<p>You really can’t go wrong with any of these schools in terms of law school placement, so I would not sweat that. I would (obviously) choose Williams – I went to Williams undergrad, UChicago for law school, so I am most familiar with those two. Cornell I’ve consistently heard is a fairly stressful place, and is also by far the largest of the group. UChicago’s reputation as super-intellectual, quirky, but a bit deficient in the fun/well-rounded-college experience department is a fair one. Glad I went there for grad school, also very glad I didn’t go there as an undergrad. But this all depends on your personality.</p>
<p>A few things I would correct: the vast majority of faculty at Williams have no problem with athletes (if they do, they really shouldn’t be at Williams, since around 40 percent of students participate in varsity athletics). There were some concerns about those issues, as others have noted, over a decade ago, but that also coincided with substantial changes to Williams’ admissions policies, after which the lowest band of athletic admits were eliminated, dramatically reducing the academic disparity between heavily recruited athletes and other students. </p>
<p>I also would not say that UChicago is more prestigious, as an undergrad institution, than Williams. If anything, the opposite is true, in particular if you are pre-law. Williams is as you note relatively small and rural, I viewed those as assets, but if those are deal breakers for you, then Williams may not be the school for you.</p>
<p>Personally, I’d say that Williams is the best fit for how you describe yourself and your interests, followed by Cornell (the students and setting are most similar to Williams, but the schools are just so dramatically different in size), UChicago, and then Georgetown (I really don’t like Georgetown, too many bros, too dominated by folks who want to be on the Hill, and not diverse at all). </p>
<p>I’d echo what others have said and see if Williams will adjust financial aid to come closer to Chicago – they may or may not, but worth a shot. After visiting you’ll probably have an easier decision, because the campus environments are fairly easy to distinguish among those four schools. </p>