<p>I love and appreciate the many comments above and the care and obvious pride that people who know Williams feel about it. I find the snooty characterization quite curious, especially coming from the west. My son is a Williams soph and I’ve not met a more down to earth group of people than his Williams friends (we’re from the west, as well…public hs). In fact, I don’t know if I’ve met 10 people in the past year that have even heard of Williams (or Amherst or Wesleyan)…slight exaggeration but not that far off… So, that’s an issue western Williams (and other LAC) kids do have to contend with; the general ignorance about the many great eastern LACs among the general population, especially in the west. He and his friends deal with this “limited notoriety” back home with humor and grace. That suggests that egos are far from inflated there; You have to have a reasonable degree of confidence when you know that most people where you live have not even heard of your college. (They might mistake it for William and Mary!) And my son (who is not on financial aid) has a job at 7:30 every morning at a grocery store in Williamstown (The Ephporium) for two hours before class…not a particularly snooty activity. He enjoys the work and is hardly alone among his friends by working to earn some spending and tuition money. Anyway, that’s one westerner’s take. I might add that his enthusiasm for Williams, his faculty and friends is a joy to behold. Purple Cows hardly lend themselves to snootiness. 
Good luck with your son’s decision!</p>