Admission & Aid

Campus Life Questions

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• How diverse are the students at Colgate?

  Colgate's student body includes students from 47 states, the District of Columbia, and 42 countries. Twenty-nine percent of the admitted students for the Class of 2015 are from multicultural backgrounds. The Class of 2015 has eight percent international students.

• How many students are involved in fraternities and sororities?

  Approximately 40 percent of Colgate's eligible student body belongs to one of the six national fraternities and three national sororities. Recruitment is restricted to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

• What division are Colgate's athletic teams?

  Colgate's 25 varsity teams compete in Division I of the NCAA. Colgate is a member of the Patriot League with American, Army (USMA), Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, and Navy (USNA) and frequently Colgate teams compete against schools in the Ivy League. The varsity men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League (ECACHL). Colgate annually fields approximately 40 club sports and 25 intramural sports scheduled each year as well as an extensive outdoor education program.

• What is there to do at Colgate?

  There are more than 170 student clubs and organizations, ranging from academic and athletic clubs, music, drama, and dance to publications, media, religious and service groups to competitive speaking teams. Other activities include: the Colgate Activities Board (CAB), Student Government Association (SGA), comedy nights, DJs at The Palace, open mic nights, student performers at the Barge Canal Coffee Company, a cappella concerts, game nights, hypnotists, World Expo, Winterfest, cultural and charity banquets, Dancefest, the Nutcracker, and numerous plays and musicals. Within the past few years, the musical groups performing on campus include: Spring Party Weekend with the Roots and State Radio, Girl Talk, the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars, Matisyahu, RJD2, and Soulive. Recent speakers on campus include: General Wesley Clark, Robert Townsend, B.D. Wong, Rigoberta Menchu, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Sherman Alexi, Danny Glover, Felix Justice, Stacey Ann Chin, Nikki Giovanni, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ann Coulter, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, and Andrew Sullivan.
  
  The Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (COVE) is Colgate's center for public service, citizenship, and community building. Housed in East Hall, the COVE is a hub where over 800 students become involved with 30+ community-based service teams, alternative break trips, social change-oriented career counseling, and programming, internships for the common good, residentially-based community projects, and service learning courses.

• What are the housing options?

  Ninety-two percent of Colgate students live in residence halls or college-owned houses. Over their four years, students choose among a wide set of living arrangements, including traditional residence halls, suites, college theme houses, college-owned fully furnished apartments and townhouses, and fraternities and sororities. All first-year students are required to live in residence halls. Beginning their sophomore year students may also live in various other living environments on campus. Students who are members of a fraternity or sorority are required to live in the house their junior and senior years unless otherwise excused by their house manager and the university. Seniors may participate in a lottery if they wish to move off campus. Approximately 250 seniors live in non-university-owned housing, renting apartments and houses in the Village of Hamilton.

• Are residence halls connected to a computer network?

  Yes, all university owned buildings, including residence halls, are connected on a network that provides access via computer to the campus-wide information system and Internet. Connections are plentiful enough so that every student in the residence halls may be hooked up simultaneously, and not have to share with a roommate. Additionally, the campus is covered by a wireless network.

• Should I purchase my own computer?

  This depends on your personal work habits and preferences. Colgate has six public computer labs on campus with long hours, normally until 12:00 a.m. (One lab stays open 24 hours during the last week of classes and finals.) The labs have a combination of IBM compatibles and Macintosh computers. In addition, there are many labs throughout the academic departments that students may use at different times for special projects.
  
  Even with all of these options, many students still find owning a computer to be the best way to get their work done. For their needs, the bookstore caries an assortment of Macintosh and IBM compatible computers and software.

• Is Colgate's campus safe?

  We consider Colgate to be a safe place. The Campus Safety Office reports the most common crime last year to be petty theft, partly a result of unlocked and unoccupied rooms. Colgate does have a 24-hour patrol, foot patrol at night, emergency call boxes, a walking escort service, and key pad locks on the outside doors of residence halls.

• Can Colgate students have a car on campus?

  Yes, students are permitted to have a car on campus for all four years. However, parking is limited on campus and first-year students are required to park in the designated parking lot which is located near Reid Athletic Center.

• How is the relationship between the town and the university?

  The Village of Hamilton and Colgate are definitely intertwined. Not only do students take advantage of what the town has to offer, but the people of Hamilton support many of the student activities, athletic teams, and musical and theatrical performances. In addition, annual events such as the village picnic and Christmas holiday lighting ceremony encourage interaction between the town and the university.