The mindset of most Colgate students is work hard, play hard. Many students spend their days our beautiful library and their nights enjoying the Greek scene on campus. The student population is well balanced and super smart, but most tend to be preppy, health-conscious, and Greek.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Come to visit! Stay with some freshman and attend a few classes so you get to know the student life and academics. Any dean would love to talk to you as well - Gary Ross, the dean of admissions, is definitely a fan favorite. When I visited Colgate it was summer and there was no one around, but Gary Ross welcomed me and talked to me and my parents for almost two hours! Ask lots of questions because students LOVE Colgate and can't talk enough about the campus, clubs, nightlife, and academics!
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
It's rare to find students who don't spend most of their time in the library. Colgate classes are definitely intense and professors expect a lot out of you because the classes are so small. Participating in class is often mandatory but all your hard work is worth the extra effort. Professors are really approachable and want you to understand what they are teaching.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
Freshmen and sophomores live in dorms. The dorms are great and great places to meet new friends. But be careful - Colgate has been cracking down more on alcohol and some RAs are more strict about writing students up.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Freshman and sophomore years you will probably eat most of your meals at Frank dining hall or the Coop. Both have decent food with plenty of dining options, which is good for your first year. Typically by second year you'll be sick of Frank, so look for brown bags -- these are lunch talks put on in the women's studies center, the Cove, and other locations that offer free, DELICIOUS food. Make sure you get to these events early because they are super popular, especially with upperclassmen who have to pay for their own food. Junior and senior year you are usually in a Colgate apartment, an off-campus house, or Greek housing, which means you will probably have to go food shopping at the local Price Chopper more often.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
Lots of people take advantage of club sports like soccer or rugby to fill their free time. If you are musical, various instrumental groups, chorus groups, and acapella groups are great choices as well (the acapella groups are an AWESOME way to find a close-knit group of people who will help Colgate feel more like home). Many students go out to brunch, lunch, and dinner at the various restaurants in town and there's also an old movie theater where you can see new movies for free on their release date. The drinking/party scene definitely predominates at Colgate, however. Even if you didn't party in high school, don't be scared though! Going to parties is a great way to meet new people and there are a surprising number of students who still go out all the time but don't drink.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Colgate is suuuuper expensive, but if I could do it all again I wouldn't change a thing. Colgate is a wonderful university with so much opportunity for students and unlike other universities where you have to struggle to make opportunities for yourself or feel left behind because the attention is focused on graduate students, Colgate professors are great about letting their students know about new projects and summer programs. The students are awesome and Colgate is one of the most beautiful places in the world, so in my opinion, it's worth a little student debt.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Some good places to go to get away from campus are the quarry behind campus and the Yurt, which is a short drive away. We often go to the quarry to build a fire and make smores but you can actually rent out the Yurt for about $20 a night and sleep there with a bunch of people. Colgate's Spring Party Weekend in April is a famous four-day celebration funded by the school and the frats where students can unwind before finals and listen to some awesome concerts.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Smart but social, preppy, sorority/frat, health-conscious, outgoing, ambitious
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
Greek life, acapella, club and varsity sports, theater
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
Greek life I believe encompasses a little more than 30% of the student population, but often it feels like more. There are six frats, three sororities, one all-women social club, and two all male social clubs. Because Greek life is so popular, the sororities are pretty large, and there's an unequal amount of frats and sororities, we are trying to campaign to the school for another sorority. Because Colgate is in such a small town, often the only parties available at night involve the Greek scene. The school is trying to open up more non-Greek social events, but for now many people join Greek life just to have a social life. However, the Colgate administration is anti-Greek and they've been cracking down more on closed parties and the drinking policy.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Colgate is a very, very, very safe campus. You can be walking home at 3 in the morning from a party or the library and you will feel totally safe. Campus safety officers are on call 24/7 and there are blue lights around that can be seen anywhere on campus (press these in case of an emergency and Campus Safety will be there within a minute). Sometimes Campo officers are a little too present (like when you're trying to have a party), but it's nice that they're always there trying to keep the campus safe. There are also Hamilton police officers that patrol heavily at night in town.
The mindset of most Colgate students is work hard, play hard. Many students spend their days our beautiful library and their nights enjoying the Greek scene on campus. The student population is well balanced and super smart, but most tend to be preppy, health-conscious, and Greek.
Come to visit! Stay with some freshman and attend a few classes so you get to know the student life and academics. Any dean would love to talk to you as well - Gary Ross, the dean of admissions, is definitely a fan favorite. When I visited Colgate it was summer and there was no one around, but Gary Ross welcomed me and talked to me and my parents for almost two hours! Ask lots of questions because students LOVE Colgate and can't talk enough about the campus, clubs, nightlife, and academics!
It's rare to find students who don't spend most of their time in the library. Colgate classes are definitely intense and professors expect a lot out of you because the classes are so small. Participating in class is often mandatory but all your hard work is worth the extra effort. Professors are really approachable and want you to understand what they are teaching.
Freshmen and sophomores live in dorms. The dorms are great and great places to meet new friends. But be careful - Colgate has been cracking down more on alcohol and some RAs are more strict about writing students up.
Freshman and sophomore years you will probably eat most of your meals at Frank dining hall or the Coop. Both have decent food with plenty of dining options, which is good for your first year. Typically by second year you'll be sick of Frank, so look for brown bags -- these are lunch talks put on in the women's studies center, the Cove, and other locations that offer free, DELICIOUS food. Make sure you get to these events early because they are super popular, especially with upperclassmen who have to pay for their own food. Junior and senior year you are usually in a Colgate apartment, an off-campus house, or Greek housing, which means you will probably have to go food shopping at the local Price Chopper more often.
Lots of people take advantage of club sports like soccer or rugby to fill their free time. If you are musical, various instrumental groups, chorus groups, and acapella groups are great choices as well (the acapella groups are an AWESOME way to find a close-knit group of people who will help Colgate feel more like home). Many students go out to brunch, lunch, and dinner at the various restaurants in town and there's also an old movie theater where you can see new movies for free on their release date. The drinking/party scene definitely predominates at Colgate, however. Even if you didn't party in high school, don't be scared though! Going to parties is a great way to meet new people and there are a surprising number of students who still go out all the time but don't drink.
Colgate is suuuuper expensive, but if I could do it all again I wouldn't change a thing. Colgate is a wonderful university with so much opportunity for students and unlike other universities where you have to struggle to make opportunities for yourself or feel left behind because the attention is focused on graduate students, Colgate professors are great about letting their students know about new projects and summer programs. The students are awesome and Colgate is one of the most beautiful places in the world, so in my opinion, it's worth a little student debt.
Some good places to go to get away from campus are the quarry behind campus and the Yurt, which is a short drive away. We often go to the quarry to build a fire and make smores but you can actually rent out the Yurt for about $20 a night and sleep there with a bunch of people. Colgate's Spring Party Weekend in April is a famous four-day celebration funded by the school and the frats where students can unwind before finals and listen to some awesome concerts.
Smart but social, preppy, sorority/frat, health-conscious, outgoing, ambitious
Greek life, acapella, club and varsity sports, theater
Greek life I believe encompasses a little more than 30% of the student population, but often it feels like more. There are six frats, three sororities, one all-women social club, and two all male social clubs. Because Greek life is so popular, the sororities are pretty large, and there's an unequal amount of frats and sororities, we are trying to campaign to the school for another sorority. Because Colgate is in such a small town, often the only parties available at night involve the Greek scene. The school is trying to open up more non-Greek social events, but for now many people join Greek life just to have a social life. However, the Colgate administration is anti-Greek and they've been cracking down more on closed parties and the drinking policy.
Colgate is a very, very, very safe campus. You can be walking home at 3 in the morning from a party or the library and you will feel totally safe. Campus safety officers are on call 24/7 and there are blue lights around that can be seen anywhere on campus (press these in case of an emergency and Campus Safety will be there within a minute). Sometimes Campo officers are a little too present (like when you're trying to have a party), but it's nice that they're always there trying to keep the campus safe. There are also Hamilton police officers that patrol heavily at night in town.