Hobart and William Smith Colleges are a student-centered learning environment, globally focused, grounded in the values of equity and service, developing citizens who will lead in the 21st century.
The Colleges� commitment to these principals was solidified in 1999 when they appointed the then director of the Peace Corps as president of Hobart and William Smith. President Mark D. Gearan has since reinforced the Colleges' commitment to global understanding and study abroad opportunities, community service, and service learning, with the goal of providing these elements through contemporary facilities and state-of-the-art technology.
In maintaining this environment, the Colleges create opportunities to engage faculty and students with other languages and diverse cultures. The majority of students participate in a study-abroad experience during their four years here. These experiences enhance what takes place on campus in the academic and social lives of students and it also allows the community to delve into the broader intellectual world.
The academic program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges keeps this highly interactive environment alive. The academic program is set apart from peer institutions in terms of excellence and opportunity. Education takes place not only inside well-taught classes, but also outside in well-run off-campus programs and well-conceived service projects. The Colleges view civic responsibility, community engagement, and international education as integral components of a liberal arts education. This rigorous academic program challenges students� minds while expanding their horizons to new worlds.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. Legally, the combined corporation of the two colleges, Hobart College and William Smith College, is The Colleges of the Seneca.
Hobart College traces its roots to Geneva Academy, founded in 1796. Hobart College proper was founded in 1822 as Geneva College and renamed in honor of its founder, Episcopal bishop John Henry Hobart, in 1852.
Geneva at the time was a bustling Upstate New York city on the main land and stage coach route to the West. When John Henry Hobart, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, visited Geneva in 1818, Geneva Academy (founded by the Rev. Henry Axtell) had temporarily closed its doors. Bishop Hobart had a plan to reopen the Academy at a new location, raise a public subscription for the construction of a stone building, and elevate the school to college status. By 1822, sufficient community funds had been raised to complete the stone structure, Geneva Hall, still in use today.
Known as Geneva College until 1852, when it was renamed in memory of its most forceful advocate and founder. Hobart College of the 19th century was the first American institution of higher learning to establish a three-year "English Course" of study to educate young men destined for such practical occupations as "agriculture, merchandise, mechanism, and manufacturing", while at the same time maintaining a traditional four-year "classical course" for those intending to enter "the learned professions." It also was the first college in America to have a Dean of the College.
Notable 19th-century alumni included Albert James Myer, Class of 1847, a military officer who "invented" the United States Weather Bureau, founded the International Meteorological Organization and the U.S. Signal Corps, and for whom Fort Myer, Va., is named; General E. S. Bragg of the Class of 1848, colonel of the Sixth Wisconsin Regiment and a brigadier general in command of the Iron Brigade who served one term in Congress and later was ambassador to Mexico and consul general of the U.S. in Cuba; two other 1848 graduates, Clarence Seward and Thomas M. Griffith, who were assistant secretary of state and builder of the first national railroad across the Mississippi River, respectively; and Charles J. Folger, Class of 1836, who was United States secretary of the treasury in the 1880s.
|
Full-Time vs. Part-Time
|
Men vs. Women
|
||||
|
Race/Ethnicity
|
|
In State vs. Out-of-State
|
Top States for Incoming Freshman
|
| Percent of Students International: | 2% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 82% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association) Basketball (Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association) Track (Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 32,737 | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 31,850 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 887 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 4,637 | 16% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 2,781 | 31% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 15,864 | 72% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 4,281 | 58% | |
Any Aid: |
77% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 64% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 96% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 530, Math: 540 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 640, Math: 630 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 28% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 23, Verbal: 22, Math: 21 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 27, Verbal: 28, Math: 27 |
| Application Fee: | $ 45.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Required |
| High School GPA: | Not Required |
| High School Rank: | Not Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |