What can you tell me about Colgate?
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Anonymous
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We've read the Boards and visited the website. Looking for real life experiences. DD is an athlete (and making a try for the sport, and Colgate has it). DD is not in the college app demographic yet (will take SAT this fall). Has all As in Honors classes but will likely get the first B this year (in an AP class). She is sporty, not into partying (at least not yet), studious, and would prefer a more rural/remote area.
Also looking into views on scholarships or aid. We will not qualify for financial aid. I read there is not a lot of merit aid, if any, at Colgate. But then some sites say that about half of the student body gets "scholarships" or grants. So trying to decide if we can keep this on the table or not. While we can full pay at a lot of places, $80K/year is not something we can do. Thanks. |
Anonymous
| If you won’t qualify for financial aid, are you are looking for info on the likelihood of her getting an athletic scholarship to Colgate? |
Anonymous
| They are generous with financial aid but they don’t give merit. They do give athletic scholarships but you should check with them to see if they give money for your dc’s sport. |
Anonymous
Yes, as to athletic. But also any information on "scholarships and grants" as some of the boards amorphously note. That's not "merit" but what we're finding is that merit is sometimes couched as other things. For example, if kids are admitted to honors colleges at some schools, or certain programs, they receive scholarships. Those are not included as "merit aid." I'm also just wondering what the campus, school, experience is like. We hope to visit but it would be in the summer so I don't think we'd get the full feel. |
Anonymous
Academics are excellent, easy to make connections with teachers, preppy, athletic vibe, frats dominate social scene but plenty aren’t in frats and the school makes a big effort to provide alternatives. Lots of clubs and excellent career center. BTW - there are several people on here who hate Colgate and Greek life in general and I’m sure they will make an appearance on this thread. |
Anonymous
Agreed. I've only known VERY happy Colgate grads, but there are definite Colgate haters here. It sounds like generally a good fit for your kid. Her sport might be her way in -- it is very competitive. |
Anonymous
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Great school if it is a good fit. Based on friends who went there and our visit (obviously we like the school, not haters, as we put it on the list), it is best for kids who are OK with continuing that high school it-crowd social vibe. That's the best I can describe the sense of it. If your kid was easily a part of that and loved it, great fit. They will be the happy grads PP describes.
If your kid was outside of that, or is "over it" and looking for different social interactions, then you might want to pass. As a PP noted, they make an effort to provide an alternative social life for kids not into the (expensive) preppy/athletic/Greek scene, but it is an effort. DC, though an athlete, is one of those kids and opted for a school where life a social life would be more effortless and less of a curated "alternative" to what everyone else is doing. Great school, just not a great for DC. Loved the tour, clicked with the guide, but the answers to DC's questions just showed up the parts that were not going to work out for this kid (a sense echoed and confirmed by friends who are there). It also was one of the least diverse schools we looked at, so if that is important to your child, they are aware of it and trying (one admission essay is even about that); seem to have made strides since we looked. This article describes the intersection of these issues. https://thecolgatemaroonnews.com/27864/news/27864/ |
Anonymous
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I attended Colgate and would not use “hate” but rather just be aware of the pros and cons.
Pros include pretty campus, quiet setting, small classes and very good athletic facilities for a school of that size. Cons include heavy Greek life, very small town without much to do besides drink, and an isolated setting with Syracuse the closest large city an hour away. And of course long cold winters. Visiting in summer will not give much insight, so revisit if you’re serious. We know a few students who visited in winter and that helped them decide to go elsewhere. Again no hate, just a judgment of fit for your student and some items to be aware of. |
Anonymous
You are overthinking (wishfully). Scholarships and grants = financial aid If you don’t qualify and there is no merit, you won’t get any aid unless she gets an athletic scholarship |
Anonymous
Do you know this to be the case for Colgate or are you just guessing? Because this is not how it is everywhere. |
Anonymous
I went there and agree with all of this. I was in a house, but had friends who weren't. There was a divide, but it was worst sophomore year and by senior year no one cared. You can't pledge as a freshman at colgate so that helps. If you play a sport, that will be your group, so make sure she likes the girls on whatever team. I think the academics were great, but when I went there they way labs were credited really penalized STEM majors. They may have fixed that by now. Also, PP is correct. It is beautiful in summer, one of the prettiest areas of the country IMHO. Visit in winter when the snow banks are six feet high on the quad to see if it's right for you. |
Anonymous
DP: Most of the top east coast SLACs don’t give merit aid. It’s all financial aid. Top SLACs that do have some merit aid are Davidson and W&L. |
Anonymous
| Colgate vs Lehigh vs bucknell? |
Anonymous
Colgate Bucknell Lehigh Colgate is far above the other two! |
Anonymous
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Colgate
Lehigh Bucknell |