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Why do some people choose colgate? does it have any specific superior/well-respected department, or is it an all-around good school? How are the school's journalism and film majors?

Thanks in advance for replying!

By Wjb (Wjb) on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 09:21 am: Edit

I'll take a shot at this. My daughter will be a freshman at Colgate this fall.

Students who choose Colgate are sold on the LAC experience, but Colgate differentiates itself somewhat from many other selective LACS because of its somewhat larger size -- about 2800 students, versus the 2000 students or under you find at most LACs. Colgate also has Division I (v. Division III)athletics. Gorgeous campus, geographically isolated.

Academics are excellent, as is true of all selective LACs. If you want highly unstructured, Colgate is not for you: Colgate has a distinctive interdisciplinary liberal arts core curriculum along with various distribution requirements. Economics, English, Poli Sci, and History are the most popular majors. There is an undergraduate minor in film and media studies, but I don't know anything about it. Because Colgate is a liberal arts college, there is no journalism major. I believe you will find undergraduate programs in journalism only at research universities. Of course, you can get a great undergraduate degree at an LAC, then go on to get a graduate degree in journalism.

By Asianalto (Asianalto) on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 04:38 pm: Edit

Colgate is known for its preppy, j crew-wearing, hummer-driving alcoholics in training. Frats are huge. Everyone and their second cousin majors in economics, which is one of the strongest programs. The core requirements are a hassle, but some of them, like the language requirement, can be fulfilled with high school credits. Actually, Colgate is very good for just an all-around education. And not all the students are that bad, just the high profile ones.

By Wjb (Wjb) on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 05:09 pm: Edit

Asianalto -- Don't know the source of your aversion to Colgate, but my daughter, who attended public high school, does not drive a Hummer, and most assuredly is not an alcoholic, would disagree with your characterization of Colgate's student body. On her two visits, she found the many students she met most warm, welcoming, and friendly. She also observed that, perhaps because of Colgate's slightly larger size vis a vis its peers, the student body is a bit more diverse than the student body at several other top LACS.

You are incorrect that core requirements can be met with high school credit. There is a separate foreign language requirement that can be met with high school or SATII credit, but it is distinct from the core and distribution requirements.

By Asianalto (Asianalto) on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 05:28 pm: Edit

Ok, I am admittedly biased against Colgate students, mostly because I live in the town that the frat boys routinely trash. The students I know personally are generally very nice people, but don't fit into the 'Gater mold. Sure, not everyone's gonna be driving a hummer, but you'll find that a whole lot of students are from westchester or conneticut or new jersey and love it. And your daughter doesn't go to Colgate yet, I assume. When she gets here and discovers that drinking is the most popular extracurricular, ou best hope she doesn't turn into an alcoholic. Best of luck.