Hamilton is a small liberal arts college in Clinton, New York. Clinton is a small town, even smaller than the student body of Hamilton, an hour east of the city of Syracuse. The college is rooted in the small town, but it isn’t defined by it — it thinks big. Hamilton is renowned for their Open Curriculum, one of the only truly open curriculums in the country. You take what you want when you want, with almost no bumpers or guidelines outside of your major requirements.
What we love most about Hamilton, though, is that they invite students to “know thyself.” The college cares deeply about offering an intellectual experience alongside an educational one. You learn facts, but more importantly you learn how to apply them to formulate big ideas. Hamilton isn’t a school for those who want to study hard then move on. They want kids who crave community, who look for opportunities for collaboration, and who want to learn about the world — and themselves. This is as true on the field, in the pool, or on the court as it is in the classroom.
Hamilton is a member of the NCAA Division III, and the NESCAC athletic conference. The campus is highly athletic, as a full one-third of students are varsity athletes. And they win. Hamilton has won 14 national titles in the last 15 years, an impressive record. Students compete on nearly 30 varsity teams, which is a lot, especially given the smaller size of the school at 2,000 students.
Over the last few years, Hamilton transitioned from a bit of an east coast secret to a highly sought-after liberal arts college with applicants from around the world vying for spots in the small student body. The acceptance rate is under 12%.
In this post, we’re going to break down what student-athletes need to know about Hamilton, and especially the college athletic program, if they’re considering playing for this iconic liberal arts school.
If you’re looking at small liberal arts schools with even smaller acceptance rates, send us an email. We help outstanding students get into the most popular schools in the country.
What is Hamilton looking for in Student Athletes?
As a NCAA DIII school, Hamilton does not offer athletic scholarships. However, there are many other ways to reduce the cost of a Hamilton education as an athlete, such as dozens of merit and academic-path-based scholarships. They distribute over half a million in merit-based (non-need-based) scholarships annually, in addition to over 50 million dollars in need-based scholarships and grants.
So, while they are looking for top athletes, Hamilton is also seeking out top students and outstanding community members who they can attract with strong scholarship packages linked to those other aspects of their applicant profile.
Recruited Athletes
Again, you won’t be getting an athletic scholarship from Hamilton. It isn’t personal, they simply can’t offer athletic scholarships as a DIII school. However, coaches can advocate on behalf of athletes with admissions, streamlining your application process and even, in certain cases, speeding it up.
If being recruited by Hamilton is attractive to you, you will want to start by taking a virtual tour. Even if you’ve been on campus, this is useful because they collect your email and will be able to see that you’ve done it. Showing continued interest will strengthen your case as a potential recruit.
Next, you’ll need to fill out the sport-specific recruiting form. You can access that here. It’s a very dry and boring form, but it’s also super important because it forms the foundation of your recruit profile. After submitting the forms — and waiting at least a few days — you’ll want to contact the coaches.
If your sport doesn’t have a form (a few don’t), you’ll skip directly to contacting coaches. Don’t pass on the form if there is one, though. They want to see you following protocol from day one, and skipping a step sends a message to the coaching team that you might do the same as an athlete on their team. To send the strongest and most positive message possible, treat this like applying for a job. Communicate carefully, make sure everything is accurate, and ask a parent or mentor for help when you’re not sure what to do.
If you don’t hear back immediately from the coaches, or your form submission, don’t freak out. Sometimes a delay is because the sport is in-season, and they’ve got a lot on their plate. Sometimes it’s because they’re experiencing a surge in inquiries and need to catch up. And sometimes it’s because of the rules. Coaches have specific protocols they must follow for when they can reach out to students, so not hearing back could be because they are juggling those windows.
Walk-Ons
If you aren’t sure about playing your sport at the varsity level in college — or don’t think you have the stats necessary to qualify for recruitment — you do have the option to try to join a team by “walking on.” Becoming a walk-on isn’t guaranteed, or even likely for many sports, but it is an amazing way of joining a team if recruitment isn’t for you. Typically, walk-ons are required to try out for the team or to go through a test period before being asked (or not) to join the team officially.
Because DIII schools don’t given out athletic scholarships, you won’t miss out on any money by walking on, but you also won’t have the boost that recruitment can give an application for admission.
If this sounds at all interesting to you, we recommend starting down the path as if you were to be pursuing recruitment. First off, you never know. Secondly, though, you want to make sure that they know you are interested in their team well in advance of arriving on campus. So, fill out the questionnaire and reach out to coaches!
Club Sports
Hamilton also has robust club and intramural sports programs that varsity athletes can benefit from alongside all their other athletic peers! There are 15 club sports, including curling and water polo. Some are very competitive and participate in games and matches regionally or even nationally. The Alpine Ski team, for example, is in the Mideast Division of USCSA, and hosts 5 regular season races, while traveling too for races. Others are more about having fun. The Club Curling team is all about introducing people to the joys of the nice sport of curling, and competes in a non-competitive (which feels oxymoronic) league.
While most club teams are a significant time commitment, even if they aren’t super competitive, the intramural programs at Hamilton are all about fun. Programs range from tennis to volleyball, to Bocce Ball. And, whereas some club teams will have tryouts, intramurals welcome one and all. Some of these programs, like basketball, operate as leagues. There are up to 18 basketball teams in the intramural league each season, who compete in 5v5 games. Other events are single-day or short-term tournaments. These include dodgeball, tennis, and even a 3-point shooting contest.
Both intramurals and clubs are student-run, and are able to shift quickly to meet student wants and needs.
Hamilton is a small-but-mighty liberal arts college with an athletic program that punches above its weight, and we especially love that there is something for everyone!
If you’re an athlete eyeing a future in varsity athletics, send us an email. We help outstanding student-athletes get into their dream schools.