Also, with engineering so much in flux that it might be better to have a BA degree in a STEM field which provides more options in terms a range of grad school programs.
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I know this thread is for 2028, so this question is for parents who know older students currently at Williams. My daughter is an athletic recruit and will be definitely pulled away from the classroom for competitions regularly in season. I am wondering how difficult this is for kids who are at Williams to miss class and work independently at times? Anyone have any insider information about this challenge? Is this incompatible with some majors (STEM, maybe)? Are there preferred majors that these student athletes gravitate towards?
Certainly @TennisParent. Canât remember if @gotham_mom has a student that plays sports or is friends with athletes. Good luck!
Wish I could help, but my daughter isnât an athlete nor are her closest friends.
OP, have you looked at the rosters of several teams? This might give you a better idea of majors. I would also ask the coach.
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Just from observations on campus, it seems a majority of athletes are Econ majors, especially the men.
Oh boy. I think my daughter would choose most anything over econ. Good to know though. Thanks to those who have offered to check into the rosters- what a good idea. I am sure my daughter will ask her teammates once she has made some friends.
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I thought this was a good idea, but it doesnât look like all teams list majors. Womenâs golf and womenâs tennis do. There are some bio majors listed.
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Is there a Williams parentsâ page on FB or elsewhere? Would love to join if so.
There is one, itâs called Williams College Families, but they wonât add you as a member until everyone has committed, usually mid-May.
I donât know if @pnwfamily agrees, but itâs not particularly lively. Most of the posts are about transportation challenges at break, what the best dorm is for first years, and the occasional complaint about food and communication from the college. Every couple of months someone asks where they can order a birthday cake to be delivered to their student. I was able to join other FB groups when my daughter was accepted and they seemed more vibrant.
Got it. Thanks!
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Yes, I agree. The FB page is very helpful your students first year, especially before they move in. People are happy to post pictures of dorm rooms and give dimensions, info on places to stay, doctors and dentists. Since then, as my own student has figured things out on their own, I have not visited.
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Regular decision admissions rate has just been disclosed. 899 out of 14,100 RD applicants accepted. Overall acceptance rate of 7.5%, RD acceptance rate of 6.4%, ED acceptance rate of 23.3%.
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There was an article in the NYT yesterday noting that Harvard applications have been dropping while schools like Brown, Amherst and Bowdoin are seeing increases. Seems like students are now looking beyond the usual suspects which is great for Williams and other highly ranked schools. Also all grant policy adds to the pool. Will be interesting to see if requiring tests at this point will reduce numbers increases since COVID.
I think that will shift back as we get distance from all the controversy and students are faced having to submit a score to Brown and/or Yale but not Harvard.
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Hi - our son is in the same boat. Are you going to the new student weekend?
Hey! I was recently admitted to Williams class of '28 as an international student. I didnât apply for any financial aid, and my middle-class parentsâthey have an annual income of around $60,000, but savings in the hundred thousands and family property inherited somewhere in the futureâare concerned that the investment of $350,000 is not worth because its unlikely for me to secure a well-paying job after Williams as a non-US citizen. Iâll have to do a masters for that, which, if its a JD or MBA, will likely cost $200,000 more.
Theyâre also concerned that its a massive blunder for me to cloister myself in rural Massachusetts, among American elites, when the global centre of power is shifting so rapidly from West to East.
Williams does not have global brand, so its unlikely for me to come back to my home country in Asia and get a good job solely based on Williamâs prestige.
My other options are UCL ($188,000), UCSD ($300,000), and Ashoka University ($60,000).
Obviously, if money wasnât an object, I would run to Williams. Itâs the best fit for a person like me and I see my thriving intellectually and socially over there. However, thatâs not the only, or even the most important factor for me. right now. What do you guys think?
What are your long term goals? Is it to work outside of your home country, including the US? Will it require some type of post graduate degree? Is $350k/$90k a year even feasible for your parents? If it is not feasible without crippling your parents with debt, you really donât have a choice. It was a mistake to apply without asking for FA.
If your parents can actually swing it through assets, then the question is if you can accomplish your goals through Ashoka vs Williams, and doing your international education through grad school where there may be more scholarship or other aid money available.
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I donât mean to come of as rudeâŠbut if you need FA to make it work, why wouldnât you apply? Especially because Williams has one of the best FA programs in the country (including for internationals). What do you mean when you say that world power is shifting from West to East? This is kind of untrueâŠ.Williams also is very well known by employers all over the world. But in the long run, if you are going for an MBA, Ph.D or the like, the name of your undergrad probably wonât matter.
Telling someone you went to Harvard Medical School for example, is much more impressive to employers than saying you got your undergrad at Harvard.
Also, the Williams network may be smaller but it is truly global and very loyal, very supportive of young alums in terms of job placement. Fortune 500 and tech executives with Asia ties as well.
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