Do not have the text but it was posted in the ED chain. They basically said that they deferred a smaller group so that people could be realistic since they anticipated over 15,000 applications and a very competitive RD round. So was thinking they may have taken the same approach for the RD waitlist this year. For RD 3 to 4 percent acceptance rate makes it so difficult to know what the factors for admissions were. Perhaps they should take fewer ED applicants to make the RD round more rational.
QQ for next year â my DD29 loved amherst â did your son submit a full portfolio or pieces?
He submitted a 2 minute montage of his acting. They also required him to write a paragraph about it, and submit another recommendation letter.
The dance and arts supplements are definitely a way to submit a lengthy essay, I believe there is no word limit. Also, the portal asks for it when you submit so it is not really clear when you first apply that there is an additional essay that is part of your application
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I think the supplement is voluntary. My son decided to do it because he created a nice video of his acting in plays and musicals. I donât think the extra writing was any big deal. Since he wants to do acting, directing, and backstage work while at college, he thought it would be worth it to submit. And it was. He also wrote three plays, and submitted one to Williams as his writing, definitely not exactly what they asked for. But at his school, they donât write papers longer than one or two pages so he didnât have another writing sample.
Writing a play takes a great deal of fortitude and creativity, if still interested in Williams, may be send a letter based upon his portfolio essay, their theatre program is very unique in terms of the breadth offerings and the major allows you to take a broad range of related classes in other departments.
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My son got the cutest box of Williamsâ swag today! They are doing a great job of making kids feel wanted.
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Awesome. Last year it included a pair of socks and a wool cap, all purple of course!
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My son is waitlisted so we didnât get the box. Can you tell us what was in it?
Socks, tote bag, pins, and a flag!
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socks, a satchel bag, i think some stickers!
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As is my daughter. Good luck.
Iâm curious if any accepted students are interested in STEM and are trying to decide between Williams and a bigger university. My daughter was also accepted at UCLA (civil engineering) and doesnât know what to do. She is more of an introvert/quiet person and personality wise might do better at a smaller school, but is somewhat worried about the less clear path to engineering. I know it can be done, but might be just a little bit more of an effort.
for engineering specifically research institutes are 99% of the time a better choice especially because most LACs dont have engineering and then after that theyâre an afterthought (swarthmore is an exception to this in my experience)
Yes, I think that part is understood. The question is also whether or not 1. Her personality will survive a giant school 2. She really sticks to her major in the end. She could also go the environmental science/math route and is not completely sold on engineering. Being 17 and making these decisions is tough!
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oh if thereâs still ambiguity in terms of major i personally would take the liberal arts route especially because of the personality match, as LACs have great graduate program placement rates especially williams (if she wants to go back into engineering and do a masters in it for example)
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Agree that Williams does very well with STEM grad school placement, the hands on training from the faculty is phenomenal. Even from freshman year students are in the lab learning techniques and methodologies at the graduate level.
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It may be too late for this observation, but there are a few more smaller schools besides Swarthmore where you can do engineering but also swap smoothly into something elseâWashington & Lee, Bucknell, Trinity (CT), Lafayette, Union . . . . And there are universities smaller than UCLA, including some Ivy+ but also universities like, say Rochester.
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S24 was accepted back in December and has now decided to major in some combination of moth/physics/computer science and we looked through the options and it does look like they have tons of choices (he is thinking quant finance). But if he was clear he wanted to do engineering I donât think Williams would be the right place.
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My daughter chose Williams (ED) over larger universities. Sheâs STEM-oriented but doesnât want engineering. Because she anticipates doing grad work, she wasnât concerned about not being at a larger Uni (that can be her focus for Ph.D.). Of course, being in a true engineering program with full certifications can matter if someone wants to go straight into the workforce from undergrad.
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