Hartwick College (HC)

Hartwick College in upstate New York is a liberal arts college where "everyone belongs to something." Though there are complaints of cliques, most students say that "everyone is very accepting of one another and the community is close-knit and welcoming." It's also a place that fosters a "well-rounded education, no matter your major," though students particularly praise "the nursing and business programs." Students also appreciate the myriad "experiential learning opportunities" available to them as undergraduates. To many, a key academic feature is Hartwick's J-Term (or January Term), which "allows students to choose from one of their many great off-campus programs abroad or on-campus classes without interrupting their fall or spring semesters." More traditional study abroad programs are also available. Professors get mixed to positive reviews, with most students finding them "very dedicated to their work, respectful to their students, and readily available to meet outside of class to assist students," though some wonder about their course work's "disconnection to the advancements in [their] specific fields of study." The administration earns lower marks, with students saying that while "the faculty at Hartwick are fantastic," they are "definitely are worn down" by the administration.

Students report that athletics are a big draw at Hartwick, and "you have people that participate in sports, geology club, dance, art, student government." The geographical makeup of the student body includes "students from all different states and countries, although many are from New York and neighboring states." Some students that while "Hartwick has a very diverse population," the "different groups do not cross over very much." Students bridle at the stereotype that "in our town that we are rich kids," since, as one student puts it, "pretty much everyone I know has scholarships in order to attend." The close-knit, small school atmosphere helps students facilitate smoother "student-professor relationships [which] allows us to make connections and network easier."

A small school, Hartwick, at times, feels "like high school" and "cliquey" but on the whole "the student population is close." Greek life plays a role in the social life on campus, though students are split on exactly how much of an influence fraternities and sororities have at the school, with some saying "Greek life is huge and so much fun" and "a big portion of the student[s] participate in it," while others contend that "Greek life isn't huge but it seems to help your social status." On campus, "weekends are filled with community service opportunities or partying during the evening hours," while during the week, students' time is spent "preparing for the following day's classes or participating in the 120+ clubs and activity groups" the school offers. As one student puts it, "The social scene at Hartwick is everything I wanted from college." For those wanting to leave the somewhat isolated "campus on a hill," students say "the town of Oneonta is also great, and for those that need a little bit of the city, Albany, Binghamton, and Syracuse are about 1.5 hours away in three different directions."