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Socrates believed the first step to true wisdom is to “know thyself” because only then can one appreciate what one understands and what remains to be learned. Hamilton’s founders agreed. They chose those words to appear in Greek at the top of the College seal.

Today, more than 200 years later, that motto — Know Thyself — remains a guiding principle as Hamilton prepares students to become critical thinkers in order to address our world’s most pressing problems. For only after gaining a full appreciation of your strengths, skills, and interests can you make valuable contributions to society and achieve the professional success and personal satisfaction you seek.

Knowing Thyself Is a Journey

As a student at Hamilton, you will come to know thyself through our four promises:

dark blue feet graphicExplore Your Passions
bright blue feet graphicExpand Your Perspectives
greet feet graphicExpress Yourself
orange feetExpect Opportunity


We also promise that a Hamilton education will be accessible and worth your investment. We will evaluate your admission application without considering your financial circumstances, and, once you are accepted, we’ll meet your full demonstrated need for all four years.

Salwa Sidahmed ’23

A Watson Fellow’s Plant-Based Journey to Five Countries

After crafting an interdisciplinary major in social justice and sustainability, Salwa Sidahmed ’23 will spend the year after graduation as a Watson Fellow visiting five countries to explore the ethical and environmental implications of plant-based practices.

Shelly Cao ’23

A “Know Thyself” Journey to Harvard’s Graduate School of Design

Oftentimes students feel as though there is a dichotomy between the sciences and the arts and that they must choose one or the other. Enter Shelly Cao ’23, an art and mathematics double major pursuing a combination of both through architecture and showing the paths that emerge from pursuing interdisciplinary interests.

Former congresswoman Gabby Giffords (left) stands with Lelan O’Brien ’23.

Turning Pain into Progress

When gun violence changed his life forever, Lelan O’Brien ’23 decided to take action. After interning with the Brady Campaign, which works to end gun violence, O’Brien served as a Courage Fellow for Giffords, a group led by shooting survivor and former congresswoman Gabby Giffords. In June, O’Brien attended a lobby in Washington, D.C., where he met Giffords and other lawmakers working toward a safer future.

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