We like to highlight qualities that set Colgate apart. We share these 13 important facts about Colgate and we ask you, as an alumni volunteer, to know them as well. Share them with prospective students at any volunteer events.
1. Know the numbers.
2900 students 52 majors 10:1 student to faculty ratio average class size of 19 275 faculty 25 Division I athletic teams 170+ clubs and organizations 0 teaching assistants
2. We are serious about the liberal arts.
Colgate has a core curriculum and areas of inquiry. Our students thrive on the challenge. We recently revamped the core curriculum. Please be aware of the recent changes.
3. One thing to bring to Colgate: an open mind.
Colgate is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse population. We actively seek students who will take pride in the role that they play.
4. Colgate is globally focused.
Roughly two thirds of our students spend time studying away from campus, and Colgate faculty run 23 semester-long off-campus study programs each year. Colgate also offers extended-study opportunities— a course taken on campus followed by 3 – 5 weeks of travel.
5. Faculty are people, too.
You will see them in the national media and you will meet them downtown. Get to know a few professors who really make a difference by reading up on their research and involvement with undergraduates.
6. Active learning is what we are about.
Colgate students apply what they are learning in real ways that impact the world. Opportunities for research, community service, internships, and field work extend scholarship far beyond the classroom.
7. Students define this place.
Your interviewee might want to meet current students. If they don’t have a way to visit campus, they may contact them by searching for students from their area on this site.
8. Students are amazed at what they can do at Colgate.
With over 170 clubs and organizations, Colgate students are busy. First-year students kick off their college experience by joining student activities.
9. A Colgate degree has value and flexibility.
A recent PayScale study examined the correlation between salary and choice of undergraduate institution, and Colgate has come out on top among liberal arts colleges. The Peace Corps ranks Colgate as the tenth highest producer of volunteers among all small colleges and universities. The top graduate schools in the country are the most popular destinations of Colgate alumni: Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown, Harvard, Syracuse, University of Chicago, and University of Pennsylvania.
10. Maroon adds color to your life.
11. It is much more than four years.
Our graduates have a lifelong connection to their alma mater. Apart from students’ interactions with an alumni ambassador, they can interact with alumni during their first year through networking receptions and other career exploration opportunities.
12. Hamilton, N.Y. and Colgate University—a model of cooperation.
Colgate students spend time in downtown Hamilton. They live, work, study, eat, watch movies, and volunteer there. There is no barrier between campus and Hamilton.
13. Ice cream is a Colgate tradition, so save room for dessert.
Click here to refresh your memory of other Colgate traditions.