Elmira College Rankings by Salary Score™

For the most part, I really enjoyed my four years at Elmira College. It had the atmosphere I was looking for: small classes (even the introductory classes had less than thirty students); lots of individual attention if you wanted it; Greek life was non-existent, and a small but attractive campus with several magnificent, Hogwarts-esque buildings. I particularly liked Tompkins Hall. Even though it's a girl's dorm, I spent a lot of time there because my girlfriend (now wife) lived there for two years. Good memories.... Read More I went to Elmira knowing that I was going to attend law school after graduation. I felt like the faculty at Elmira prepared me well for that -- I ended up graduating from law school near the top of my class and have enjoyed a great career as an attorney. Other than saying that things turned out well for me, it's hard for me to comment on how rigorous Elmira is academically. Since I stayed there all four years, I don't have anything to compare it to other than law school (and law school is a world unto itself). I felt like I was working pretty hard to keep up with all the reading and all the papers I had to write, but I also had enough time to play club and intramural sports, write for the college newspaper, and spend time with my girlfriend. If you are the type of person that would get claustrophobic on a small campus, it's probably not a good fit for you -- especially if you don't have a car. The surrounding neighborhood is a little sketchy, but I've learned that's true for a lot of colleges and universities. You may also not like it there if you need a crazy party scene. The parties at Elmira can be repetitive and cliquey; it wasn't my thing, anyway, so I didn't care. Bottom line: Elmira is exactly what it appears to be on your first visit. Small classes, low-key sports and parties, and a sharp-looking but small campus. You just need to be self-aware enough to know whether that is the best environment for you.