Re #19, that might represent a record — or near record — low acceptance rate for Middlebury. Last year’s rate was 17.4%. In this unusual year, the rate will settle at at least 24%. Amid uncertainty, college acceptance rates in general may regress to their means for the prior decade or two.
Oh, c’mon. I can’t take this anymore. Anyone with hooks to Williams would be a fool to give up that advantage in order to apply to Dartmouth ED. @BillMarsh was being incredibly kind in suggesting a gap year.
Just sayin’.
My son’s college did a joint college program with students from Dartmouth. This was 2 week program with overnights. My son remarked about how the Dartmouth kids were getting drunk. He wasn’t impressed by them at all. Total program was less than 50 students. Small sample, and it may be common at many schools. It was noted by my son since he knew kids from HS who were rejected at Ivys, including Dartmouth, and remarked how many idiots must get accepted. It was a good lesson for him to learn.
“Vanderbilt”
Are you sure about that? I’ve been on both campuses, shockingly, and Hanover and Nashville are not very similar. Diversity, music scene, food choices all strikingly different, you would not get bored at Vanderbilt on the weekends. Maybe the rigorous academics, approach to education, but definitely not the campus feel.
Your ECs seem light but if you’re a recruited athlete, that would explain where your non-school time was being spent, so you should focus on that.
Theoniusmonk, all you had to do was to click on the link I provided to see why Vanderbilt was included by the author of the article. It would make sense to do that before criticizing it, wouldn’t it?
why?
^Because they’re virtually the same. One is smaller than the other, that’s all. Why would you give up the few hooks you have (plus a marginally more favorable admissions rate) for a school that has so little additional value?
Because I’m worried that I might not enjoy my time at Williams as much as at Dartmouth due to larger size, athletcs, frats, etc. However, I do agree that they are quite similar overall, which is why I’m so torn.
[quote=“Bill_Marsh, post:13, topic:2094088”]
None of these is a safety for anyone. Period.
Kenyon and Bucknell may be matches for a highly accomplished student, but the rest? Moreover, not a single one of these is a safety for anybody.
Match means more than 40% of applicants like the OP are accepted, while safety means that >85% or even higher.
It is also important to remember that these are the average acceptance rates. At most small colleges, for which a substantial number of students are accepted ED, the RD acceptance rates are far lower than the average acceptance rates.
Think about resolving your uncertainty with something like a Dartmouth, ED, and Colgate, ED II or RD, combination. Just because you’re legacy at Williams doesn’t mean that it should be within your top few choices, though you could still apply there RD, of course.
Thank you! That was actually what I was. leaning towards (D ED) I’m interested in why you suggested Colgate, because I’ve never really looked into it. Do you think it is similar to Dartmouth socially?
By aspects that pertain to social atmosphere, such as fraternity activity and Division I athletics, Dartmouth and Colgate appear to be quite similar to each other. Since you haven’t yet researched Colgate, this Forbes article, which describes Hamilton, NY, may get you started: https://www.forbes.com/sites/morganbrennan/2012/12/19/americas-friendliest-towns/.
As an aspect to add into your decision that supports Williams based on one of your criteria, consider the prominence of its athletic programs: https://www.newsweek.com/25-schools-stocked-jocks-71873.
Btw, it had been a while since I read your original post — it seems you only may be a legacy candidate for Williams.
Have you stated your potential major?
OP, I think you’re moving the goal posts ever so slightly here. You began by saying:
But, this thing about Dartmouth being a better “fit” because it has more party animals in residence seems to be a bit of an obsession. Let’s be clear: Williams is one of the preppiest, most stubbornly “work hard/play hard” schools in the East.
Here’s what I think: I think that you really don’t want to go to Williams. I think it’s only in contention because of a legacy in the family. And, rather than offend that branch of the family you are raising a red herring that frankly puts Dartmouth in a very bad light. An LAC isn’t for everyone; I’ve said that dozens of times.
Do yourself a favor. Take Williams out of the equation. Apply to Dartmouth ED. And apply to Cornell RD.
I’m hoping to study economics, math, and philosophy but I don’t have a specific major in mind yet
For perspective on economics departments at LACs, this analysis can be helpful: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html. This analysis places Dartmouth’s top-notch econ program in context: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.usecondept.html. For ideas for colleges strong in math, you can access the print edition of The Princeton Review’s college guide for a sampling, “Great Schools for Mathematics Majors,” in which academically excellent options such as Williams, Amherst, Hamilton and Bowdoin appear. LACs in general make appealing choices for the study of philosophy.
“Theoniusmonk, all you had to do was to click on the link I provided to see why Vanderbilt was included by the author of the article. It would make sense to do that before criticizing it, wouldn’t it?”
I clicked on the article and not only did it basically confirmed what I posted but it showed they’re more different than similar:
"Dartmouth and Vanderbilt are often compared to each other because of the combination of intense academics and thriving but insular social scene. Like Dartmouth, Vanderbilt also has a “work hard, play hard” mentality but Vanderbilt is also much closer to city life than Dartmouth is. Which means you have more options in terms of community interaction, social calendar events, and job opportunities. Vanderbilt takes Greek life seriously, and though Dartmouth isn’t quite as big as Vanderbilt, and instead of mansions it’s slightly dilapidated fraternity houses, the intensity is certainly there both in and out of the classroom. That said, it’s a southern school for sure.
Which is exactly what I said - “maybe the rigorous academics, approach to education, but definitely not the campus feel.”
Vanderbilt is in a city, has more social options, more Greek life, southern, and bigger. It really has one thing in common with Dartmouth, maybe two, academics and wealth.
OP - here are Dartmouth’s overlap schools per Fiske, gives some credence to considering Colgate.
"Duke, Stanford, Colgate, Middlebury, Williams College, Brown, Yale, Princeton.
Academically Dartmouth and Williams are top notch and they are both known to have extremely strong alumni networks.
My sense is Dartmouth is preferred, if for no other reason that mom and dad did not go there, which is understandable. I went to the same school as my parents (Not Williams or Dartmouth), and any perceived link between my own college experience and that of my parents went out the window after the first academic term. Ultimately you make your college choice for yourself.
My son is a student-athlete at Williams and he definitely studies hard (with very good results) and enjoys the social life, even without the fraternities. In essence some of the sports teams essentially act like fraternities, including off campus housing and parties.
OP - you mentioned you are a recruited athlete. Do you have an “offer” from a Williams coach? In some sports you may need to wait until this summer (July/August). If you have an offer - then you are basically in - and you should seriously consider applying to Williams ED if Williams/Dartmouth are at a (near) tie. On the flip side, if you do not get an offer, then you might consider applying to Dartmouth ED and Williams RD if needed. On a related note, agree that Colgate and Dartmouth are similar (nice campus + greek life) and Middlebury is another good alternative (though not a back up).