Study What You Love
You’re smart, ambitious, and inquisitive with a diverse set of interests, so naturally you’re looking for a college that will challenge you. And since you haven’t had a lot of choices regarding the classes you’ve taken in high school, you can’t wait to pursue what interests you in college. At Hamilton, that freedom is even greater because we are one of the few colleges in the United States with an open curriculum.
Guided Independence
Hamilton’s open curriculum will allow you to choose courses that reflect your interests; however, with that freedom comes the responsibility to make informed decisions about your intellectual development. That’s why we don’t expect you to chart your course alone. Your faculty advisor and our ALEX (Advise, Learn, and EXperience) program will ensure your academic success, career preparation, experiential learning, and personal growth.
Apply What You Learn
Hamilton also offers countless opportunities for you to take what you learn in the classroom one step further, whether through service learning, community service, or academic research. These experiences take place on campus and off, and often involve independent work supervised by faculty and alumni.
Student Stories
Student Summer Research Goes International
Supported by Hamilton’s International Summer Research Fellowship, five students found new perspectives on their studies, the global community, and their identities.
Classroom Coding Meets Game Boy
At Hamilton, computer science isn’t confined to code on a screen. The Computer Science Department, which recently overhauled its curriculum, has been making the ever-growing discipline emblematic of a liberal arts education. Step One has been ensuring that computer science is accessible to all students.
Hockey Team Scores for Climate Action
Winning a NESCAC championship requires a bit of travel, and climate action requires a bit of cooperation. Carson Hall ’26 and Ben Zimmerman ’26 understand this, and are doing something about it. On a Saturday in early September, the men’s hockey team planted over 50 trees in Utica. The initiative seeks to offset the emissions of athletics travel.
Parks, playgrounds, community centers, libraries, and cafés are the backdrop for many cherished memories, from chatting over coffee to playing tag. These places occupy a third sphere outside of the home and the workplace, a space emphasizing friendship and connection. Victoria “Vicky” Holland Oliveira ’26, Nicholas Kreidler ’28, and Chloe Root ’28 embarked on an investigation of these “third spaces” through a Levitt research grant this summer, seeking to understand the status and history of recreation and community in Utica, our neighboring city.
How a Math Student Found a More Efficient Way to Groom Campus Ski Trails
As snow falls on Hamilton’s campus, many students take the opportunity to try a new winter activity: cross-country skiing. Students can rent skis from the Glen House and take them out on the cross-country ski course, located behind the Taylor Science Center. With heavy snow, this course requires maintenance to ensure a safe place for beginner skiers, and that maintenance requires time and fuel.
Representing Bhutan on Campus ... and at the United Nations
Jampel Payldon ’27 hails from the Kingdom of Bhutan, a small nation nestled in the Himalayas. This summer, Payldon had the opportunity to represent her country on the world stage as an intern at the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations.
The Journey to ‘Know Thyself’
No matter how many twists and turns your journey to “know thyself” takes, you can count on these promises we make to all of our students.
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An open curriculum will allow you to discover and pursue almost any interest.
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You’ll be exposed to new ideas and interact with people who have different perspectives.
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Communicate effectively so that you’ll be prepared for whatever career you choose.
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We promise to meet each applicant’s full need, and we are need-blind in admission.
Contact
Office of Admission
