Hamilton is a top-tier liberal arts school located in Clinton, NY. With their suburban campus, small size (2,000 undergrads), and selective acceptance rate (11%), this school definitely has a classic liberal arts vibe. Some of their most popular majors include econ, bio, poli sci, and psych and they’re known for ditching the ever-popular core curriculum system and letting students choose almost their entire course selection. They’re also a NESCAC school and over 35% of students participate in sports. Because you are reading this, you probably want to know if getting recruited to Hamilton will help you get in. Maybe? Keep reading.
Hamilton attracts students who seek an academic environment similar to other NESCAC institutions. The New England Small College Athletic Conference is comprised of eleven top-rated liberal arts colleges and universities in the US, namely Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Middlebury, Tufts, Trinity, Wesleyan, and Williams. Because NESCAC schools are NCAA D3 institutions, athletics are not their primary focus. And because it’s NESCAC, they really want you to know that their academics are top-tier.
“All NESCAC member colleges enroll students who will enhance and enjoy the intellectual, social, and extracurricular communities our campuses provide. We seek students who are interested in the wide range of rigorous intellectual experiences offered, and value the role that extra-curricular activities, such as music, debate, theater, political action, and athletics, play on campus.”
Are you ready to be the most student-athlete to ever exist? Because that’s what Hamilton wants. You might have the skills to get recruited, but you also need to have the grades, scores, and extracurriculars to get into Hamilton on your own.
Grades
Hamilton, like many elite schools these days, does not publish the median GPA of admitted students. However, we do know that for the Class of 2026, 86% of students were in the top 10% of their class. Based on our ~expertise~, we can tell you that means as close to a 4.0 as possible. And that’s not just all As in the easy classes, kids. That means all As in the hardest classes your school offers.
Scores
Hamilton did not publish the average SAT or ACT data for the Class of 2026, but many third-party sites speculate between a 1410-1540 and 33-35, respectively. We think in order to be competitive, you need to be at the top end of that spectrum. Like, 1500+ and 34+, minimum. So, time to become a prepper. Not doomsday, but test.
Extracurriculars
Quirky academic liberal arts schools want quirky academic extracurriculars. It’s not enough to have just a sport on your resume. If you claim you want to study poli sci, you need in-depth extracurriculars to support that. Sure, debate and student council are cool, but so is petitioning your city government, working for a campaign, law firm internships, etc. Whatever your path, you need to make sure you’re going deeper than just surface level.
A Stellar Essay
On top of grades and scores, you need a great Common App essay. You can write about almost anything, just please, please don’t write about your sport. Start during the summer so you can beat the senior-year-stress rush.
You also need to get going on your supplement for your ED school, which in this case, is probably Hamilton. “Uh, TKG, Hamilton doesn’t have a supplement.” Silence, teen. We know. We still advise writing an email that captures the essence of most supplements.
Athletic Talent
Let’s not sugarcoat it. If you're not actively being recruited, it's time to ditch hours-long practices, tournaments, regattas, meets, etc., and focus on extracurriculars that set you up for your academic goals. Let's be real, getting a spot on a college team (even D3!) is a long shot. But hey, if you're here, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you think you've got what it takes to play sports at a collegiate level.
Getting recruited to play an NCAA sport is tough, even if it's just D3. On top of talent, you also need to have the grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, and essays to get into Hamilton on your own merit. And please, please make sure you're choosing Hamilton because it's the right fit for you and your future, not just because they want you on their team.
If you need help strategizing for college admissions, navigating the process, or writing your essays, reach out to us today.