Hi! I’m trying to decide between Grinnell and Williams as an ED applicant. Grinnell is an easier target and Williams is bordering on a reach. I really like them both but I was wondering if you all could tell me anything about their individual academic rigors, campus culture, and social scenes. It would be so helpful! Thank you!!!
In my opinion, everyone should consider spending some part of his or her life in New England due to the natural beauty & outstanding intellectual environment. (Especially Western Massachusetts and/or Vermont for natural beauty.)
I know that my response does not address your concerns in a direct manner, but location is a valid consideration.
Two great schools.
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For brief comments on Williams in the context of other liberal arts colleges, see reply #12: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/2123956-differences-between-top-east-coast-lacs-williams-amherst-swarthmore-bowdoin-middlebury-etc-p1.html.
Williams College has a strong athletic presence on campus.
Grinnell has a significant number (almost 20%) of international students on campus.
These schools have quite different campus cultures. Williams has long been a desirable destination for kids from New England prep schools, and it retains that “feel” of tradition and privilege in spite of having greatly diversified its student body. It is an athletic powerhouse in a very competitive D3 athletic conference and has a lot of student athletes. The academics are excellent and the students are serious about their studies. It is a school that feeds highly selective companies in IB and consulting… The tutorials are a true differentiator.
Grinnell is very well resourced and draws much more heavily from the Midwest. The student body tends to be less traditional and takes some pride in that. With that said, there are, at both schools, students who would be more the “type” for the other.
I think that this is really more a matter of dominant culture, and if you are the person who is happy with your friend group and somewhat oblivious to what everyone else is doing, this may matter less.
Williams is significantly harder to get into. Unless you are hooked, it IS a reach, not bordering on it. I would take a look at your expected course of study and see how it looks at both and if any of the differences push you strongly in one direction or the other. While I am not a huge fan of sites like Niche for this, reading through comments there might give you a sense of what you want to probe.
They are both excellent schools.
Both excellent schools an in very different parts of the country. The nice thing is that Grinnell has ED2 if that helps you at all in making your decision.
I’m a Grinnell parent. On a recent parent “ZOOM party” a very articulate and outspoken Grinnell Mom who was also a Williams grad explained that she thought that Grinnell was “like Williams was 20 years ago”. Unpacking that any more would just be speculation on my part, but I found the comment interesting.
so @belea21 where did you apply ED?