Trinity College (CT)

Trinity College “offers a good balance” of academic rigor and social engagement. It’s a place where “you can truly craft your experience” through opportunities such as creating a student-designed interdisciplinary major or minor, studying abroad, or completing a self-directed capstone project. The curriculum encourages “individuals to be multifaceted, [and] students are encouraged to double major” in order to explore other interests and not limit themselves to one particular field. Further, “student research is profound and heavily funded,” with one student noting that “financial aid, research opportunities, [and] study abroad programs with transferable financial aid” are readily accessible. Faculty earn high marks, with one student sharing, “The professors are a huge asset, [and] Trinity’s humanities professors especially are very good at what they do.” In particular, they “really make you question your perceptions on reality, rather than strengthening already established notions.” Another student adds, “I love…how they help me find new ways to think,” and model how to disagree “in a calm and respectful manner.” Students also appreciate that when they run into challenges, “there is acknowledgment of the difficulty in our course load and content, followed by an outreach of extra support or point of contact throughout the semester.” And students widely report feeling that professors care about “the education of their students above and beyond all.” Alumni are also supportive and are “willing to help current undergrads with their career search.” Overall, Trinity students agree that “the biggest strength of our school is the sense of community.”

With just over 2,000 students, Trinity is a close-knit community where “it feels like you know everyone, and at the same time, there are always people you are meeting.” Students often connect through the interdisciplinary nature of their studies. As one student shares, “We are all different, but at the same time everyone has many interests, [such as a] STEM major with minors in all different areas of humanities, and the other way around.” Echoing that sentiment, another student describes their peers as having “areas of interest that spread from the arts, sciences, to community outreach.” While some students acknowledge socioeconomic differences on campus, noting that “the wealth gap is real, and often very easy to identify,” they also value the college’s “wide range of geographical and cultural backgrounds, with a high percent of international students.” One student sums up their social experience at Trinity: “I have met some of the kindest people, many of whom will continue to be part of my life, and I can proudly say I have a home in many different countries around the world thanks to the diverse friendships I’ve developed.”

For many students, days in the Coop, as students playfully refer to the Trinity campus, are enjoyable and busy. “There are opportunities to have fun in planned activities on campus almost every day.” For many Bantams, as students are known, Greek life offers an outlet for “partying on the weekend if that’s your thing,” while others describe it as “an oasis from the rest of campus and provides relief from difficult classes or trying social circumstances.” Another student adds that Greek life provides “opportunities to do community outreach in both my positions in philanthropy and as treasurer.” Athletics are very popular and come in many forms at the Coop. Bantams enthuse about club and intramural sports, and varsity teams compete in the Division III NESCAC. Hikers, rock climbers, and backpackers love Quest, an outdoor education program focused on “leadership development and community building.” Combined with a wide range of clubs and organizations for just about every interest, these offerings help ensure that “there is a place for everyone” at Trinity.

Trinity students are “very engaged and involved outside of class, often expanding their maturity and job experiences in internships [and] leadership opportunities.” Career Services helps students out a lot with these jobs and internship searches through Handshake (the online job listing service) with more than 200 internships for credit, and “alums are eager to help out the student body as well.” Each student can take part in the two-day intensive Bantam Sophomore Success program, and alumni mentoring is available to everyone. Networking opportunities are especially fruitful if you want to go into finance or investment banking.