Colgate University

Date: Jul 27 2002
Major: Philosophy (This Major's Salary over time)
Colgate is a throwback to the Fifties. Many people know way too much about other people… think McCartheyism. Don't be surprised by vicious and often ridiculously untrue rumors being told about you by people you don't know. The frat/sorority system is unchecked and way too incestuous.

The student body is very clean cut, ala "Leave it to Beaver" style dress, homogenous, and very gung ho about the school as I imagine most small rural schools were in the Fifties. Hardcore drinking and moving from fraternity to bar to a fraternity after hours party were the preferred forms of relaxation when I was there. In my freshman year, I remember an internal study commissioned by the school's counseling dept that revealed over 80% of students polled were deemed alcoholics by the conventional medical guidelines. Several students died last year due to an accident while driving drunk coming home from a bar. Despite the freewheeling boozing, Colgate partiers get remarkably little sexual intercourse compared to most other colleges (things did loosen up a little with the incoming class when I was a senior but that class was probably an anomaly). Perhaps that is a primary reason why Colgate students drink excessively. Although Colgate women tend to be frigid lushes and very cliquish they are much better looking as a group than at most campuses. Also, Colgate is peculiar in that most people don't have serious relationships with fellow Colgate students while in college, yet a surprising number of alumnuses marry one another a couple of years out of college. Relationships are hard to flourish in the Siberian Gulag that is Hamilton, NY.

It goes without saying that the academics at Colgate are top notch. The faculty is mostly very accessable and classes are usually small. Red tape isn't usually a hassle like at a lot of other campuses. Almost every major is demanding. In consulting with my friends after graduation, I learned that I probably read more books and wrote more papers than all of them… combined.

Academics are delicious at Colgate, but I recommend the potential student think hard before applying. Many people find the greek centered social scene a blast, but almost as many people are excluded from that scene based on superficial reasons or just can't stand it. A definite social hierarchy exists at Colgate that is based on money, class, race, and to a lesser extent gender. The scene is pretty hard to escape. Hamilton isn't an entertainment option and Syracuse, the nearest town, isn't much better. I knew quite a few students at Colgate who were miserable because of the lack of social options.

Two types of students will be happy at Colgate. The first type is the affluent caucasian from a tony suberb who wishes to get a respected degree while partying as much as possible with people from the same background. The second type is the totally devoted student who does not mind having a very limited social life for 4 years and can put up with a lot of background noise.