Colgate University Admission
Colgate University Undergraduate Program
Colgate University Application

The Facts

Colgate University is a moderately sized private school located in the town of Hamilton, New York. The university is home to over 2,800 undergraduate students and only about four graduate students at any one time. The school is perhaps best known for extensive honors programs, and there is an accelerated track in nearly every program of study. There are some really fantastic interdisciplinary programs including Native American Studies and Peace Studies. Additionally, there are over 80 majors offered at the school; some of the most popular choices include political science, English, economics, sociology, anthropology, and history.

Admission to Colgate University is quite competitive, and as the attention on the honors and interdisciplinary programs increases, more and more people have been applying, particularly those who are very driven and have been academically successful in the past. Last year, over 7,000 students applied for admission and approximately 2,125 students were accepted, and 725 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1270 to an impressive 1430, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 29 to 32. Additionally, over 64% of those admitted were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.54.

Colgate University has a low student to faculty ratio of about 10:1, and most students say that their professors are usually quite accessible. Because there are so few graduate students, the undergraduates really take center stage, and are constantly encouraged to take part in many research projects. There is also a huge study abroad program in which over 50% of students partake, in countries as varied as Sweden, Japan, Wales, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, and India.

The Social Scene

The town of Hamilton is barely a town at all. It is located in a rural area of upstate New York, and students say that entertainment options are limited. There are some nice places to hang out on campus, like a large student center and a couple of on-campus coffee houses. There is also an Ecology House, and a Harlem Renaissance Center, so students are not at a lack for social and intellectual stimulation.

There are many fraternities and sororities on campus that are quite popular with the majority of students. The Greek houses often hold fundraising parties throughout the year, so their activities are not entirely leisurely. Students are also proud of their state-of-the-art laboratories with wireless Internet access, and students are very technically savvy.

The dating scene is quite vibrant; students tend to be really friendly, and because they don't have anything else to do, dating is a big deal...

What’s Good

“The surroundings are gorgeous, and it's nice to be able to stroll through the fields after a stressful class.”

“People really know how to balance work and play, and it's nice to have that balance so you stay focused on school.”

“There are clubs for every interest here, and it's nice to have a distraction from your intense workload.”

What’s Bad

“There is a really limited amount of things to do here. Everything is on campus, which is kind of boring.”

“The frat parties can get way too out of hand. We've definitely had some bad party-related incidents here.”

“The introductory classes are really annoying, and I'd rather just skip to the classes relating to my major.”

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