<p>So what does this institution offer that the others don’t?</p>
<p>To me, it seems like a haven for kids who are intimidated by large campus settings and bustling environments.</p>
<p>It seems like many also choose Williams simply because it is an alternative to the Ivy League schools. You guys are all too proud to say “I chose W over Harvard…”</p>
<p>But why?</p>
<p>Many people claim that the overall undergraduate education and experience at Williams is superior to those offered at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. I have even heard alumni from Williams’s counterparts verify the previous statement.</p>
<p>Also, there is something about being isolated in the mountains that forges more of a community feel within Williams and among its alums. Additionally, Williams is known for its close-knit relationship between students and professors and its lack of Teaching Assistants.</p>
<p>I, for one, believe both of these assumptions and will anxiously await my decision from Williams.</p>
<p>Small schools offer a different kind of opportunity. First of all, not having grad students means that you have NO grad students teaching classes. It’s very easy in schools like Williams to really get to know your professors. This can open a lot of doors, both in your undergrad education and for recs for grad school.
The atmosphere is more intimate. Kids who choose LACs talk a lot about the close knit community of students. Some people prefer this kind of social network where it’s actually possible to get to know everyone in your class. There’s usually a warmth that can be missing from a large student body. (One reason so many big schools try to combat the impersonal feeling with residential colleges or fraternities.)
Certain kinds of opportunities are easier to come by at smaller schools - directing a play, editing a newspaper, and various other leadership opportunities are somewhat easier to get with fewer people vying for the spots. Sometimes smaller schools have a less
competitve and “driven” ambiance because everyone becomes pretty close and feels less of the need to try hard to stand out. You stand out just by being there, as everyone gets to know you and whatever talents you bring to the school. Class sizes are often smaller, as well, although HYP have a lot of very small classes as well.</p>
<p>What does Williams offer that Harvard doesn’t? Two things: (1) mountains, and (2) professors who really, really care about undergraduate education. </p>
<p>Perhaps the best evidence supporting point (2) comes from Harvard itself. The Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Committee on General Education, recently completed the November 2005 “Harvard College Curricular Review”. You can see it at <a href=“http://www.fas.harvard.edu/curriculum-review/gen_ed_report_05.pdf[/url]”>http://www.fas.harvard.edu/curriculum-review/gen_ed_report_05.pdf</a> </p>
<p>The final paragraph of the Harvard Curricular Review reads, in its entirety, as follows:
I could go on, but the Harvard report speaks for itself.</p>
<p>I put some things I’ve heard in another thread that addressed this:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=130269[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=130269</a></p>
<p>the Harvard quote is really great, Corbett. It’s ironic, though, since it seems like a large research university can’t truly capture the student-undergrad relationship of the LAC’s. They try, I’m sure, but they’re still graduate student-focused to a larger extent, and that’s where they get their massive reputations–from their grad schools.<br>
btw I’m only a high school senior, so my opinions are utterly based on hearsay. However, the hearsay I’ve heard from people who seem the most informed has been pretty unanimously in favor of Williams/LAC’s, even over HYP.</p>
<p>I actually went to Swarthmore ('03), but the reasons to pick Williams over HYPS are basically the same as the reasons to pick any small LAC over HYPS: smaller classes, no graduate students, different undergrad culture. Expectations for faculty in terms of teaching and availability to students are also much higher. At Swarthmore, which I attended (class of '03), the tenure process for faculty focused a LOT more on teaching than it does at large universities, where tenure decisions are based almost entirely on scholarship. There was an informal expectation that faculty would be be in their offices and available to students during business hours every weekday (except when they were teaching class), even though their posted office hours weren’t nearly all of that period. I don’t know how tenure I suspect it’s the same at the other LAC’s. By contrast, I attend graduate school at HYPS today, and the faculty are almost never available to students except during posted office hours (and that’s 2 hours/week).</p>
<p>oops - that should have been “I don’t know how tenure and availability work at Williams, but I suspect it’s the same at other LAC’s.”</p>
<p>I know this has been iterated before, but it must be said <em>the college</em> really cares for its students. I don’t know how the inner workings of HYPS, but I do know that they have bureaucratic administrations. Williams’ deans are very accessible if you have any worries or questions. I know someone who had to leave because of a family emergency and the deans were so receptive they found funds to support her trip home and afterwards had meetings with that person to see if everything was alright over some free coffee at the coffee shop. Also, professors are really open to students and help them with any queries and guidance for the future or what not.</p>
<p>I also know this question is bound to come up, but research at Williams is fabulous. I know plenty of freshman who have started researching things that interest them, and Williams supports this kind of work fully. I doubt universities have the capacity to allow freshmen to do this.</p>
<p>this is a great article about the attention that Harvard doesn’t pay to students-
<a href=“http://select.nytimes.com/2006/02/25/opinion/25tierney.html?n=Top%2FOpinion%2FEditorials%20and%20Op-Ed%2FOp-Ed%2FColumnists%2FJohn%20Tierney[/url]”>http://select.nytimes.com/2006/02/25/opinion/25tierney.html?n=Top%2FOpinion%2FEditorials%20and%20Op-Ed%2FOp-Ed%2FColumnists%2FJohn%20Tierney</a></p>
<p>my bad if you can’t see that link then you can go here:
<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/~cdorsey/times/harvard.html[/url]”>http://www.princeton.edu/~cdorsey/times/harvard.html</a></p>
<p>In fairness, Harvard obviously has a whole lot of things going for it. Harvard has the greatest brand name in higher education, attracts incredibly smart people at all levels, has unparalleled money and resources, and conducts cutting-edge research in virtually all fields of intellectual endeavor. But if there is a downside to Harvard (besides the absence of mountains), it’s that many of these advantages are most effectively “leveraged” by attending Harvard as a graduate or professional student – not as an undergraduate. </p>
<p>The Harvard curricular review (quoted above) suggests that the ideal education is “both Harvard University and Williams College”. And they may be right. But there’s already a practical way to achieve the Harvard/Williams ideal: you attend Williams (or some other top LAC) as an undergrad, and then Harvard (or some other top research university) for graduate or professional school. Williams grads have been earning Harvard PhD, MD, JD, and MBA degrees for years and years. </p>
<p>If you plan to pursue an advanced degree, then the “top LAC + top research university” strategy makes a lot of sense. In fact, more and more students do plan to attend graduate or professional school after they get the bachelor’s degree. This trend is working to the advantage of Williams and other top LACs (Swarthmore, Carleton, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr, etc…not Amherst obviously).</p>
<p>Go easy on Amherst.</p>
<p>OK, OK, some would add Amherst to the list. For example, the recent US News article [Harvard:</a> Is It the Real Deal?](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/articles/brief/06harvard_brief.php]Harvard:”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/articles/brief/06harvard_brief.php) included the following quote about Harvard College:
</p>
<p>“In fact, more and more students do plan to attend graduate or professional school after they get the bachelor’s degree. This trend is working to the advantage of Williams and other top LACs (Swarthmore, Carleton, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr, etc…not Amherst obviously).”</p>
<p>Corbett, could you please explain the “not Amherst obviously” comment? I don’t get it. Thank you!</p>
<p>I think he’s teasing… Corbett is a Williams alum</p>
<p>Huh…is there a real competition between the two schools? I wasn’t even aware of this!</p>
<p>Amherst sent me an early write acceptance letter and a terrific financial aid offer. Williams has not yet accepted me, but today I received a letter from the financial aid office saying that not all my FA forms have been submitted. Had I not received the Amherst early offer, I would have promptly faxed all the necessary forms, however…Amherst has done such a good job of courting me that I’m not even going to bother. Hehe. I’d be curious to hear about any rivalries between the two schools, though.</p>
<p>Gavroche, how terrific is your Amherst package? Between student contribution, federal work-study, federal direct Stafford/Ford loan, and federal Perkins student loan, you’re looking at several thousand dollars above and beyond parental contribution. Send in the Williams stuff and see what the cost differential turns out to be.</p>
<p>My Amherst financial aid package is pretty fabulous. My family would only be expected to pay $4,000 per year. I wasn’t expecting such a good package at all.</p>
<p>You’ve got it made. Some average people are looking at $20,000+ costs after Amherst College Scholarship (probabaly because of inflated home equity).</p>
<p>
Do I sense a bit of arrogance here? ;)</p>
<p>JK</p>