I’m from SoCal and I haven’t visited either of the schools yet. I want to major in PoliSci/International Relations (definitely a humanities based). My academics and test scores will allow me to get into either school through Early Decision, but now it’s up to deciding where I want to go… !!
I really like the programs set up at Williams and how you can build personal relationships with your professors. However, I don’t know how rural “rural” is. The only thing holding me back from fully committing to Williams is the off-campus location.
For Tufts, it has one of the best International Relations programs in the country (i believe) and is close enough to Boston. However, I read multiple threads about how some of the facilities are outdated and some of the undergraduate professors are hard to reach. The only thing holding me back from fully committing to Tufts is the mixed reviews people have given the campus on online reviews.
sigh i really love both schools. i just want input on what everyone else thinks would be better for me to do for the next four years of my life lmao
Don’t commit to a school you haven’t seen yet. Many schools seem great on paper, but may not be your cup of tea once you go on campus. For ED, you must be fully committed. Personally, I don’t think that’s something one can do without experiencing the school for yourself.
If you are interested in political science/international relations, then you can generally be said to be interested in social sciences.
Williams is isolated from large cities as well as from what would be considered typically suburban amenities. If you are not inclined to regard this as one of the school’s positive attributes, then you might indeed find Williams to be too rural.
Williamstown is small. If you are the type of person who needs to be exploring new shops and restaurants on a regular basis, 4 years there might drive you crazy. There are larger towns a few minutes away (North Adams to the east & Bennington, Vermont to the north), but your everyday life will revolve around the small pleasant Williamstown and the Williams campus.
Tufts, although “suburban,” is in a densely populated neighborhood that probably feels urban to folks whose idea of a suburb is individual houses with large yards. With its proximity to Cambridge & Boston, there would never be a shortage if places to go & things to see. Also, the Boston airport is easy to reach from Tufts via mass transit, whereas Williams folks typically use the Albany NY airport, which is an hour’s drive away.
Tufts all the way, recommend you visit it during the fall when the students are back, and the spring, super close to the city, you have davis, harvard square, porter square and shuttles, they are also in the proccess of building a new green line extension that would allow you to reach boston in 15 minutes. Its an urban schools that is heavily populated, but the campus is its own space. I live in Medford and tuftsvis 10 minutez away from my house, be a Jumbo the opportunities and employment for jumbos in MA is crazy.
Definitely visit both schools! And take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt… When i was applying to college I fully believed that my top choice school would be in a rural environment. About 2 hours into my drive to Rural School Number 1, it became clear to me that this was never going to work. Instead, I ended up falling in love with 3 urban universities. It is hard to know exactly how you will feel on campus until you’re really there- but visits, i think, are essential in making that decision. Additionally, try to talk to students actually at the schools. The reality is that the average student isn’t the one posting on CC and the average student’s experience is much more likely to mirror your own. This website is very useful for finding out more information about the schools and what certain individuals’ experiences at these schools were like- but the lived experience of being a student there will be far more complex.
And for the record, I don’t think you can go wrong with either school. Williams appealed to me because of the tutorial system- there isn’t really anything else like it in terms of undergraduate education. At larger universities with lots of resources, you can usually do an independent study that might mirror the way a tutorial works- but it’s more special when considered an integral component of ugrad education for the whole school.
Both of those schools were on my daughter’s initial list…and both came off the list after campus visits. I am very concerned about you applying early decision to colleges that you have not visited. These two colleges are very different from each other. As a starting point, you might try online video tours.
First: If you have any doubt that either of these (or any other school…) is your clear #1 choice, you should not apply ED.
My overall impressions of each school are:
Williams:
Very rural, isolated, bucolic.
Tutorial system is unique among US schools (right?), at least to the extent that it’s promoted and utilized.
Almost a prototypical LAC
Tufts:
Suburban, but with an urban feel
There’s a big hill (just one?) that has received some amount of comment on this site
Sort of a hybrid LAC/private university – a private U with a LAC feel (sort of like Dartmouth in that sense). This makes sense given that: 1) it was once a LAC, and 2) it is still a member of NESCAC
Both offer very strong academics and are highly selective.
And, yes, if you are still considering ED, make sure you visit both.
Don’t assume that being a qualified candidate will automatically “get you into either school through ED”. There are more qualified applicants than there are spots.
I would not apply to any school ED that I have not visited while the school is in session. I’d try hard to make a trip out to see both schools once school starts as they have important differences (ex. location, size, etc.).
If you need to compare financial offers, be wary of applying anywhere ED.
Visit both and decide after taking a full tour. Tufts and Williams are very different. I prefer Williams academic reputation and alumni network, but admit that Tufts is a much better choice if you are looking for a more urban environment (and even then, it is more suburban).
Both are great. Definitely do your due diligence on Williams’ location, though–its very small town location is not for everyone, and if you hate living there, your four years won’t be very pleasant. That said, I loved living and studying there.
Williams provides an amazing education and has a nice, welcoming social ambience, especially with its freshman “entry” housing system. There are so many events on campus each week (cultural, sporting, trivia games, etc.) that it is never dull. That said, if you crave the bustle and anonymity of an urban environment and a large school, Williams would be a poor choice for you. Do you prefer to climb skyscrapers or mountains? (At Williams on Mountain Day- an unannounced October Friday-- bells ring to announce the day, classes are cancelled, and everybody who wants to do so hikes up a nearby mountain.)
In terms of your interests-- Tufts is very well regarded for International Relations. Their graduate Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy specializes in this. Williams has good options in the related areas of political science, political economy, etc. and a very, very tiny graduate program in Development Economics with student leaders from developing countries.
At Williams, you will get to know your professors well, sometimes be invited to dinners at their homes, etc.
Both great schools-- you can’t go wrong! Definitely visit both and see which suits you better.
I should have clarified lol. I had read online/other forums that some of the dorms are outdated (the specifics into what was outdated about the dorms were not stated which was why I was hoping someone hear could help me clarify that)
See, that’s another reason you need to visit. An “out dated” dormitory could mean almost anything, depending on the type of person you are. Both colleges are on the East Coast and have been around for awhile. Unless we’re talking about Amherst, an eastern college is going to have an old dormitory or two.
Be careful assuming you will be accepted to either. The ED acceptance numbers look high (for Williams in particular), but remember that many of those accepted ED are sports recruits. Williams is a fairly small school, and they value filling their team rosters. Something like 35-40% of their student body are varsity athletes.