Photo: Andrew Markham (CC BY-SA 4.0)
School data & stats
Outcomes
Cost
Community
Overview
Hobart and William Smith Colleges are a pair of coordinate colleges, historically Hobart for men and William Smith for women, sharing a single campus, faculty, and curriculum on the shore of Seneca Lake in Geneva, New York. Students receive diplomas from their respective college while attending fully coeducational classes, a structure that preserves separate deans, athletics, and traditions for men and women within one institution.
Academics
Environmental studies is a natural strength given the Finger Lakes setting, with the lake itself used as a teaching and research resource. International relations and media and society are also well-regarded programs. The curriculum carries a strong writing and public-speaking component, and study abroad participation runs unusually high for a school this size.
Campus & student life
The campus sits directly on Seneca Lake, and sailing is a genuine part of campus identity, with a competitive sailing team and general lake access shaping the social scene. The coordinate structure means separate first-year deans and some traditions split by college even as academics and most activities are shared. A strong lacrosse tradition gives athletics real visibility on campus.
Getting in
The application process is holistic, with essays and genuine interest in the coordinate-college structure and Finger Lakes setting valued by admissions readers. Demonstrated interest, including campus visits, tends to matter given the school's specific character, and early decision is a significant part of the admitted class.
After graduation
Graduates move into environmental and public policy careers, international affairs and NGO work, media, and law and business via strong pre-professional advising. The alumni network is tight-knit given the school's small size and coordinate-college identity, with active regional alumni chapters.
Worth knowing
The coordinate-college structure, one campus, two colleges, is genuinely distinctive and worth understanding before applying: students carry a Hobart or William Smith affiliation with its own dean, orientation, and athletic teams, even as classes and most campus life are fully shared.
Admissions
Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)
Applying
hws.edu ↗High school coursework
Required4 units of English · 3 units of Mathematics · 3 units of Science (of which 2 must be lab) · 2 units of Foreign Language · 4 units of Social Studies · 2 units of Academic Electives
Recommended4 units of English · 4 units of Mathematics · 4 units of Science (of which 2 must be lab) · 3 units of Foreign Language · 4 units of Social Studies · 4 units of Academic Electives
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