College admissions is competitive,

I love the sense of community at Williams and the availability of professors, although I sometimes I feel that I would have more opportunities at a larger school. I think Williams tries hard to make the campus diverse, and they have definitely succeeded in that. As at any school, certain academic departments could be stronger, but overall the quality of academics is exceptional. I love living in Williamstown. It's tiny but beautiful, and feels very peaceful and safe. There's very little differentiation between the town and the campus; it all sort of flows together. We only have one street, and all of the shops are way overpriced, which is a bummer, but the college does offer a free shuttle to Walmart once a week.

Professors are very friendly and make an effort to know your name. If you seek them out, they are almost always eager to help you and get to know you. Certain departments could be stronger, but overall the academic quality is excellence. One of the eight classes I took during this last year really disappointed me, but two of them really opened my eyes and made me think in new ways. Not a bad trade off. The other five classes I found useful and enjoyable. Williams' academic requirements are easy to fulfill and not burdensome. They make sure that you get a rounded education, but don't force you to take specific classes. Depending on the class, student participation can be very free or somewhat forced. Professor do seem to try hard to get discussions going, though, and they're usually successful. I've been in a class where fifteen to twenty of the thirty students had their hands raised at the same time, including me. Questions and comments are encouraged in almost all classes, even large lectures (not that lectures get very large at Williams).

The student body is very diverse. While students of different races and backgrounds do hang out together and even become very close friends, there can be some tension. There were one or two racist incidents this year that provoked a lot of outrage from the student body. While some say this sort of thing is prevalent, my guess is that only a small handful of students really harbors racist attitudes. The student body's reaction demonstrates how concerned students in general are about equality and respect. Socioeconomic status does not seem to be much of an issue. Students do not spend much time talking about money or financial differences. I know that a large percentage of students are on financial aid, but it really makes no difference socially.

There's a large drinking culture on campus, which I think has been made worse by the administrations new, less tolerant attitude toward alcohol. Students tend to drink hard alcohol in small groups in their rooms, instead of drinking at parties where they are more likely to get caught. I've seen a few of my friends go to the hospital because of drinking irresponsibly. Because so many people are interested in drinking, there are not a ton of other activities available on Friday and Saturday night. The entry system was great. I became really close to the twenty other freshmen in my entry, especially in the beginning of the year. Overall Williams students are really friendly and willing to help each other out. There's a real sense of community, despite the lack of non-drinking related activities planned.

They're ridiculously smart and cool.

Yes.

I LOVE Williams! Go Ephs! Purple cows rule!