Which college should I accept? (international)

TTG
Mon, 23 Apr 2018 13:34:57 +0000

I agree with all the above comments and think you are thinking about the right things. Neither Michigan nor Williams would be a wrong choice, just a matter of tradeoffs. I do think the international name recognition is something to consider, though it doesn’t have to be decisive.

There is a huge difference between US-based rankings and international rankings. US ones tend to focus on student academic credentials, selectivity, freshman retention, graduation rates, outcomes, etc. International rankings are very research based. Faculty at large research universities often focus on research; faculty at LACs focus more on teaching. So the international criteria really work against US LACs, which can matter if a student is planning to work primarily or solely outside the US, even though a student MAY well get a deeper education at an LAC (it can depend on the student).

In the end, I’d advise weighting these different factors, but really choose where you want to be. As suggested, Williams is a great school with great students, faculty, and staff. It’s often ranked the #1 LAC in the whole US. You’ll get a great education, have access to great resources, and will do well. It’s a great little community, and you’ll probably be on campus the whole time or almost so. As suggested, Michigan is much larger but can feel smaller, both because of the RC and because students usually belong to friendship networks and student groups (Greek, professional/departmental, music, outdoors, etc., etc.) that make a large school much smaller. Ann Arbor is a nice small city, and there are nice, fun areas around campus. You’d probably live in an apartment or house after the first year or two.

So make your choice and don’t look back. You’ll have made a good one. Good luck!