My D22’s best friend goes to Williams and my D, who goes to a huge school, spent 3 days on campus with her. In those 3 days, my D went from knowing no one and having people eye her curiously (her friend said it was bc she was “new blood”) to having multiple people waving to her and greeting her on the sidewalk and in the cafeteria. (She thought it was super sweet.) She went to a formal as her friend’s guest, partied with a big group where one person overindulged and did some silly things, then noted the gossip about that person, which lasted the whole next day. In the cafeteria, she said it was super clear where the different groups sat—theater and acapella kids in one area, sporty kids in another, etc.
My D’s friend noted that dating, hooking up, breaking up, then bumping into people you wish you didn’t have to see are just features of life there. She loves Williams and it’s perfect for her as a very social person who has always been friends with everyone. But it’s not hard to imagine feeling awkward or uncomfortable when bumping into your ex in line for cereal every morning at the one cafeteria—and knowing that everyone around you also knows that’s awkward for you is… well, another level of awkward.
Don’t get me wrong, I think small schools are awesome for lots of reasons… and as it became clear to my D in 3 just days, everyone knowing and talking about everyone’s business is part of the program. Whether that’s a feature or a bug is in the eye of the beholder.