Reply to what's the difference between Williams and Davidson?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.[/quote]

Ha, my top wo choices years ago, and well before US News was ranking each #1 in their respective categories.  They used to have a lot in common, before Princeton got so STEM-y.

Davidson probably still has a more regional feel, but another great school.  Could definitely see people who are a bit unsettled by the current reputations of Princeton (grind & bicker clubs) and Williams (jocks headed for Wall Street) opting for Davidson as a good alternative.  [/quote]
Princeton is the one that got stemy?
The top majors at Williams are all stem majors. The college is known and has carved itself into a niche of mathematics and economics (mathematical, not social science). The humanities departments are running thin on majors, and Econ, math, CS, and now stats (just became an independent department) are EXPLODING. Even art history is being majored in less and fewer students are taking courses in art history.

It’s Williams that has become STEM.[/quote]

Williams parent whose kid is an art history major. There are 30+ art majors (one department for studio and art history with concentrations in studio, art history, or a combination of the two). This page lists the average number of majors per year over 4 years https://communications.williams.edu/media-relations/fast-facts/ 
Among the most popular majors are:
Econ 112
Math 59
CS 56
Bio 56
Psych 55
Poli Sci 52
English 49
History 45
Art 36

These humanities and social sciences numbers aren't too bad given the trend at many SLACs. Among my kid's friends, there are double majors in Math & Religion; Math & Political Science; Econ & English; and Anthropology and Studio Art.[/quote]
Yeesh what’s the point of a liberal arts college if the students are running towards stem. [/quote]
The top LACs want to be more special than they are. Instead, their students are the same as the ivy students aspiring for IB/Consulting internships. If 112 of your students in such a small class are going into Econ, there’s a diversity issue clearly.[/quote]

Have you visited Davidson during the school year while students are there? It’s completely different than the Ivy schools.

Though it’s very selective and many of the kids could have gone Ivy, the culture is quite different, which affects the overall four year experience.

Econ is a strong draw in part as a hedge or nod towards “employability”. With the economy as it is, kids/families want to have one foot firmly in something practical. If you’re not on the STEM side, econ is a good fit for that.

But many of those Econ majors at Davidson are double-majoring in something completely unrelated and “liberal artsy”. And many (most?) are not looking for IB/consulting internships.

Davidson feels way more interdisciplinary, with a wider-angle vibe than we’ve seen at the Ivys.

[/quote]
And…you were immediately contradicted by the parent below you
[quote]DS is an Econ and Poli Sci major at Davidson. Internship in consulting the summer after his freshman year and doing an internship in IB this summer before he heads to Europe for a semester abroad. The IB opportunities are certainly there if students are interested; Career Services even sponsors an IB academy to prep students.
[/quote][/quote]

I'm also a Davidson parent, but not either PP. Responding to the "contradiction" you've noted in the PPs responses. I think both writers can be correct. There are many opportunities that the career office offers. Parents are copied on weekly emails with all of the various programs and services students may choose to access, with multiple IB opportunities. (I'm guessing many other colleges do the same.) Just because these services are offered doesn't mean that students are choosing to access or prioritize them as they experience college and prepare for their life after Davidson.[/quote]

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