Williams College Top Questions

Of all the things, I would reduce or possibly even eliminate athletic recruiting. I think all the jocks on campus are too big of a presence and they take away from more qualified students who could be here. I also think that there should be more students on campus. I think 3000 would be a better number for the student population. It feels really small sometimes.

Williams College is a truly incredible place. Its nestled in the beautiful Berkshires and although isolated, the campus is a thriving community. The people here are what make it so wonderful. I feel so lucky to go to school with about 2200 of the "coolest" people-they are intelligent, talented, driven, and unique.

I think the small school atmosphere is great here because I really like how I know everyone here and I feel really comfortable. However, sometimes the small school environment gets annoying because everyone knows what you are up to. All in all, I find myself constantly amused by the different things going on, so there is nothing that I would really change about our school.

-Best thing about Williams is the totally chill atmosphere surrounding drinking on campus and in the dorms which is a product of kids not abusing that right and cleaning up after themselves as well as staying under control. -I would make Williams closer to the city, and/or farther South. Although the mountains are beautiful and the proximity to ski locales is great, there's only so much cold and outdoors stuff you can take before you just want some sunshine and a decent city to shop and party. -Size is all based on what you want, I think the size is an attraction for Williams, but it can seem a little small at times. Going some place, like dinner or the weight room, and being able to just see people you're friends with is a big convenience in comparison to the kids at big schools who have to call people before they go anywhere unless they want to eat or lift alone. -People have either never heard of Williams or they are impressed when they hear I go to Williams, the former being regrettably more common than the latter. -Where I spend my time is entirely individual and in no way a reflection of what other people will do with their time if they went here beyond the fact that there is a lot of work at Williams. -Williamstown is not a college town. -The administration is competent. -There have been many controversies on campus. While each one is talked about as something that is of great importance, I'll merely say they keep things interesting. The latest controversy was a racial slur (the really bad one) written on the wall in a dorm building. There was a large response from the campus and administration and the actual controversy is more a matter of whether or not people are overreacting to the incident. -It's a matter of who you ask, in certain groups there is a lot of academic pride, in others a lot of athletic pride, and some have both or neither. -Williams is unusually full of talented individuals. -Students complain about food, although it's really good, mostly because they're always changing policies and doing something weird. But all in all there is nothing really wrong with the food and the policies are probably necessary to keep the value, (quality relative to price) of the meal plan constant.

I LOVE Williams. I think it is a perfect size - for me- because I like to recognize most people I pass. I can say hi to almost everyone, recognizing their faces from classes or sports teams. When I tell people from the south that I go to Williams, they normally ask if I mean William and Mary. No - Williams. People from the North know what it is and say congratulations, or "wow!" I spend most of my time at the pool during dive season, in the classroom, or in our new student center, Paresky. There is not really a big town around the campus...we ARE the town. There is one street with a clothing store, a coffee shop, a sandwich shop, a few art galleries, and a thai and indian restaurant. But I don't really feel like I need more than that. There are always buses going to NYC or Boston, and they are not difficult to find. School pride is one of the best parts of Williams. Everyone LOVES purple and gold...I couldn't imagine wearing such gross colors together before this year, but now I wear them with so much pride! Most people on campus play a sport or sports, and it is fun to support all of the teams. The most recent controversy on campus happened a few weeks ago when there were a few racial incidents when inappropriate words were said and written in a dorm. Administration flipped...and students held a rally for all students to talk about being mistreated in our college environment. I will always remember winning NESCACS in swimming and diving this past weekend - we all stood on the podium with our coaches, knowing we did our absolute best, beating every other team by over 300 points. It was such a feeling of accomplishment after all of the time we put in working. I think it is quite unusual that I have never heard of anyone here that does not enjoy it. Everyone has so much school spirit, so much going on, and so much positive feedback to give to prospective students.

The best thing about Williams is the tight-knit community students, faculty, and the administration have built. Because there are only 2,000 students on campus, it is not difficult to see a familiar face while walking to class or eating at a dining hall. Professors recognize their students and often are rather informal, fostering a sense of friendship without overstepping their roles as authority figures. However, that is not to say that there are no problems on campus. The seclusion of the college, which entrenches the sense of intimacy on campus actually is extremely inconvenient. Transportation is always a problem, especially for freshmen who cannot legally have cars on campus. It's always an ordeal to tell others where I go to school because only a select few have even heard about the college. People either assume that I am going to community college or that I meant to say Williams and Mary. Due to the fact that Williams is rather isolated, I spend most of my time on campus. I sometimes travel to Boston or New York for breaks, but otherwise it is rather inconvenient to stray too far from the "Purple Bubble." Most students, unless they live 15 minutes away, also behave the same way, so it is definitely a college town. I think the administration is very responsive to students and faculty and genuinely attempts to foster a relationship between the different parties on campus. It is clear that they care about students and they try to encourage communication. A recent controversy includes the N-word being scrawled across some students posters in their common room. This promoted a campus-wide discussion of racism and indifference in general. Students banded together, making posters, giving speeches, and organizing a march through campus. There is a great amount of school pride, especially since sports dominate school life. The rivalry with Amherst also fuels many students' passions for the college and their teams. The Winter Study period is rather unusual because most colleges do not have a January term. During these three weeks, students only take one class, which is supposed to be more interactive and relate to students' interests more. I'll always remember ESPN coming to the homecoming game for their Gameday special. I went to the taping with a lot of my friends, chanting, singing, and holding posters. I even got on national TV for approximately three seconds, so that has been my claim to fame for quite some time among my friends back home. Frequent student complaints mostly center around the lack of stores and fast food restaurants in town. Everything is also a lot more expensive because of the monopoly that stores have in Williamstown.

The size of Williams is perfect. A lot of people think that 2,000 is pretty small for a school, but as a senior I'm still meeting people in my class who I've never had a conversation with. There are a lot of familiar faces around campus, but it's definitely not the case that you know everyone around and it's just the same people everywhere you go. The administration has been one of the biggest let downs for me at Williams. The students, staff, and professors are all great, while the administration (With the exception of Morty, the president, and Dean Dave, the dean of first years) seems completely out-of-step with what the college needs and what the students want. What is worse is that the administration touts how much they value student input, and how involved students are in making decisions, but what often happens is that the administration makes up their mind about what is going to happen long before any students have a say. For instance, the housing system at Williams was overhauled in my sophmore year, despite around 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body being opposed (according to a poll by student government and the student newspaper). Actions like this are far and away the biggest problem that Williams currently faces. School pride is one of the best things about Williams. It pervades every aspect of life at Williams, beyond just the typical outlets like sproting events and the like. Current students, alumni, and professors all love the college, and everyone leaves with purple and yellow in their veins.