Williams vs Swarthmore

TheGreyKing
Sat, 07 Apr 2018 16:51:13 +0000

I chose Williams above Swarthmore, but this was many years ago. But the reasons I chose Williams (other than the really stupid reason that Swarthmore admitted me after waitlisting me whereas Williams admitted me initially) still are applicable today. One of the biggest reasons was that, overall, Williams had a less stressful feel to it. Students work very, very hard at both schools, but I heard more students complaining about the workload and stress at Swarthmore, whereas Williams kids acknowledge they have a lot of work but seem to be more enthusiastic about the whole experience. Of course, individual experiences vary at each school.

Unlike the poster above, I was a “nerd” in high school, and I was neither preppy nor jocky. In fact, I was terrible at all sports. And I had a great time at Williams and was friends with people from all sorts of backgrounds and interests. The entry system helps ensure you interact a lot with people from diverse backgrounds, as do the small classes and the myriad of clubs and activities. I am sure you can find your niche at either school.

Congratulations on having two fantastic choices! You can’t go wrong with either choice.

One might pick Swarthmore for the Quaker consortium, the more unified look of the campus buildings, the amenities of suburbia, the proximity to Philadelphia with a train station right on the edge of campus, or the reputation of being the nation’s most intellectually oriented college other than U of Chicago (although at Williams, too, intellectual conversations abound in classes, dorms, and dining halls).

One might pick Williams for the natural beauty of the Berkshire mountains, the close-knit community fostered by the freshman entry system in which 20 freshmen live together and by the Ephventures orientation program, great dorms for four years with a high likelihood of getting a single (60% of freshmen and most upperclassmen), or the unique tutorial system in which two students alternate presenting papers and giving each other feedback under the guidance of a professor.

Really, the two colleges are more alike than different. Go with whichever “feels” better to you and don’t look back on the choice. There is no wrong choice here.