Colgate

[Anonymous]

Colgate registered an astounding 102.6% year-over-year increase in applications a few years ago. The current decrease in applications simply may represent a regression toward the mean.

[Anonymous]

That is a significant decline if numbers are right.

[Anonymous]

Colgate alum - couple things:

1. The increase in apps was in part what a lot of schools saw out of covid and test optional. They also started a praiseworthy program of financial aid, I think for families under $80k that got a lot of attention. The president of the school also lived in a dorm for a while and got a lot of media play. So that was part of the bump.

2. Re the school, it is a tranquil place with small classes and stone buildings, like an iconic SLAC. But it is also very isolated (1hr to Syracuse closest city) and the town is small. A few restaurants, a few delis or coffee places, a couple bars, grocery, hardware, pharmacy, etc.

Because of the remote location and lack of other things to do, greek life is a bigger deal. So think fraternity basements or maybe smaller house parties.

You are inside a lot - it is cold, dark, upstate New York winters are long and harsh. It is not like some parts of the midwest or Colorado where at least the sun is out.

I had some good professors and made lifelong friends, but honestly, knowing what I know now I would not have gone. The winters were not good for me. My kids go south or at least not too far northeast and it makes a huge difference in mood, social life, sports, fitness.

[Anonymous]

The only people I ever knew from there are very bro frat party jock types (male and female). Smart but not very intellectual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people I ever knew from there are very bro frat party jock types (male and female). Smart but not very intellectual.

*who went there* not *from there*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many better options.

Not for your child.

[Anonymous]

I expect drinking at frat parties to be part of most colleges, but Colgate is a lot of weekday drinking in frat house basements.

[Anonymous]

Of the 7 or so who have gone the last few years, all have hated it and left, one after only one semester. I do not know the particulars but there seem to be a lot of unhappy DMV kids who can’t wait to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Colgate had a deep drop in application this year little over 17k for class of 2029 vs close to 21k for class of 2028? Any clarity from Colgate boosters or alumni Are these numbers correct?

And this year’s application pool is somewhat larger than last years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:4 out of 5 dentists agree you will hear this joke the rest of your life.

Think this will die with Gen X?

[Anonymous]

Colgate is a lot of hard work and fun for kids who are into bars and parties. Very typical college experience. They are a driven academic bunch. Lots from California, which strikes me as unusual and most from north east obviously. A rather consistent pipeline to NYC afterwards. If your DC is interested in ending up in NYC, the name will be known in those parts.

-This info from my niece who graduated in 2024.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colgate alum - couple things:

1. The increase in apps was in part what a lot of schools saw out of covid and test optional. They also started a praiseworthy program of financial aid, I think for families under $80k that got a lot of attention. The president of the school also lived in a dorm for a while and got a lot of media play. So that was part of the bump.

2. Re the school, it is a tranquil place with small classes and stone buildings, like an iconic SLAC. But it is also very isolated (1hr to Syracuse closest city) and the town is small. A few restaurants, a few delis or coffee places, a couple bars, grocery, hardware, pharmacy, etc.

Because of the remote location and lack of other things to do, greek life is a bigger deal. So think fraternity basements or maybe smaller house parties.

You are inside a lot - it is cold, dark, upstate New York winters are long and harsh. It is not like some parts of the midwest or Colorado where at least the sun is out.

I had some good professors and made lifelong friends, but honestly, knowing what I know now I would not have gone. The winters were not good for me. My kids go south or at least not too far northeast and it makes a huge difference in mood, social life, sports, fitness.

For female students, be sure to check out handling of alleged sexual assault cases at this school.

[Anonymous]

This forum hates schools like Colgate, expensive schools in smaller towns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This forum hates schools like Colgate, expensive schools in smaller towns.

So true!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This forum hates schools like Colgate, expensive schools in smaller towns.

Disagree. However, small schools in remote locations deserve greater scrutiny than large schools due to the severely limited options.

A few years ago, a mother on another popular college website shared her son's and then her daughter's journey through selecting among highly ranked SLACs. The boy ended up at Bowdoin and loved it, but socialized primarily with his fellow teammates; the girl enrolled at Colgate and soon regretted her decision due to the smallness,heavy drinking culture,and other issues.

FWIW Colgate is quite different than Bowdoin College. Although Colgate has a larger student body than does Bowdoin, Colgate has more pronounced issues associate with small schools regarding the high schoolish social structure.