so helpful thank you!!
How is the academic pressure at Williams?
See post #15 above in this thread.
Good luck in your college search.
Is Williams a good choice for pre med? Do they have a difficult GPA curve? Also, how strict are their standards for letting people try out for medical school?
Congratulations! If any of you would like to talk to a current student, connect with an Eph at this link! https://www.williams.edu/admission-aid/connect/ask-an-eph/
I am in between Williams and going to the beach for college (UCSD, UCSB). Williams obviously has better academics and that is a big draw for me, but I don’t know if I would fit in well to the social scene there, and having fun is a major factor in picking colleges for me. I am into big parties but I also love learning. I know I could find the learning that I want at Williams but the social scene is a little daunting. I really think touring and meeting some students would answer all my questions, but sadly that is out with recent events.
As a student do you ever feel like you’re missing out with a lack of parties or is there always somewhere to go? (I mean Fridays and Saturdays, Holidays, and the occasional Wednesday)
Do you ever run out of people to meet with the class size?
Is the attitude Ivy style, where kids only care about grades?
The E-Tour on the website did not really give me the look at the lifestyle that I was hoping for.
Thanks in advance!
Hi @Greg14 – well, you couldn’t have picked more opposite schools than Williams compared to UCSB and UCSD. Our DD and DS attended Williams, but grew up in a CA beach town between the two schools. So we’ve visited both campuses and their friends certainly attended all the UC schools. Williams appealed to my kids because they’re happiest in the mountains and rural areas and loved New England. They wanted a liberal arts college with small classes and the ability to get to know their professors well enough to make lifetime friends. They also made sure that their interests had very strong departments there. Instead, the UCs are massive research universities, where you attend a “college” in what you think your major will be, and the research hierarchy includes many grad students between you and the professor. There are differences in department strengths between SB and SD – check them out to be sure what’s best for you. Also SB is suburban and a short drive north from Santa Barbara, whereas SD is urban, right in San Diego.
In terms of academic style, you will never work as hard as you would at Williams. That’s something to consider. It’s part of the culture and the school self-selects for those who work harder and longer than most college students anywhere, including the Ivies. SB and SD are great schools, but the work load expectations are nowhere near that of WC. And your later contacts will be very strong in the Northeast from WC, whereas, not surprisingly, you will have more CA contacts in CA. However, there are alumni from all three schools everywhere for alumni networking.
Also, don’t forget weather. I don’t know where you’re from, but coastal CA has the most glorious Mediterranean-style weather in the world. Seriously, CA can have its problems, but weather is not one of them. (Unless there are fires – UCSB is in fire country.) Students are outside as much as possible, which makes studying harder when you just want to hit the beach. The Berkshire Mountains are exquisite in autumn and spring. But it’s a long winter. And mighty cold. My kids love the snow, so that wasn’t a problem. But did I say it’s a loooooong winter? Which only encourages more studying. 
Both systems are valid. It’s a personal choice.
However, from the party perspective, there is nothing quite like a big uni party compared to the smaller, more intimate LAC party scene. Williams parties polarize between the sports teams on one end, who have the money to run the bigger parties and coaches who encourage them to inter-team fraternize, and the smaller parties of students based either around interests (like performing arts) or entries (your freshman year housing) or other small groupings. Just by the difference in undergraduate enrollment size – 2100 vs. 20,000 and 30,000 – it can’t help but be different.
Good luck in your choices. Enjoy your next four years wherever you go!
My student is undecided between Yale and Williams - anyone have thoughts on the stress level/competitiveness among students at these schools? We assume the incoming student body is very similar as far as work ethic, so it’s a question about the school culture. Thanks for your insights!
Hi @MomInSB – My DD and DS went to Williams, and two of my DD’s besties went to Yale. The students are very similar, but the cultures are different. Beyond the rural vs. urban, undergrad only vs. university, and small vs. large size differences, Williams is more isolated, with a gorgeous, but small rural community around it. That makes the student body turn inward to cooperate with each other to a great degree. There is little to no competitiveness. I’ve seen this personally even with fellowship and award competitions. The students genuinely help and cheer each other on. They also turn outward to nature, enjoying the mountains and the most exquisite fall foliage and snowfall out their dorm windows.
On the other hand, the stress levels are high at both institutions, but Williams, along with schools like Harvey Mudd, Reed and Swarthmore, have famously rigorous and intense workloads. When my son compared his WC freshman workload with those of his friends taking almost the same courses at Stanford, Harvard, Brown, MIT and UPenn, his workload was harder and took more time. Even his Stanford friend studying in the same physics and math classes was amazed that Williams was just that much tougher and got through more of the textbooks. That’s another reason the students at Williams are so cooperative: they’re in the trenches together and work with each other to accomplish goals they didn’t think possible. (BTW, in lists where students self-report difficulty, the Ivies don’t even crack the top 20. It’s all LACs and technology schools in the top 20. Last list I saw, Williams was #3 most workload after Harvey Mudd and Reed.)
My kids chose WC because they are mountain people, love rural landscapes, small classes where they made real mentors and friends with their profs (my DD has truly made mentors/friends for life with them), and the undergraduate departments they pursued are among the very best in what they do in the nation. (Remember that – a famous graduate school department is not the same as a great undergraduate department.)
The outcome is similar. Both schools open doors and have great alumni networks. More people have heard of Yale, but people who know about Williams are very impressed. Your student can’t go wrong with either school.
Good luck to your student in wherever they chose to go! Take care!
Thank you @ivegraduatedmom for your reply! Very helpful information and perspective. She is lucky to have this choice to make, and I know she will be more than happy and challenged at either school. Not being able to do the admitted students’ day makes this decision more difficult though!
@MomInSB – Williams is making present students available for admitted students to discuss the school in greater detail. Have your student check out https://welcome.williams.edu/
Take care and good luck!
If it isn’t too late to ask questions - how present is the intellectual spirit at Willaims? By that I mean, how often do students talk about philosophical/academic topics outside of class, just for the fun of it? I know it has to be decently present, but in comparison to schools like UChicago and Carleton?
@friedpotatoes - It’s one of the best things about Williams. Everyone there loves ideas. People come in with all sorts of quirky intellectual interests and passions. They read for pleasure and interest. They get excited about their classes. And people like to learn and talk outside of class. Students get into talking about all sorts of interesting topics in their dorm common rooms, in the dining halls, etc.
That’s awesome to hear! Thank you so much.
Where do students keep their bikes safe both during riding season and in the snowy months?
Are there pianos in all the dorms?
Thanks!
@eastvillage - I found you this page, which includes a link to a map showing where all the bike racks are on campus: https://security.williams.edu/bicycle-information/
As you can see, there are bike racks all over campus outdoors. Some are in covered areas which provide some protection from the elements. I don’t know how many locations have bike storage inside, but I do recall noticing that there is a big indoor area with lots of bicycles in Mission Park dorm. Perhaps, since the page above comes from Campus Security, you could call either them or the Outdoor Club or Admissions for an answer?
No, not every dorm has a piano. Some do. There is a centrally located music center with private practice rooms with pianos in them. The Music Department may be able to provide more details: https://music.williams.edu/facilities/
My admitted student is athletic (a State-ranked/varsity captain in his sport) but chose not to pursue college athletics. I know at some LACs there’s a divide between the athletes non-athletes. Is that true at Williams? Are there clubs/teams for athletic kids who aren’t varsity athletes? He’s also a skilled hiker/backpacker.
Club teams— yes! There are some very active club sport teams. These host regular practices on campus, travel to other colleges to compete against their club teams, and also enjoy doing some social events together as a club. Club sports are great, because they are not so time-intensive that they interfere with your schoolwork or with being part of another kind of club as well, yet they provide exercise, competition, and socialization.
Your kid also might really enjoy the Outing Club. They organize all kinds of hikes and other outdoor adventures. He should definitely do the WOOLF backpacking trip for his Ephventure as part of the orientation program!
And I imagine you’ve heard of Mountain Day— a random Friday in October when classes are cancelled so students can go on a hike up a mountain.
Is there a divide between athletes/ non-athletes? I would say yes, depending on the particular sports team (some are more insular than others), but not in the way some people mean when they talk about that. Athletes definitely aren’t a dominant force; some of them just socialize separately. (And as seniors, some move into off-campus housing on Hoxsey Street and throw raucous all-campus open parties.)
Imagine you’re in a freshman entry (dorm group) with 39 other freshmen. Maybe four of them are male fall helmet sport varsity athletes. You’ll meet them at orientation and maybe see them in the bathrooms, at snacks, etc. If one’s in the room next door, or is your roommate, you might become good friends.
But most of the time the rest of your entry gets together to go to meals or to hang out, maybe the football players, etc., won’t be there. They may be off at practices with their team or may be involved in team-building social events with their team.
It really depends on the team. Some teams tend to spend a lot of time off on their own, while other teams have many members who spend time with their other entrymates and build a social life beyond the team.
Also, varsity athletes whose main season is not in the fall, or who are on less intensive/ less insular sports teams, will have more time available to participate in entry events, other groups, and Ephventures that include people from all walks of life (as opposed to just their team). So they have more opportunity to make other friends beyond their team right away.
Maybe another student could reply? @writingpumpkin03 ?
Thank you as always @TheGreyKing ! A few more issues, since I’m battling insomnia.
-One little thing that’s not a big deal but worries me: he’s just a passable skier (has only done it like 6-7 times). Neither my husband nor I grew up skiing, and it wasn’t a part of our college experience. Is Williams like Dartmouth/UVM/Middlebury, where everyone skis?
-The cute little sandwich shop/grocery on the main road seemed very overpriced (by DC suburbs standards, which aren’t exactly cheap). Where do kids go if they want snacks/groceries for their dorm room/communal kitchens?
-We have a bike hitch on our van; should he take up his bike? What about his backpacking equipment?
My main concern with Williams is the location. Amherst seems closer to suburban amenities and a major hospital (wasn’t an issue until this past month, to be honest). But my son favors Williams, and ultimately it’s up to him (even though I’m partial to the layout of Amherst’s campus, including a dorm that looks like it’s from Hogwarts).
I’m still so sad these seniors missed out on their various admitted students’ weekends. I think that would’ve made this decision so much easier. One of the reasons I’m a big fan of Grinnell is that we are able to spend the night for one of its programs last Fall, whereas all the New England schools we only saw for 90 minutes at a time during Spring Break last year. At Grinnell we got a real sense of the school over two full days of programming. But now it feels too far away.
Another downside to the covid19 uncertainty is that I want to be able to drive and get him. While 6.5 hours isn’t close, it’s a lot closer than 15!
@spachen -
There is a public bus that stops on campus and heads out toward North Adams. There is a Stop and Shop, a gas station convenience store, a Rite Aid, a Walmart, etc. along the route. (Just check the bus schedule if you go out to dinner in that direction; don’t miss the last bus back!) Also, there’s nothing like Amazon for shipping whatever you want to you… but try not to have to carry too much back to your dorm from the mailroom at Paresky in one trip!
Skiing- no, not everyone skis. Lots of people go there and never ski once during the four years. However, if you want to learn how to ski or snowboard, you can even do so in physical education class! And, for kids on financial aid, all the expenses, including equipment, are covered.
Yes, he’ll want his backpacking equipment for the fall orientation because, given his interests, I bet he’ll choose the most popular option, which is a 3-day backpacking trip! But students without their own backpacking equipment can borrow it on campus (and that’s most people— lots of people have never backpacked before that trip!).
And if he cares enough about biking for you to make that one of your first questions in this thread, you might as well bring his bike! (There is also a cycling club.)
Yep, the location is reasonably isolated. Annoyingly, health care is very limited on a weekend. The campus health center is closed, there is no doctor available to write a prescription, and the nearest urgent care facilities are in Bennington (Vermont) and Pittsfield. In a dire emergency, the college will take care of you, bringing you to a hospital or doctor.
But yeah, isolation is a true disadvantage of the location compared to suburban or urban locations. (So, does he prefer convenience or mountain beauty?)
I have a friend who went to Grinnell long ago and loved it! But I agree. 6.5 hours will allow you to visit some weekends, bring him home for holidays, etc. The question is how comfortable would he feel being so far away that those are not options.