Roots

Aid? No. Random Summer Scholarships? Yep.

Hamilton is a "need-blind" school now, which is just one of those nice PR moves, really. I don't think it changes anything. If you've got the grades, you're going to get in. They'll meet your FASFA expected family contribution, but they aren't going to budge after that. There's a lot of prizes you can win to do cool things over the summer--people seriously get funding to go eat food in different countries and present on it when they get back in the fall. It's really awesome. The school's great with extra funding for student side projects, but in terms of actually paying to go there, scholarships are rare. I don't know of anyone on a merit scholarship. And me? I'll be drowning in loans when I graduate. Yick.

Classes Are Legit Here.

Classes are legit here. Some of them are really hard, some are easier, but few are jokes. Homework can be a bitch sometimes, but every class you take will be worth it somehow in the end--Hamilton students really leave the Hill with a world-class education. The open curriculum is amazing. No requirements at all other than simple writing intensive classes to go abroad, which you'll probably complete by accident, and three phys. ed classes. They're kind of annoying, but they've got everything from yoga and self-defense to weight lifting and swimming to ice skating and squash.

Pros and Cons

Right off the bat, if I had to do it all over again, I can't say I'd pick Hamilton. I applied early decision based on naivety and never really got a chance to look elsewhere. I think my mind would have changed had I seriously considered other colleges. If you're a wealthy, white New England kid, this is a good school for you. If you're into economics or Chinese it's a good school for you. If you like greek life (w/o your own house), this is a good school for you. But diversity is basically limited to the Black Latino Student Union, dark side hipsters,and light side greeks. Keep that in mind. The opportunities are there, the academics are great, and everyone's nice but middle and working class students, students who went to average or below average public high schools, and (non-Asian) minorities might have difficulty finding a fit. It's not hell, but it's not heaven. (And yeah, the snow is really annoying after December.)