fairly proactive when it comes to campus safety, but incidents do occur and students are frequently concerned for their safety.