<p>As far as the freshman advisor, if I remember correctly, a group of students with related academic interests from the same dorm were assigned to the same advisor.
I looked up Undergraduate Advising on the Stanford website. It is quite an extensive site <a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/uac/[/url]”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/uac/</a>
The website gives more details about the programs discussed in the Stanford Daily article. Good luck.</p>
<p>I don’t know if MothorofTwo son’s situation is unique, but my daughter’s freshman advisor at Stanford was a faculty member with academic interests similar to my daughter. She eventually switched advisors without problem. I don’t know if students look to profs as parental substitutes, but it sometimes seemed as though my daughter’s advisor looked to her as a daughter substitute with the kind of life advice he offered from time to time. I suppose the advice was in response to questions she presented to him, though.</p>
<p>Senhora, There are two support systems – academic and personal. For academic, each student is assigned an advisor, selected based on information that the student provides. My son requested and was given an advisor in the art department. He was very knowledgeable about the courses offered in other departments as well and was really helpful and accessible. In addition, the professors go out their way to connect with the kids, both in face to face meetings and by e-mail. If kids stumble academically, the professors actually chase them down before they go too far astray. I wouldn’t call it hand-holding, but rather the kind of personal interest that the LACs excel in. I think this kind of intense academic counseling is certainly available at big colleges, but it takes some initiative on the student’s part to take advantage of it. (I know because I went to UMich and was totally clueless!)</p>
<p>On the social side, the freshman entry system is set up to help first years make the transition into college life. I think it’s one of the great strengths of Williams. Two Junior Advisors (who are unpaid and are carefully vetted and trained) oversee a group of about 24 kids. They’re there to organize social events, provide a soft shoulder, arbitrate disputes, and offer personal advice on a wide range of topics, monumental and mundane, or at least point the kids in the proper direction to find help. The JA’s are not exactly “in loco parentis” but they are a wonderful resource for kids far away from home. </p>
<p>On the weather scene, my son left for spring break with Williamstown under snowbanks and came back to find that spring had actually arrived and it’s glorious. Shorts and t-shirts for the hearty ones! The seasons in the Berkshires are really something to write home about.</p>