Colgate
Colgate is a few thousand students on a hilltop above a tiny upstate village — close-knit, gorgeous, and a real haul from anywhere bigger. The summers come easy and the winters mean it, so you're packing for both a warm move-in and the lake-effect snow that follows.
What to wear in Hamilton, month by month
This region runs from a humid late summer to a hard winter in about ten weeks. The mistake out-of-region families make is packing the whole year in August.
| Late Aug | 70–82°F | Warm, humid days, cool nights. Shorts, tees, one light layer. |
| September | 60s–70s | Mild, drifting cooler. Jeans, sweaters, a light jacket. |
| October | 40s–50s | Crisp, peak foliage, first frosts. A real jacket, sweaters, a rain shell. |
| November | 30s–40s | Gray, cold, first snow. Insulated coat, hat, gloves, waterproof boots. |
| Dec–Feb | teens–30s | Full winter, lake-effect snow, wind chill below zero. Heavy coat, snow boots, thermals. |
What Colgate lets you bring
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Natural holiday trees and garland
These come from Colgate's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at Colgate
- 01Early summer
Watch for the email from Residential Life
The Office of Residential Life emails you with a link to the Housing Portal. This is where everything happens — sign in with your Colgate username and password.
- 02Before the deadline
Complete the Housing Preference Form
You're matched with a roommate within your commons who shares similar living-learning habits. The form asks about your sleep schedule, communication style, and similar day-to-day details. Answer honestly — it's the basis of your match.
- 03Set by the Registrar
Your FSEM seals your commons
Your housing is informed by your First-Year Seminar (FSEM) placement. You live with the other students in your seminar — the idea is that the discussions continue back in the building, not just the classroom.
- 04Mid-to-late summer
Assignment posts to the Housing Portal
Your assigned hall and roommate name(s) appear at the top of your portal homepage. Some students get a virtual room tour over the summer — use it to check dimensions before you buy storage.
- 05Late August
Arrival Day
You pick up your residence hall key and move in. Fall-sport athletes and pre-orientation participants get approved early-arrival dates. Mail Services is swamped early — bring essentials in the car rather than shipping them to arrive the same week.
Where you'll live at Colgate
Brown Commons
Named for religion professor and chaplain Coleman Brown and community advocate Irene Brown. A real mix of housing styles, from classic to infamous — and home to the newest building on the hill.
An older building, updated, with a classic feel, sizeable rooms, and a prime central location. The quintessential Colgate dorm experience. Doubles and some suites.
One of two brand-new RAMSA-designed halls clad in local bluestone. Hotel-esque, pre-set climate-controlled A/C and heat, generous lounges and kitchens. Houses ~105 in doubles and suites. Location slightly less central than Pinchin.
A more traditional, older dorm. Centrally located — a big plus — but not as updated as others. A solid middle-of-the-road choice. The Centers for Women's Studies and LGBTQ+ Initiatives are on the ground floor.
Campus legend, and not always for the best reasons — "built to be temporary and has outlived its planned lifespan thrice over." You'll either love the character or count the days.
Hancock Commons
Named for Gordon Blaine Hancock '19, who pushed Colgate to readmit African-American students. A bit further from the academic quad — suite-style living, close to the gym.
Four houses — Cobb, Crawshaw, Parke, and Russell — with single and double rooms inside suites that share a bathroom. Crawshaw is home to the Harlem Renaissance Center. Near the gym, a walk from classes and dining. The Edge, a shared event/kitchen space, sits at the center.
Four houses — Brigham, Read, Shepardson, and Whitnall — single and double rooms within suites. Formerly the Cutten complex, renamed in 2017. The honest knock: far from classes and dining, which bites in winter. Best if you're a gym fiend or athlete.
Ciccone Commons
Built around getting to know professors as real people and peers as friends. Includes Curtis Hall, which has the Haven space on its ground floor.
Standard doubles plus a limited number of suites with double rooms. Three to four communal bathrooms per floor. Haven, a ground-floor gathering space, is accessible from outside.
Mabel Dart Colegrove Commons
The fourth of Colgate's first-and-second-year commons. Like the others, tied to your FSEM and supported by live-in faculty and staff who run programming and community events.
The Colgate move-in checklist
Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Hamilton logistics, sorted
How to address a package to campus
CU Box [your box #]
Colgate University
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, NY 13346-1338
You'll live in a Residential Commons
No AC — bring a fan
Hamilton & around
Visit Madison County
The regional tourism guide for the Hamilton area — events, seasonal happenings, wineries, and the wider Madison County countryside.
This Is Hamilton NY
The village's own guide to downtown — shops, cafés, dining, and what's on around the green.
Downtown Hamilton
A genuinely walkable village green ringed with locally-owned shops, cafés, breweries, wineries, and theaters, all in the scenic Chenango Valley. Steps from campus via the Colgate Shuttle.
Utica Coffee / local cafés
The downtown coffee scene is where students and families land between errands. Easy walking distance from the green and the Inn.
Where to stay near Colgate
Colgate Inn
Village green, walkableA century-old village landmark with 40 newly-refreshed rooms, The Tavern restaurant, complimentary bike rentals, and pet packages. The classic choice — and the closest. Books out first.
Hotel One75
~1 mile from campusThe largest lodging in the Village of Hamilton at 94 rooms, with an outdoor courtyard and firepits. A comfortable, casual option when the Inn is full.
Colgate's lodging page
Official directoryColgate maintains a current list of hotels and accommodations in Hamilton and the surrounding area — the authoritative place to start.
Colgate gear & gifts
Colgate — links & contacts
- Residential Life: reslife@colgate.edu
- Phone: 315-228-7367