My son got accepted by both schools and we are not sure which one to choose. He is interested in political science. Could anybody share some thoughts on this? Thanks.
Williams is rural & athletic, while Brown is the opposite.
What the FA difference?
Hi @bcxyhf : Choosing a higher education institution is all about âfitâ. Academically and socially. When considering an institution, you must take into consideration your sonâs profile, just like a âChanceâ. It is not just which college to do which major. What is your sonâs academic profile? What is your sonâs personality? How well can your son adapt to different environments? Without any of those information, even someone who is very familiar with an institution cannot possibly give you any meaningful suggestion. Have you visited each school? My child flat out refuses to apply to any rural school and a particular school which tends to have a higher concentration of snobs. That is part of its personality. (there is no need to donate application fees if there is no intention to attend) Your son does not intend to major in STEM. For those STEM kids, more consideration is needed. A lot of kids are âhumbledâ by what they experience during the first semester of their college life. Depending on the circumstances, there might be irreparable damage to their future career. I have seen many XXX or YYY threads. At the end, they all go to the âbestâ school based on a magazine. If you have an open mind and more information about your son can be known, I think you could get a lot more out of this.
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You have to visit!
The schools are totally differentâŠnothing in common!
Brown is in an absolutely beautiful part of Providence RI. It has a gorgeous, picture perfect campus in a lovely urban setting. Nice restaurants and nightlife.
Williams is in a beautiful part of Massachusetts. Breathtaking scenery. The campus is very small and the student body is very small. There are high schools that are larger than Williams.
What the two schools do have in common are exceptional students and teachers. Both will be a wonderful education. But, because the two schools are so different you must visit!
One correction to what dochouse said, the Williams campus is certainly not âvery small.â The campus is 450 acres â about three times the size of the urban Brown campus â and the college also owns 2600 acres of neighboring Hopkins Forest. The campus actually feels quite vast, especially considering that it is typically not very crowded. Some people love that, others want a lot more action in tighter quarters.
I would definitely visit both if you can. Prestige-wise, itâs a wash. The student bodies have a fairly different vibe in my view, and of course the liberal arts vs. university setting is a major difference. Williams has significantly more resources per student (2.6 vs. 3.5 billion dollar endowment, despite the fact that Brown has a much larger student body), the tutorial program, and Winter Study, all factors worth considering.
Note that Williamsâ new President (started today!) was previously Dean at Brown, so the two schools have that in common âŠ
Two amazing choices! You canât go wrong, so pick by âfit.â
With top professors and top students at both colleges, there also are many similarities, despite the differences in size and location.
Brown:
-The Ivy name and reputation (more people on the street will have heard of it than of Williams, but grad schools and employers will be equally impressed by both schools)
-A completely open curriculum with no distribution requirements
-The ability to take most of your classes pass-fail
-Mellow and liberal vibe
-If you prefer a city, go with Brown
Williams:
-small classes right from the beginning of college; as a result, too, most classes involve discussion
-really close relationships with professors, where being invited to dinner at a professorâs house is not uncommon, and all research opportunities go to undergrads
-the tutorial program- two students alternating presenting and responding to one anotherâs papers, under a professorâs guidanceâa unique and amazing opportunity
-the freshman entry system- start college in a carefully constructed microcosm of the college, with 19 other freshmen; while you will branch out and make other friends quickly, the entry gives you a built-in group of friends, from diverse backgrounds, right at the start of college
-Ephventures orientation programs also help freshmen make friends
-many singles: 60% of freshmen and most upperclassmen have single rooms
-gorgeous mountains all around, and traditions like Mountain Day that take advantage of its incredible setting
-Winter Study: a month with only one class, taken pass-fail, taught by a professor (including some nice travel abroad options), as well as the informal Free University where students teach one another a variety of subjects; a great time on campus!
Congratulations to your son on having two fantastic options! If he possibly can visit both colleges, that may help him decide whether he wants to go mid-sized and urban, or small and rural.
Thayer Street (Brown) versus Spring Street (Williams). Google map is your friend.
Better yet, switch from Google Maps into Google Street View. Get a panoramic view of town from street level !
Oh wait. The Google Street View team has apparently never made a trip down Spring Street; thereâs no coverage. Well, maybe that tells you something. How many downtowns in the US have yet to be visited by a Google Street View camera car?
^^I wish CC had an LOL button. Oh, well - :))
Brown and Williams offer a similar academics, with accessible, supportive professors and an engaged, intellectually curious student body. They are, however, quite different in environment and personality. If your son is able to visit both and spend some time with current students, he will probably prefer one over the other.
The Brown campus is in an attractive part of Providence, a quiet neighborhood with plenty of lively shops and restaurants. To me, the city of Providence isnât especially appealing, but its location in between Boston and New York and not too far from the Cape Cod beaches offers a lot of diversion. Overall the student body leans left politically with a significant portion involved in socially conscious advocacy. Because of Brownâs interface with the Rhode Island School of Design, there is a serious commitment to the arts as well. As part of the Ivy League, Brown has high name recognition throughout the U.S. and internationally.
Williams is decidedly rural, set among profoundly beautiful mountain scenery. Williamstown itself is more of a mountain village, with a handful of shops and restaurants. The student body tends to be politically middle road, though with a deep strain of environmental activism. A good portion of the students participate in some kind of team sport or outdoorsy activity. There is also a vibrant commitment to the performing arts â music and theater â as well as three excellent museums on or near campus. Boston is about 2.5 hours away. Students usually manage to visit Boston or New York once or twice a term, but the happiest are those that chose Williams because of its insular, rural environment, not in spite of it. Williams is well known to graduate schools and east coast and west coast employers; however, it is not a widely recognized name in most of the country or internationally.
Political science is a strong department at both schools. Brown students benefit from the presence of its graduate programs. Williamsâ draw on the Center for Development Economics. Both send many students to study abroad programs and provide ample support for summer internships.
Just to chime in here about BrownâŠmy son goes - and although it is a bigger student body, he has been invited to his professorâs homes for dinner and has a close relationship with one of them, being a TA for his class - which has been an amazing opportunity.
@momrath, just regarding this comment:
I grew up in RI and there are many beautiful beaches a lot closer than Cape Cod. RI is tiny and itâs called âThe Ocean Stateâ for a reason. 
OP, Providence is a fun little city with great restaurants and top-notch theater (Trinity Rep). Newport is nearby as well⊠no need to go to Boston/NYC unless you want to!
Depends on your interests
@sugarski Thanks for setting me straight on Rhode Islandâs beaches. In any event proximity to the ocean is plus.
Brown and RISD students seem to really like Providence and Williams students appreciate what the Berkshires have to offer. Most likely one environment will be preferred over the other.
Itâs a completely different set of students. Especially related to political activism and views as a broad generality. Brown is the east coast Berkeley and Williams is not.
- Brown is more politically liberal
- Williams has more athletes per capita
- Williams offers tutorials; Brown, the open curriculum (which, to me, would require scheduling and goal discipline -- but if you don't take all the easiest classes P/F, it's a free pass to really challenge yourself)
- Classes are smaller at Williams
- More majors and classes are offered at Brown
- Rural bucolic environment (Williams) vs. medium city (Brown)
And, finally, something nobody else has mentioned:
Purple-and-gold Ephs vs. brown-and-red Bears
Pick based on fit. Key differences are everything except teaching quality and maybe weather:
- Environment (city vs. rural)
- Social vibe/student makeup
- Multiple academic differences: class sizes, majors, curricular style
@bcxyhf What are your students interests? Not only are there beaches but places to row (I think Brown uses the Narragansett Boat Club - Americas oldest) and there is the Narragansett Bay for sailing. I like the quirky shops in Providence.