Williams vs Vandy
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Anonymous
| major would be econ at williams and HOD at Vandy, which is Human and organizational development, most popular major apparently (at least sophomore year when the hard science majors are weeded out) |
Anonymous
| Unless you’re really into liberal arts colleges, don’t see how his is a hard decision at all- vandy. |
Anonymous
Read the OP - the “make bank” major |
Anonymous
I'm not obsessed. I'm stating facts. Unlike so many here I don't see the world as "OMG it's the greatest ever" or "OMG it is so horrible." There is gray area. You are over-simplifying and generalizing. But that seems to be par for the course here. I've been to Williamstown many times also. It has its pros and cons. You seem to only notice the cons. Heaven forbid every single person on earth is not exactly like you with your ideal values. I live in NYC. I have a friend whose kid goes to Williams. Extremely happy there. They can get a ride back to NYC whenever they want one, or a parent can easily pick them up - it is a long day trip. |
Anonymous
Lol “solid tier above” in law and especially medicine |
Anonymous
| If a liberal elitest who does not like sports and fun go to Williams otherwise hello Nashville. |
Anonymous
Most students don’t have homes in nyc. I really wouldn’t sell Williams on going to Boston or nyc, you need to be very comfortable with the bucolic but VERY RURAL area of Williamstown. The most exciting “city” nearby is Albany. It’s also good when defending to present a realistic picture of Williams. You also are quite sensitive. They didn’t really say anything rude, but you make a lot of assumptions about them. |
Anonymous
What part of "it has its pros and cons" did you miss? Williamstown has plenty of potential limitations. I 100% agree. One man's trash is another man's treasure. My reference to proximity to NYC and Boston is that there are lots of kids from these cities, so it is relatively easy to get to them. And when searching for a job, it is relatively easy to get to them. Notice my use of the word "relatively." It is no walk in the park. But for someone not familiar with the area, I wanted to add that color. Vandy has lots of pros as well. Nashville is a fun city. Big time sports. Great academics. But not everyone wants that. Plus the risks of being in a very red state (I know Nashville itself is blue, but OB/GYN's are fleeing the state). Again, I'm not trying to pick a fight. I am just tired of these people who are so "it's incredible" or "it's awful". The poster responded to me with a very "it's awful" vibe which is not kind and not constructive. I don't know why I bother. I'm sure you will tell me how awful I am. How about thanking me for a balanced perspective? How about some kindness? |
Anonymous
Williams doesn't have a medical school or a law school, but I think what this person meant was that within the legal and medical professions, a Williams undergrad is typically seen as more prestigious than Vanderbilt. Williams is known to be a pretty strong feeder into Top 14 law schools, while Vanderbilt lags behind: https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-law-school |
Anonymous
| ^the risks of being in a very red state-Yikes. Sure Vandy will survive. |
Anonymous
|
I toured both colleges years ago.
Williams is a classic New England elite LAC. The academics are superb and the students engaged. The area is dead boring for a college student. When I was in my hotel I chatted with the front desk guy, who was a recent college grad who went away, and he ended up driving me around, the takeaway being there is was absolutely nothing around so you better like the college b/c there isn't anything interesting anywhere else. Vanderbilt is in the heart of a big city, though the campus feels sort of walled off. It seemed very preppy and southern and a little bit like you would be excluded if you don't fit "the mold." I didn't end up going to either school - I went to an urban school in a northern city. If I had to pick, I'd recommend Williams, since the academics will be better (not just the scores of the admits, but the actual collegiate experience - in the olden days, the point of the thing) and I got the sense the students were more inclusive so it would be easier for a non-fratty kid to find his people. Exception is that you visit Williams and think, "gosh this seems like a boring place," you are probably right and then go live in a city. They are very different environments so it should be easy to pick one when you think it through. |
Anonymous
Maybe. But I think this view is a little dated. Vanderbilt has an excellent medical school right on campus. And it has a T14 law school. If someone wants the SLAC experience, go to Williams. But I really don't think Williams is better than Vanderbilt for med and law school placement these days. |
Anonymous
It's not at all unusual. Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore are super prestigious, many consider them HYP level undergrad education. Given the crapshoot that is admissions, the decision tree is not figuring out type of institute you'd like and applying only there, it is instead applying to the best institutions you have a shot at and figuring out later whether you want small/large, city/rural based on the admits you get and their rankings. |
Anonymous
Exactly. I know a kid who was obsessed with Williams. Applied early, was deferred and then didn't get in. Ended up at Duke and loved it. They seem incredibly different but he likely could have been happy at either one. |
Anonymous
| If your family home has a lawn go to Vandy. |