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The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Williams College is 17%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.
What is your overall opinion of this school?
Williams is located in a small, rural town in Western Massachusetts nestled in "purple mountains." The location gets a lot of bright students. The best thing about Williams its its individualized experience. The school is so small (about 2,000 students) that its hard for anyone who may be struggling to get left behind. The administration is extremely supportive and often responsive to the needs of both individuals and student groups. The negative for some students is that a small school like Williams isn't as familiar to the average American. And, of course, during the most stressful times of the year, the campus can seem too small! One can easily become ignorant to the current events in the rest of the world if he or she chooses. It's common for a student to feel a love/hate relationship with the small town, but love always comes out on top. The scenery, of course, is breathtaking during the fall and spring.
Read all 107 answers Describe the students at your school.
Athletic, wealthy, New England / New York / California, strong personalities, intelligent
Read all 104 answers Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?
Well, to get into a top school, EVERYONE is smart, just that one's perspective is skewed when everyone else is so amazing. Just believe in yourself and go hang out, and with that, you'll get to know more people and see if they're just cordial or not.
Clearly, not all people can be varsity sports players.
Read all 101 answers What is the stereotype of students at your school?
preppy
nerdy
rich
ambivalent to politics/social issues
jocky
Read all 100 answers What are the academics like at your school?
Unless you are taking a large lecture class, the classes at Williams are generally not larger than 30 students (this would be too large for a class in my major's department of English). We are very fortunate in this respect. It is difficult for a student to be "invisible" in a class, and professors also expect a lot of participation in and preparation for seminars. Students are generally not outwardly competitive with one another.
Read all 100 answers What are the most popular student activities/groups?
Students use their extracurricular groups and their close friends for the majority of the fun on weekends. A club or a group of friends (the two often overlap!) find activities to do with one another: The nightlife at Williams is very quiet. There are a few bars in town, and there is usually one party per weekend (on average--there may be more depending on the point in the semester), but it is difficult to tell when any of these endeavors will be well-attended. Students usually hang out with their dorm mates, watch movies or attend the late night dining hall. Again, without friends your weekends will be lonely, but with them, you'll have a great time.
Read all 98 answers Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!
What sets Williams apart in my mind is the balance that most students have between athletics and academics. The overwhelming majority of students on campus participate in a sport, either varsity or club. Due to the fact that the school is academically rigorous, these students need to learn how to balance their academics with their athletics. This is a desirable college situation because life is all about balance, and learning how to balance two major aspects of life in college will be beneficial in "the real world" once outside of the comfortable college bubble.
Read all 70 answers What should every freshman at your school know before they start?
Talk to multiple students/alumni of said school. A diversity of opinion is best. Student should try and have some idea of what he or she is really looking for.
Read all 44 answers What's unique about your campus?
Ironically (considering my most frustrating thing that I listed), I would say the intellectual atmosphere. That's not to say there aren't some frustrating and non-progressive-thinking people here. But, since my school is a liberal arts college, the arts and abstract thought, concepts that are important to your daily life as a human being of intellect and character, are focused on. At the same time, being a liberal arts college doesn't mean the exclusion of the sciences and mathematics either. Many of the professors are fantastic. Lastly, the discussion is always progressive and forward looking.
Read all 12 answers What kind of person should not attend this school?
Williams College is accepting and nurturing of all types of individuals. However, I would say that those who are not willing to jump headfirst into their education and take advantage of all the opportunities available, both in and out of the classroom, will not reap the benefits of a Williams experience.
Read all 12 answers Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.
The college itself is academically rigorous, respected, and very solid preparation for future careers either in academia or in "the real world"--but the great people who attend and brilliant people who teach at Williams also prioritize having a well-balanced life that includes both work and play; the result is a campus atmosphere that is passionate, intense, and highly intellectual.
Read all 11 answers What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?
The worst thing is probably the ignorance of a large part of the campus about diversity issues. Most of the students are fairly well-to-do, if not rich, and they have trouble understanding backgrounds that are different from theirs.
Read all 11 answers What's the most frustrating thing about your school?
Can't think of anything frustrating.
Read all 7 answers What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?
I wish I had a better understanding for how academically rigorous the school was. The professors are excellent, but really demand a lot from the students.
Read all 7 answers What kind of person should attend this school?
Athlete. Smart. Driven. Enjoys small rural campus and community.
Read all 5 answers Why did you decide to go to this school?
One of the biggest pulls for me was the entry system. I didn't fully understand it, but it sounded too good to be true at the time. It started to make sense as the year progressed (see my other posts for more on the entry system and JAs...as an incoming JA, I'm kind of obsessed with it).
I took the campus tour on a beautiful day and the experience was just amazing. Everyone I interacted with was friendly and seemed to love being at Williams. Everything about the place just seemed to click for me.
I also didn't have much of a clue as to what I wanted to do with my life, or even what I wanted to major it, so Liberal Arts was the way to go for me. The core curriculum seemed really flexible which helped in that respect, too.
Some people think that most students who decide to go to Williams are Ivy League rejects, but actually somewhere around 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of every freshman class is accepted Early Decision. I did not apply Early Decision and didn't get in to the one Ivy League school I applied to, but I honestly would have chosen Williams either way.
Read all 5 answers What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?
Lots of people think of Williams as a bizarre mixture of nerds and jocks. I'd say that most Ephs really like to get outdoors, but they also know the value of working hard.
Read all 5 answers Describe your favorite campus traditions.
tutorials, liberal arts education
Read all 4 answers Describe the dorms.
Dorms are ... college. Like any other place, they are relatively small. Some are bigger than others, but the standard dorm room is rather petite. It provides incentive for students to study in the library or do things outside of their rooms.
Read all 4 answers When you step off campus what do you see?
The area around Williams
Read all 4 answers