Hamline University

I graduated from Hamline last year, so as an official recent alumni (it’s still weird identifying that way) I can say that my time here taught me a lot. I still stand by my decision to attend Hamline and although the tuition is sky high, it was worth it. No college is perfect, but without the liberal arts education that Hamline provided to me, I would not be who I am today. I am more open, opinionated, and well informed about the world than I ever have been because of the courses, activities, and conversations I engaged in while at Hamline.
Originally, I chose Hamline due to the size of the campus/​classes as well as the physical layout of the campus. The year I came in, was the first year that the Anderson center was open. Naturally, everyone was delighted about this «bright and shiny» addition to campus. Lets get to the important stuff… the food. College food is what I always get questions about and here’s the answer. The food lacked quality and variety at times, but I want y’all to know that Hamline gave me the best omelets I have ever had in my life. For lunch, I loved their spinach wraps. The Subway on campus is now a popular spot to eat as well (although I did prefer when it was the Bistro). The Piper Grill was a wonderful option to have for late night snackin’. I always indulged in their cheeseburgers, pasta, and chicken tenders. Carbs are the best for late night studying, that’s for sure.
The Anderson Center is not only used as the dining center, but it offers study and spaces to hold events as well. I have been to many events there and guests who are not affiliated with Hamline are always impressed by their surroundings when they attend events here. The service star is another appealing addition to campus. Although it seems like a discrete structure on campus, the meaning behind it is both important and sentimental. Along with the new, is the old. Hamline students will not hesitate to tell you that Hamline is the oldest institution in the state of Minnesota, and our buildings and photographs prove that. Buildings like Old Main, Manor Hall, and Drew Hall are reminders of a different era. Walking through campus, always made me appreciate the roots of the school and where we came from.
As for little treasures I discovered along the way, there were plenty. I came to sunbathe in the Blue Garden, study on the third floor of the Law Library (that is the most quiet place you’ll find to hit the books), and engage with an open ear to my counselor (who I met with for nearly the entire duration I was at Hamline) in the Health Services & Counseling office. For someone as social as I am, being able to say hi to people in passing was such a comforting feeling. Given Hamline’s size, the sense of community and familiarity was abundant.
Despite the rising cost of tuition and limited choices for majors and at times, classes, Hamline helped me grow into a part of my identity I would have never found otherwise. Every school has their flaws but trust me when I say that Hamline has its own character and was my home away from home. If I ever felt discouraged or overstressed, their were endless resources at my finger tips which is something I always appreciated about being a student there. With President Miller as the new leader, I am hopeful for even more positive changes for the future of Hamline and their students and staff.
Below are a list of handy dandy recommendations/​tips:
1. Become involved! There are so many organizations (people will refer to them as orgs) and work study positions on campus, so whether you want a paid position or just to meet new people, there’s sure to be something to fulfill your interests! I was a Resident Advisor for one year and it taught me so much.
2. Studying abroad options at Hamline are limited. Unfortunately, if this is a priority for you during college, please become informed on what trips/​courses abroad are available before you are set on enrolling here. I have heard many complaints from students about the lack of choices and I would suggest to look up information online or call them before making your decision.
3. Before spring break, look into all of the possibilities on where to go for that week! You can book a trip on your own of course, but there are several service learning trips you can apply for as well. STLF is very popular because you make stops to multiple cities, but I would personally recommend the Habitat for Humanity spring break trips. I enjoyed being able to help another community and get the chance to get away for a bit too!
4. Connect with your advisors. Hamline has so many amazing advisors and they will help you so much both pre– and post-​graduation. They are great support systems and references!
5. Utilize the Career Development Center. They are very helpful and you can stop in anytime to make an appointment or see if one of the staff members is free to speak with you!
6. Take an ACTC course at a different campus if you can!

That’s «HAM-​lynn» mind you. I said «Ham-​line» for the first day I was there and quickly learned the error of my ways.
My decision to go to Hamline was based on a couple very important factors. 1) They don’t have a foreign language requirement 2) J-​term (when one can take an accelerated course during January) is optional all four years!!! 3) They aren’t a «dry» campus. I’ll admit. Now that college is in the past, I’ve realized how trivial all of that 18-​year-​old criteria was.
Hamline is a good school. They’ll take just about anyone if you are able to pay, but you have to work to keep your grades up. There are the occasional «joke» classes, but most are fairly demanding to challenging. They have something called a «Hamline Plan» that students have to complete in order to graduate. It’s essentially a series of class requirements that «guarantee» breadth of study.
If you’re considering Hamline, I’d recommend picking out a number of potential majors and looking at the classes offered. Some majors have a lot more options than others. I know that the school is known for its Anthro department as well as the Forensic Certificate option. While I was in my final year I heard that the certificate was going to be changed to a major (which would be a huuge draw for potential students imo) but I don’t think it’s been implemented yet. My majors were Criminal Justice and Psych so most of my experience is with those subjects/​professors. Lots of Psych professors, very few Criminal Justice professors. If you happen to not hit it off with someone in Crim, have fun seeing them almost every semester… like it or not. Not that that happened with me or anything. Ahem.
Hamline is part of the ACTC program meaning one can take classes at any other ACTC school. Macalester, Augsburg, and St. Thomas are definitely included in this… and maybe St. Cate’s? Don’t remember. This is great if you want to take a class that Hamline doesn’t offer.
One of the huge perks of this school is the small class sizes. They’ll milk this as much as they can when courting potential students but seriously… it makes such a difference. The teachers really do know your name and I never had a hard time scheduling a meeting with a professor when I needed to.
The buildings are nice enough. I’ve driven by recently and they’re in the process of building something shiny and new.
Now the downsides. The food sucks. I thought it was bad while I was there, but then I talked to my friends at other schools and learned just how bad it actually was. I hear that they’ve improved things since ’06. Here’s hoping.
The cost is absolutely obscene. I was fortunate in that I had a scholarship to help me out, but I’ve talked to people that are over 100k in debt from student loans. It’s a good school but it sure as hell isn’t that good.
The major and class options are pretty limited. Because it’s such a small school, you don’t have the staff or the students to support majors that other schools can (ie the U).
The people are… odd. Really. Hamline attracts some strange folk… but I went there too so I guess I can’t say much about this. Some people call it «Hamline High» because it’s small enough for people to still know (and care) about other people’s business.
I can’t get behind the midway. Plenty of people that I went to school with had this whole «yeaaa it’s a little rough around the edges but that makes it so much more charming!» mentality. Yea, no. The midway isn’t charming. Macalester and St. Thomas definitely got the better end of that deal.
There’s a large commuter population and they don’t seem to have the best retention rate.
If I had to do it over would I go there? Doubtful. Did I dislike it enough to transfer? Nope.