Williams College Top Questions

A good size but the town is a little small. The town and the college get along well. Parties arent that much fun due to strain of the academic life and the overzealous security.

Williams isn't perfect, but it's a lot closer than a lot of other schools I looked at. The best thing about the school is by far the intense pride in being intelligent coupled with a strong value placed on being friendly, funny, and not taking onself too seriously. The size is small, but not too small- as a student, you get to know a lot of people and see them around, which definitely creates a sense of community. However, if you want to avoid someone that's entirely possible to do. Despite its incredible prestige and its #1 ranking among liberal arts colleges, Williams still manages to be somewhat under the radar. When I tell people I go to Williams, they react in either one of two ways: "That's a fantastic school! Congratulations!" or "Where's that?" accompanied by a blank stare. Williams is basically a ninja school: stealthy and quiet but awesomely powerful. There is tons of school pride here- we embrace our quirks (like our mascot, the Purple Cow) and, as a visiting friend put it, "It seems like everybody is in love with each other" because we're just that happy to be here. Most frequent complaints concern the school's middle of nowhere location, lack of cheap places to eat/shop nearby, and not being as completely outstanding in everything as everyone wants it to be (not environmentally friendly ENOUGH, not politically active ENOUGH).

Lots of school pride, small charming college town location. I like the size - small enough for you to get to know hundreds of people, big enough to still feel like there are more to meet. A number of great Williams-only traditions, like Mountain Day, where classes get canceled unexpectedly one Friday in October and people hike up to Story Ledge, a great lookout in the mountains around Williams, hear singing groups perform, eat cider and donuts, and basically just have fun.

Williams is a small college in a small town, but we are in a beautiful place. I like the fact that it's small, actually, though I wish places "downtown" in Williamstown, would stay open passed 8. I mean, sometimes you want to get up and go, I don't know, buy toothpaste, but being in the middle of nowhere without a car leaves you no options. You must remain cavity prone until the next day. I like the small town attitude, though. It's very relaxed. You get to know everybody. But then again you get to know everyone. It's just depends on you small town big city preferences. Over all I love Williams. It's like an oasis I found. I go back home and 1 out of 30 people no what I'm talking about when I say I go to Williams.

I like the location, and love my job in Hopkins Forest. One of the best things about Williams is how much Dining Services supports student events and SUPPORTS LOCAL FARMERS.

Williams is a very small school, which is nice because you recognize almost everyone. It also is a bad thing because it is very "clicky" like high school. There really isn't a college town atmosphere. I just feel like I'm living in a small town. I wish there was more to do around here, and also more stores within walking distance.

Williams, back in the day, was separated from the world. An ideal liberal arts college in the sense that you're free from the distractions from the world and can train your mind - ideally - so that when you get into society, you're ideally empowered with the great thinking and can address the world anew. Nowadays, it seems like some people just choose to disregard that there's a community outside of Williams' purple bubble. Problematic, this apathy. But it all depends on what your educational goals are.

Williams is a liberal arts school, with a relatively small student population and small community size, but is a truly vibrant institution, both academically and socially. Intimate interactions between professors and their students make for a rich and fruitful educational experience for all, and the active student life-- as evident from numerous parties, dances, shows, and recreational events-- opens up many opportunities for students to get plugged into the campus.

Though most confuse us with Williams and Mary, I feel that Williams's name is associated with far more important qualities. 1) That for those who recognize the name, there is usually an affinity of gratitude and love attached to it. Those who attend Williams don't regret it. This is a place where the small size leads more easily to the formation of life long relationships and friendships that help to truly form us when we leave college.

As a liberal arts college, Williams focuses on undergrads and goes out of its way to give its students a quality education. Academics are really difficult, but professors work with you and for the most part want to see you succeed. I spend a few hours every night at the library, but have seldom felt completely overwhelmed by the amount of work I have. The Junior Advisor system is truly wonderful at easing the transition between high school and college.

Best thing about Williams is the people. You try to box them in, but it's not possible. A basket-ball player art history dork is also a clarinetist and likes talking about indie rock.

A place that really supports the students to make it the place for them.

The classes are amazing. People either never heard of Williams College, or are extremely impressed when I tell them. People are obsessed with the school and think that it is the best, but I'd have to object. It has a reputation that is entirely overrated. The academics, however, deserve this high reputation. You won't find better, more supportive professors any where else. Williams College is in the middle of nowhere. Prepare for isolation. There is one small street with a coffee shop, but it's really nothing. Come to Williams expecting to do work, drink, and play a sport. As a visual artist, I am disappointed in the resources and video scene that exists here- which is very little.

- it's frighteningly small -- expect to know or have seen most of the people that go to your school -- everyone knows about everyone's business whether or not they want you to know. - our "town" is one street - it's absolutely beautiful in the spring and fall

The best thing about Williams is the people. Everyday I have an engaging conversation about something wonderful. So many brilliant, wild people in one place!

The biggest problem with Williams is that most people don't realize that it is the number one liberal arts college in the country. It doesn't have the name recognition of Harvard or Yale. But if you do know about Williams, you know it is awesome.

Williams is an "elite institution" in which intelligent students receive some of the best undergraduate instruction in the country. It's a small school, and as such it does not have the thriving social scene that bigger universities offer, but its size and isolation are not only negatives. The small size allows the school to offer small class sizes, and even tutorials (the equivalent of a 2 person class). It also makes it easy for students to become active members of the community.

The best thing about Williams is the incredible professors.

Not many people know about Williams - but the people that do know are the important ones. Williams is in the purple bubble, and is fairly homogeneous, but the entry system does a great job of diversifying frosh living (the JA - entry system works well for incoming frosh). Williams is simply the best for an undergrad education - challenging - very challenging courses and work load, but profs are willing to get to know you personally, hold office hours and help you out whenever possible.

The town and college are both incredibly small, and there isn't really anything to do besides drink, so that is the major school activity. Classes are hard as hell in general, so most people spend most of most days either studying, at practice, or drinking.

The strength of Williams college is the passion of its students expressed in a variety of academic, artistic, activist and athletic pursuits. Williams also provides students with an opportunity to engage with their professors on a personal level. The bonds that form between students and each other as well as between students and faculty will last lifetimes.

Williams can be a total bubble. It can often difficult to break out of the academic bubble mentality, even to see things that are going on right there in Williamstown or North Adams. However, the academics are definitely good, and the professors are often approachable and interested you personally.

** The education I have received here has changed my life. I am confident that I am receiving the best education in the world. * There's a ton of school pride, though, it kills our egos when we repeatedly here, "Williams College? Oh, you mean William & Mary?" In the middle of the biggest rugby game of the year vs. Amherst, I remember looking at the mountains and thinking, "damn, this place is beautiful", then getting railed. It doesn't matter what background you come from; the education at Williams College is second to none, though it may make you mildly suicidal at times. If I could change anything, it would be the on-campus stigma associated with smoking, of all things. Why is this looked down upon on a campus with students that get wasted every weekend? It's a Liberal Arts College, and all of the students here knew that before they came here, so anyone complaining about it being too small clearly didn't come here for the right reasons. That said, when you hear everything you did last weekend come back to you, you wonder, do these people have lives? We don't have a college town. In spite of all of the great things about my school, Williamstown simply blows. Williams' administration is tight. Go Morty!! (He's the president) It's embarrassing to say, but there were some students who were smearing shit over walls. It happened maybe 3 or 4 times. WTF!? Williams has this insane intellectual atmosphere. This is a thinking man's heaven.

The best thing about Williams is the people. I love everyone I've met here. So many thoughtful, brilliant, talented, caring people in one place! Sometimes I feel isolated way up here in the mountains. That bothers me sometimes. The size is really good. Faces become more and more familiar, which is so wonderful, but there are also plenty of people I haven't met yet. Small enough to be conducive to a really loving atmosphere. People react in one of two ways when I tell them I go to Williams. Either, "You mean William and Mary?" or "Wow!" I spend most of my time in my room. It's cozy, it has a great view, it's where I do most of my studying. The "college town" is Williams-town, the campus, basically. Cute little main street. The biggest recent controversy on campus was a racist incident where some people wrote racial slurs on walls. The campus rallied in reaction against it and a huge student organization/movement called "Stand With Us" emerged, bringing to light issues of prejudice and discrimination that had been unvoiced on campus. Pretty awesome. There is a LOT of school pride. School colors, school name-dropping, even though athletic events aren't that heavily attended.

The best thing about Williams is the entry system. It allows for an instant closeness with other first year students and two juniors and you feel like part of the school. I would change the transportation system. It is simply too hard to leave campus easily, even at breaks. There needs to be a cheaper, more extensive shuttle service. On campus, the best place to hang out is in the student center, or in the atrium to the science building. The town around Williams is small and cozy and basically functions, somewhat overpricedly, to serve college students.

I loved Williams' relaxed yet rigorous atmosphere--situated in the beautiful purple mountains. The academics were challenging, but the students were not vicious about comparing grades and the professors were so helpful and engaged that I felt I could became friends with several of them by the end of my time at Williams. I also love the Williams Dining Services! They are spectacular--very conscious of student's needs and wants and (best of all) committed to local and sustainable foods. That's exceptional! Williams in general has a great eco-conscious crowd-- Log Lunches (a student-run sustainable, local, vegetarian lunch served once a week), Greensense and Students for Social Justice, the Center for Environmental Studies, and some inspiring envi. professors. I only wish that Williams students, on those drunken Saturday nights, would have more respect for their peers and college property. At Williams, you can have almost anything. And sometimes, that goes to students' heads in a destructive manner.

small liberal arts college but with tons of opportunities and experience for undergrads. So many resources are provided. Williams gives students alot academically, socially and financially. I like the fact that the focus is on the students. The purple cow mascot is unique and cool.

The best thing about Williams is the community. It's easy to participate and the environment fosters that by being welcoming. The activism on campus is lacking, in part due to our size. It could be too small for some people. I'm pretty sure I've seen everyone on campus at least once and I tend to see the same people every day, which is good and bad. The social life is relaxed and can be fun if the party is broken up by security first! It's annoying that many people haven't heard of Williams, but those who have know how great it is and are impressed when you tell them that you are a student there.

Williams in is a great location that offers wonderful outdoor opportunites that students really should take advantage of -- they will make the experience better and definitely alleviate stress (whether you actually feel stressed or not).

When any student says they go to Williams, the most common reaction seems to be "Oh.... what's that?" It's tiny size and the largely rural landscape create a very different atmosphere from the town where I grew up, which was home to a mid-sized public university. The main street through Williamstown consists of art galleries, a few decent restaraunts, and overpriced "market" that carries mostly organic food, one clothing store, and a mediocre coffee shop (the coffee is terrible, but the espresso drinks are okay and the vegetable quiche is amazing), plus a store that sells quirky gifts, books, children's toys and costume supplies. On the plus side, there's lots of good hiking. The administration keeps things running smoothly. They're good about responding to email and working with students on personal issues, but they seem to have little regard for student opinion when it comes to construction projects and the infamous cluster housing system. The cluster system divided an already tiny campus of 2000 into four neighboorhoods, supposedly to promote community and help the students get to know each other, but effectively did nothing but piss people off and limit housing choices.

The one thing that frustrates me about Williams is that no one knows what or where it is. At home I get "William and Mary?" and "Was that your first choice?". Williams is beautifully situated in the middle of nowhere - a frequent student complaint, but an aspect that drew me to it in the first place.

very rooted in the liberal arts. unfortunately, it doesn't focus enough on connecting us - academically or extracurricularly - to the real world. WE LIVE IN A PURPLE BUBBLE.

There are a number of students at Williams who come from rich families. This is not inherently bad nor is it necessarily a problem. However, some of these students, maybe even a very small percentage, have never seen, imagined, or care to attempt to imagine life on the other side. There are a few students at Williams who dont know a thing about life outside of rich spoiled American life. They come from money and power and they expect to always live in it. It can be tiring to spend every waking moment with 'the world's future leaders.'

Williams has great school pride and campus unity. Because it's such a small, distinct school, the students all have many things in common (they chose Williams and got in).

I do wish there were a few more stores on Spring Street; a bakery, another coffee shop, etc. But the biggest thing I want to change is the amount of activism. I wish the students were more of the rallying type, but that does not seem to be the case here. I also wish there was less of a culture of being completely stressed out and complaining about lack of sleep all the time.

best thing about williams is the caliber of people you interact with everyday one thing i would change is making the administration less able to nickel and dime the student body school is perfect size, not too big, not too small, don't meet everybody, but you have a connection with a majority of your class and know a lot of the total school population it is a college town spend most of my time in class, in the gym, and in my room biggest recent controversy was a racial slur that was drunkenly written on a wall one weekend night lots of school pride

Paresky is pretty much the center of everything. When you go out on the weekend, no matter how many different parties you go to, you always end up at Snack Bar at some point.

For the most part, this school slips under the radar. It's small--which means that those pursuing an education in the liberal arts have the benefit of incredibly intimate classes. Science classes can fill a small lecture hall, but at the higher levels they tend to thin out. The school's tutorial program also offers good opportunities for feedback, with just one other classmate and a professor at each meeting.

The campus is so beautiful, even though its in the middle of nowhere, luckily there is so much going on and it feels like such a tight community so I never want to leave.

Williams is a tiny tiny school but it has a fantastic community feeling. It's fun to go anywhere on campus and see people you know, but that does also make it difficult to feel anonymous if you want to be. Unlike a lot of schools were there's the campus and then the town (and often the relationship between the two is not very good), the campus and town bleed in to one another so that on one block you may be in the college and on the next you may be in the town. It creates a great fluidity between school and town.

The best thing: there are a lot of excellent opportunities to do really interesting learning (academics, travel, etc.) One thing I'd change: I would add a train station. The school could be a little bigger and it would be a little cooler. I spend most of my time in my room. It is not a college town. The town is the college. Williams admins are cool. The biggest recent controversy on campus was a case of racist graffiti. There is a lot of school pride.

there is school pride, but it's not forced upon you. everyone finds their niche and becomes proud of williams through that niche and how it contributes to the community.

If we had a few more bars and a club, life would be perfect.

One of the best things about Williams College is that everyone is friendly. It's nice when you walk to class and say hello to pretty much every person you pass by because you know them. Even though we all have different likes and dislikes, we get along and are here to support each other. There is no competition in classes here. People do not talk about their grades, we all just want to do the best we can do and every student wants to be successful and see others succeed as well. The only competition we have is in athletics. Williams students have insane school pride and go and cheer at all athletic events.

great school, people are really really friendly, despite the social strife that accompanies all college life. the teachers are helpful, everyone here really wants to learn. It's a good size, we have great speakers come. Williamstown is really small, i wish there was more here, but i like the location.

Best thing is the small size and the academic rigor and reputation. People universally react positively if they've heard of it. Spend most of my time in the student center, Paresky. No real town. Administration is fairly disconnected from students, often making decisions without realy student input. I feel like they are skimpy with their money. There is a lot of school pride.

Best thing- Academic opportunities, i.e. accessibility of professors, the Oxford program, etc. One thing I'd Change- I'd like to see a little more socioeconomic diversity Too large, too small or just right- Just right How do people react- Many people don't know what it is, but those who do are generally impressed. Spend most of time on campus- Entry common room, Paresky (student center), library College town or...- Williamstown is really tiny. Opinion about administration- It seems to do things when it's pushed, and tries to react to students' needs, but isn't necessarily good at it. Biggest recent controversy- Some racial slurs were written on posters in a dorm. However, people reacted in a very energetic way to try and make that sort of stuff a thing from the past. School pride- A ton, especially when it comes to Amherst. Anything unusual- Location and the fact that sports are so huge at such a tiny school. One experience I'll always remember- Mountain Day Most frequent student complaints- Too much work

At Williams, its about the people. The professors, the students, and the groups they make up. Some people get fed up with the size, but at this point, its still perfect for me. I like recognizing faces, but I don't "know" too many people outside the niche that I've found. When I say I go to Williams, some people have no idea where or what Williams is, and others are very impressed. I spend a lot of my time in my building, in the Science Library, and various places outdoors. It's pretty much a "what college town?", but Spring Street is cute, and I like not having the suburban, strip-mall feel that I grew up on, and I see at other NESCAC schools. I respect the administration, although I think they can exceed their boundaries. Recently, we had an incident with racial slurs being written on walls in buildings, and while I think the students were right to jump up and say something, I'm not sure that the administration needs to think about a social honor code - Williams is the sort of place that shouldn't need such a thing... stereotypically, and realistically. Other people love going to Williams, and so do I. When people ask how I like it, thats exactly what I say. "I love it."

It's a really small town, a place that runs quite well so administrators are] often resistant to change, lots of people are very into environmental activism

The school is way too small. There are not enough people, especially ones who go ut during the weekends. Nobody knows about Williams. My friends who go to state schools are treated better even though Williams is a much better school. It is really annoying because everyone underestimates me. I wish there was more school pride. When we played Amherst on Homecoming, no one really showed up.