William and Mary/Colby

[Anonymous]

My DS has narrowed his college choices to William and Mary and Colby. We are OOS for W & M. With D.C. Tag and grants the cost for each are about the same. Both are fantastic school's and I know it is comparing apples and oranges, but would love to hear feedback and insight for each school. My DS is bi-racial and we have read that Colby may have some diversity issues, i.e. kids of color feel marginalized. We know that W& M is more diverse and that Maine is a very "white" state. DS likes both schools a lot and so do we. We are going to each school's admitted student days and Colby is flying my son in for a 2 day visit and he will spend 2 nights sleeping in a dorm with current students. Does anyone have any direct experience with either of these schools, as far as academic rigor, campus life, social climate, etc?

[Anonymous]

Academic rigor- Williams and Mary has a killer workload. Colby is more balanced and supportive. Good teaching at both.

Campus life- midsized university vs small residential LAC. W&M students don't seem as satisfied. Not a great quality of life.

Social life/students: Nerdy and quirky vibe at W&M. Preppy, environmentally passionate athletes at Colby.

Reputation- Colby I hold to slightly higher regard. It's a NESCAC so a little Ivy with connections to Williams, Amherst, Tufts, etc. W&M is good too. Colby had a 13% acceptance rate this year with Ivy level academic stats, so they deem keen to climb up.

[Anonymous]

Both are excellent schools.
I would agree that W&M has slightly higher academic rigor. I wouldn't agree that I regard Colby more highly W&M has a strong track record of involving students in meaningful research and supporting getting internships which is something I look at closely when evaluating equally strong schools. If you have an outdoorsy/athletic/preppy kid, Colby might be a better fit. If you have a studious, internationally-minded kid, W&M might be a better fit. Or they can choose the "opposite" of their natural inclination and become more well-rounded. It's a great choice to have and I would recommend your son going on the "feel" of it.

[Anonymous]

The winters are VERY long at Colby. And I’d be more concerned about the lack of diversity.

I’d go with W&M in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

I find this amusing only because I went to W&M (from a New England state) and one of my siblings went to Colby. Things have changed quite a bit in the 30 years since we were in college, so I can't speak to much EXCEPT the weather. Maine is COLD and winter lasts a long time. And as my sibling said, as soon as the weather starts getting nice, it's time to leave. Even coming from a NE state, it was necessary to upgrade the winter wardrobe to make it through that Waterville winter. The weather in Williamsburg is much more pleasant. Still 2 great choices. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both are excellent schools.
I would agree that W&M has slightly higher academic rigor. I wouldn't agree that I regard Colby more highly W&M has a strong track record of involving students in meaningful research and supporting getting internships which is something I look at closely when evaluating equally strong schools. If you have an outdoorsy/athletic/preppy kid, Colby might be a better fit. If you have a studious, internationally-minded kid, W&M might be a better fit. Or they can choose the "opposite" of their natural inclination and become more well-rounded. It's a great choice to have and I would recommend your son going on the "feel" of it.

Funny -- to some extent, you're describing my daughter and my niece, who attend, respectively, Colby and Wm & Mary. Each is very happy at her school and is thriving. That said, I would temper PP's description somewhat -- there are many Colby students, including my daughter, who are interested in global issues (really, I think this is a hallmark of the current college generation). Also, Colby has a strong alum network and that can be very helpful with obtaining internships.

Bottom line: Your son has two great options -- congratulations to him! I think visiting the schools and staying in the dorms will help him decide between the two, but he can't go wrong.

[Anonymous]

As a W&M alumnus from New England, I agree that you have two great options. I had friends who went to Colby (in the '90s) and they loved it. Agreed with the comments on weather. Both are good schools. I would say that both are worth a visit. Location may be an issue--Colby is hard to get to and pretty isolated; Williamsburg isn't exactly a booming metropolis, either, but it is at least nearer to civilization.

Someone other than me might have more current advice on what programs are best at each school. If your child already knows what subject matter is of interest, that might be useful.

[Anonymous]

I have heard, so you might want to check, but access to higher level math classes can be a problem at W&M. This is second hand, but it might be worth looking at the offerings in the catalogue at both schools in all of the fields of interest.

Also, I'd pick Colby because interactive reenactors give me the creeps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard, so you might want to check, but access to higher level math classes can be a problem at W&M. This is second hand, but it might be worth looking at the offerings in the catalogue at both schools in all of the fields of interest.

Also, I'd pick Colby because interactive reenactors give me the creeps.

what's this all about then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard, so you might want to check, but access to higher level math classes can be a problem at W&M. This is second hand, but it might be worth looking at the offerings in the catalogue at both schools in all of the fields of interest.

Also, I'd pick Colby because interactive reenactors give me the creeps.

what's this all about then?

Not a Williamsburg fan.

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of kids in DCUM territory who have loved Colby and several who have not liked William & Mary - in fact, cannot think of one who was enthusiastic about William & Mary. Apparently W&M may have a sort of odd social scene - haven't attended myself, so I am not sure what it is exactly. DC applied Colby but would not apply W&M.

[Anonymous]

The list of William and Mary alumni is deeply impressive. It has a beautiful campus and excellent undergraduate teaching (as reflected in US News rankings). I would go with William and Mary if the finances allow it. This isn’t even a close question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Academic rigor- Williams and Mary has a killer workload. Colby is more balanced and supportive. Good teaching at both.

Campus life- midsized university vs small residential LAC. W&M students don't seem as satisfied. Not a great quality of life.

Social life/students: Nerdy and quirky vibe at W&M. Preppy, environmentally passionate athletes at Colby.

Reputation- Colby I hold to slightly higher regard. It's a NESCAC so a little Ivy with connections to Williams, Amherst, Tufts, etc. W&M is good too. Colby had a 13% acceptance rate this year with Ivy level academic stats, so they deem keen to climb up.

Your comments about William and Mary are wrong in each regard, and it seems like you have an ax to grind. Princeton Review, for instance, ranked William and Mary high in terms of student happiness. The vibe is not limited to what you describe. Plenty of “preppy” and environmentally passionate people at William and Mary, if that’s your thing. No one would confuse Colby with Williams and the other schools you mention They are far superior to Colby.

[Anonymous]

My kid loves W&M and probably would feel stifled at Colby because of its location and size. One advantage of Colby though is that it's a private SLAC and from my experience with my other child at a private SLAC, they will be deeply invested in making sure your child succeeds. For a public college, though, W&M is very well-run, but it just doesn't have the extra resources (ie: tutoring, career counseling, alumni network) that a private SLAC has. It's a tough choice, OP. I think your DC will be able to decide after his overnight at Colby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The list of William and Mary alumni is deeply impressive. It has a beautiful campus and excellent undergraduate teaching (as reflected in US News rankings). I would go with William and Mary if the finances allow it. This isn’t even a close question.

Although I agree with this, OP doesn't say how her kid came to choose these two schools. Seems very apples and oranges to me; very different.
Have also heard Waterville Maine is very sketchy town.