Williams College Top Questions

I think that Williams does a really good job promoting diversity because everyone here has something unique to bring to the table. It's great to always meet someone who has an interesting perspective that I have never heard before. The college is also good at encouraging students to interact because it is such a small campus. Whether you like it or not, you will have to reach out of your close group of friends and talk to a jock or a prep.

-Not much experience in that department although they are all here and actively attended from what I understand. -A dumb student would feel out of place at Williams. It may sound stupid but that's pretty much it, everybody else could definitely find other students just like themselves. -Depends on the student, their race and their culture, but it really doesn't matter. -Through the entry system everybody interacts with and meets people of all different backgrounds and interests. -There are two tables, the football-type athletes sit together and everybody else sits together. But the tables often bleed together (for most people) and it's more divided during the season of the respective sport. -Most students are from the US, but there are many from other countries and as far as within the US goes, its pretty even with perhaps a few more from New York and Mass. -It's hard to say, finances aren't exactly discussed but if I had to guess I'd say the distribution is pretty much even between wealthier and less privileged students. -Kids are aware of politics but It's not a hot topic amongst most students. -No that's just stupid.

I think Williams is a very diverse school that promotes tolerance for different groups of students. If anyone wants to declare their specific associations, they can openly do so without being met with hate and prejudice. As a result, I don't think there are many students who feel especially left out. Obviously students who are not outgoing enough to meet new people and find friends will feel left out, but that is not something that is unique to Williams. Clothing is really diverse. Most people either dress in a preppy or sporty style. Either people are constantly sporting a popped-collar polo with True Religion jeans and UGG boots, or they are wearing their sports team's hoodie and sweatpants. Patagonia and North Face are definitely common winter clothing brands for every student. I think a lot of people have very diverse friends from different classes and organizations. People interact with others from their activities, entries/dorms, and orientation trips. There are sets of students in dining halls like in Mean Girls. The sports teams definitely do tend to eat with each other, but that can also be attributed to the fact that they eat right after practice. A lot of the art and theatre people also eat together. Different entries eat together with each other, generally with a divide between Frosh Quad and Mission. Finally, the politically and environmentally active students often associate with each other, sitting together to heatedly discuss pressing issues. Most students are either from New England or the West Coast. New York and California are some of the most common states for students to come from. It seems like the majority of students are very wealthy. They always wear name brand clothes and don't flinch about spending money. However, a majority of students on campus are also on some type of financial aid. Students are not as politically active as students at most other schools in more metropolitan areas. There is a "Purple Bubble" mentality that causes the majority of students to concentrate solely on local issues. Also, since Willimas is in New England and is a pretty liberal school, most students are liberal or moderate. It seems like some students are definitely thinking about their future salaries, but others seem to concentrate more on learning and completing their education.

It's pretty weird to have anyone out of place at Williams. There are such a wide array of students from different backgrounds, that anyone can find their niche. Dress is pretty casual, but there's really a huge range of what people will wear to class. In the deep throes of winter, don't be surprised to see plenty of students wearing sweats around campus, but don't be surprised to see someone sitting next to them in a button down shirt and khakis. You're pretty free to wear whatever you want.