Colgate v. Colby v. Kenyon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree that Colgate is the best. I am guessing Colby may have had a good run in the ratings lately and it is a good school. But Colgate is little 3 and those (Willams and Haverford being the other two) go way back as very good schools. Their alumnae communities are great and they are traditionally feeders to Ivy Grad schools. In my private prep school experience, Colgate was for good students who were smart. Kenyon and Colby were for decent students who weren't dumb.

x2.

My daughter looked at Colgate and was originally quite taken with it. After a visit, however, her impression was that a number of students were slackers -- kind of lazy, intellectually incurious. Several with whom she spoke were taking the same classes that they had taken in high school, "to get good grades." She decided to drop Colgate from final consideration. I know this is only her subjective impression, but it was the decider for her.

That's true at many of the Ivies and other selective colleges too, because many don't accept AP credit so kids end up retaking classes. Presumably they learn something new that they didn't learn in AP but for some of my DC's friends that doesn't seem to be the case.

[Anonymous]

Late to the party, but these schools are all basically the same, and with all due respect to a pp, Colgate is not in the same league as Williams (Haverford maybe). What distinguishes the schools primarily is their location, all quite different, but all are very good small liberal arts schools. Nothing more, nothing less, really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Late to the party, but these schools are all basically the same, and with all due respect to a pp, Colgate is not in the same league as Williams (Haverford maybe). What distinguishes the schools primarily is their location, all quite different, but all are very good small liberal arts schools. Nothing more, nothing less, really.

If location was the deciding factor, which school would you choose and why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Late to the party, but these schools are all basically the same, and with all due respect to a pp, Colgate is not in the same league as Williams (Haverford maybe). What distinguishes the schools primarily is their location, all quite different, but all are very good small liberal arts schools. Nothing more, nothing less, really.

The snob factor here is off the charts. I'm not sure why it offends me so much (turned down Williams for another school years ago), but wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was me. I goofed. My family member who went to Amherst would smack me. Total brainfart.

I do maintain my other comments about Colgate. My family is a bunch of northeasterners and the northern SLACS were all I ever heard about and I did go to a prep school in DC. I also went to law school and met those SLAC grads on the other side (I went to large state U much to the horror of my parents and my prep school even though it was much better that some of the slacs my classmates went to. But i digress...).

I just never heard Colby or Kenyon mentioned in the same breath as Colgate. Colgate was discussed by people considering Amherst, Williams, Davidson, Bucknell, Lehigh, etc. Those people were hoping for Ivy but knew it wasn't likely. Colby and Kenyon were mentioned by people who were also looking at Union and Gettysburg and Dickinson. Totally different league of schools.

I know I totally goofed and did a face palm as I was making dinner last night. But I also checked US News and sure enough Colby is ranked higher than Colgate. Things have changed a lot since I looked at school.

Not admitted to little 3 but also didn't apply. Admitted to Mt. Holyoke, Lehigh, and Wake Forest but chose State U. Go public schools!

Are Lehigh and Bucknell now often in the same sentence as Amherst and Williams?

Here's a sentence in which all are used: "My class at Harvard Law School included students from Lehigh, Bucknell, Amherst and Williams, all of whom have gone on to success in law practice."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was me. I goofed. My family member who went to Amherst would smack me. Total brainfart.

I do maintain my other comments about Colgate. My family is a bunch of northeasterners and the northern SLACS were all I ever heard about and I did go to a prep school in DC. I also went to law school and met those SLAC grads on the other side (I went to large state U much to the horror of my parents and my prep school even though it was much better that some of the slacs my classmates went to. But i digress...).

I just never heard Colby or Kenyon mentioned in the same breath as Colgate. Colgate was discussed by people considering Amherst, Williams, Davidson, Bucknell, Lehigh, etc. Those people were hoping for Ivy but knew it wasn't likely. Colby and Kenyon were mentioned by people who were also looking at Union and Gettysburg and Dickinson. Totally different league of schools.

I know I totally goofed and did a face palm as I was making dinner last night. But I also checked US News and sure enough Colby is ranked higher than Colgate. Things have changed a lot since I looked at school.

Not admitted to little 3 but also didn't apply. Admitted to Mt. Holyoke, Lehigh, and Wake Forest but chose State U. Go public schools!

Are Lehigh and Bucknell now often in the same sentence as Amherst and Williams?

Here's a sentence in which all are used: "My class at Harvard Law School included students from Lehigh, Bucknell, Amherst and Williams, all of whom have gone on to success in law practice."

LOL. I suspect mine did, too, although I'd have to check the yearbook. Certainly, it included many students (me, for one) from even "lesser" schools who now have flourishing practices.

[Anonymous]

Isn't "v." as in versus how lawyers caption court cases?

Normal people use "vs." as the abbreviation for versus.

[Anonymous]

If a minority, which one do you think would be the best fit?

[Anonymous]

Recently returned from a visit to Colgate. DD just loved it. One can definitely say it is isolated but no where near as isolated as Kenyon. Probably an unfair statement but we visited Kenyon and DD couldn't wait to get out.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree that Colgate is the best. I am guessing Colby may have had a good run in the ratings lately and it is a good school. But Colgate is little 3 and those (Willams and Haverford being the other two) go way back as very good schools.

Haverford grad here who would like to point out that the Little Three are Williams, Amherst, as Wesleyan.

Other than that, any of these colleges can provide an excellent education and plenty of opportunities for graduate or professional school.There are differences in the cultures of each of them, but the one that speaks to your daughter is going to put her among other people who felt the same way.

[Anonymous]

As a graduate of Colby College (12 years ago), I'm sure your daughter would receive an excellent education at all three schools. Once she's admitted to all, or some of those schools, try to return and do an overnight stay with students in the dorms and try to get her to get a sense of what is the best fit for her. What does she want to major in? What activities does she want to participate in? Do all, or just some, of those three schools have relevant clubs / teams? What does she most feel at home?

Don't know about Colgate and Kenyon but Colby received a 47 percent increase in applications for the class of 2019 over 2018.

[Anonymous]

I think Colgate is considered to be more academic than Colby but not as much as Kenyon. We visited Colgate and it was far out of the way and rather isolated, so my D immediately knew it was not for her. The only other person we know who went to Colgate transferred after first semester

We know 2 kids who went/go to Colby and both are very average students, not at all top students from her class. I don't think it has the same cache as the other two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And Waterville Maine and Hamilton, NY are not exactly in the middle of everything either.

This.

Colgate is about 30 minutes from Utica, NY which is one of the finest cities in the northeast.

It is?

Bangor is the cat's pamamas, too.

Portland, ME is a pretty nice little city. Great foodie scene, historic and fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Colgate is considered to be more academic than Colby but not as much as Kenyon. We visited Colgate and it was far out of the way and rather isolated, so my D immediately knew it was not for her. The only other person we know who went to Colgate transferred after first semester

We know 2 kids who went/go to Colby and both are very average students, not at all top students from her class. I don't think it has the same cache as the other two.

Colby is #15 in the US News ranking. Colgate is #22. Both accept approximately 25% of applicants. They are pretty similar except Colgate has a big Greek scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Colgate is considered to be more academic than Colby but not as much as Kenyon. We visited Colgate and it was far out of the way and rather isolated, so my D immediately knew it was not for her. The only other person we know who went to Colgate transferred after first semester

We know 2 kids who went/go to Colby and both are very average students, not at all top students from her class. I don't think it has the same cache as the other two.

Colby is #15 in the US News ranking. Colgate is #22. Both accept approximately 25% of applicants. They are pretty similar except Colgate has a big Greek scene.

Really? That is a huge shocker to me, I always though of Colby as being a safety school for an average student.