<p>I know I can’t go wrong and am extremely fortunate to have this choice. Here’s where the problem lies: I think I’m the best fit at Carleton, but I’m interested in anthro/art history and eventually want to be a curator. This is a huge factor in my decision as it’s not a passing fancy - I’m a docent, I’ve interned, etc - so it’s a serious consideration. Do you all think the connections UChicago and Williams especially would afford me are too big to pass up?</p>
<p>UChicago:
I love the size, but I prefer the LAC intimacy.
Very strong anthro.
I enjoy the overall cynicism and intellect, but it’s perhaps too serious for me.
Chicago location, i.e. museum metropolis.
Very generous FA.</p>
<p>Williams:
The school to attend for art history and museum connections.
Tutorials. I also talked to an art history professor and we got along fabulously. He was extremely kind and helpful.
Too much of a drinking culture? On that note, I’m unsure of fit. I’m an athlete, but not much of a partier.
Very generous FA.
Outdoors + museums.</p>
<p>Carleton:
Again, very generous FA.
Best fit. I really “clicked” with the people I met when I overnighted.
Closest to home. Not really negative or positive.
Not particularly strong in anthro or art history? Produces many PhD earners, but no specific connections to the museum world that I know of.
<p>Are your concerns about Williams based on personal observation?<br>
Were you turned off by what you saw on a visit? Or are your concerns based on reputation only?</p>
<p>Carleton isn’t exactly “weak” in those areas - the art history department is very popular, and the SOAN (sociology/anthropology) department also offers some very cool classes. My Intro to Anthro class was very cool and I learned a lot. It’s better known for its sciences because it’s unusual for an LAC to produce so many science grads/PhDs, but the other departments are good as well.</p>
<p>That being said - Williams does have a fantastic art history museum and program. I really don’t think you could go wrong either way. Is your impression of Williams from a visit? My impression was that while partying is frequent, the atmosphere isn’t particularly judgmental towards those who do not drink, either.</p>
<p>I think you’ve done a good job of identifying the issues of all three schools. The only thing I think you’re overlooking about Carleton is it’s access to the Twin Cities.</p>
<p>Carleton is strong in art history, but does not have Williams’s top reputation in this field. To my mind, Williams would be the place to go if you want to be a curator. Williams is not for everyone, however, and some people just don’t like it. You know better than anyone how Williams would or would not work for you. Good luck!</p>
<p>tk and reesez: I visited last year and remember being very neutral about it - nothing pivotal, nothing memorably off-putting. We talked to a few students and I remember them being friendly enough and nice. I’m trying my best to be open-minded and take it with a grain of salt, but I know someone at Williams who often tells me about how everyone drinks, everyone parties all weekend, there’s not much variety for a “nerdier” type, etc. Logically, I realize this is both exaggeration and one person’s experience. It’s just getting very hard to look beyond it when it’s getting down to the wire.</p>
<p>I talked to my mom about visiting/overnighting, but it’s impossible at the moment, so I’m going purely off information I can glean from reading.</p>
<p>sunmachine: True about the Twin Cities. The Carleton people I talked to said they didn’t really leave Northfield very often at all, but it’s definitely another factor to consider.</p>
<p>A teacher who graduated from UChicago is telling me to go there and that it would be a good compromise between the Williams museumness and Carleton fit. Any thoughts on that?</p>
<p>fionar, D finds partying on the weekend sporadic. It might be the kids she hangs out with, but all of them tell me they can’t imagine taking a weekend “off” by partying. Congrats, all the schools are great.</p>
<p>There’s a lot of overlap among apps to these schools and it’s not surprising to see you in the position of making this choice. Have to believe your heart is with LACs. Williams is hands down the small school destination for art history, but if Williamstown just didn’t feel right to you, head to Carleton. You’ll find the academic experience there intense, the faculty incredibly supportive, and the students crazy happy and brilliantly self-effacing. Most of your real world experience in art history will come from summer internships - opportunities that will present themselves whichever of these schools you choose. You’ll only have one chance to do college right. I’d suggest you follow your heart.</p>
<p>My son graduated from Williams in 2007 with a degree in Art History and Studio. He and his friends were (are) not heavy drinkers and they fit in fine at Williams. The art history/museum opportunities are everything their touted to be. </p>
<p>Outdoorsy and sport-oriented activities are a big part of Williams culture. This can either be a plus or a minus depending on your point of view. For my son, it was a big positive. Same for Winter Study (January term) which is like a month long social event and an opportunity to learn something outside your comfort zone.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that Williams is a destination for anthropology, but there are some excellent professors in the department and a fair amount of interaction with the art history department.</p>
<p>Many art history courses organize field trips to Eastcoast museums (Boston, New York, DC) and the programs at the Clark are excellent. Along with docent positions at MassMoCA and the Williams Art Museum, my son had a paid summer internship at the Gardiner Museum in Boston which is a joint venture between Williams and the Steamboat Foundation. Ultimately, he veered from curating into architecture, but many of his peers from the art history department are now in prestigous graduate school programs.</p>