Anonymous
04/29/2025 15:11
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a nephew who is facing this decision. He has visited both schools and preferred the environment and students at Bowdoin College. His father and most of his friends (he attends an east coast feeder school that sends many to Ivies/top SLACs) are telling him it would be foolish to turn down Williams for Bowdoin. They are roughly the same cost. Could someone with real world experience share if there's something significant that really sets Williams College apart? Thank you.
Curious which feeder school ? Deerfield Academy ?
Career goal of the student ?
In what fields do the parents work ?
How many students does he know or has he met at each school ? Is the student's experience at each school just a one or two day visit ?
Prestige of LACs only matters in the Northeast US. In other regions of the country many may wonder why he didn't go to a National University.
Nobody that matters would question why the student didn’t go to a National University. Only mindless folks on places like DCUM and Reddit would be that dim.
+1. I would choose Williams or Bowdoin over most Top 30 universities (except HYP, Dartmouth, Upenn, Stanford & MIT). I would def choose a top SLAC over UVA or UMich for example.
Strong disagree. It depends on the student - a big state university like UMich offers a lot of opportunities that a SLAC cannot.
That is true; one is finely fitted bespoke tailoring and the other is a mid-range off the rack type of thing. Ones goes with what they can afford.
We need a full-time translator for this thread. Hopefully, you mean that universities offer more "finely fitted bespoke tailoring" whereas LACs are for those without direction or refinement of a career goal at this stage of their (one's) life.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 13:42
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Yes
No
Anonymous
04/29/2025 13:08
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
I would say that Williams is slightly more prestigious but fit is more important. I say this as a parent whose kid turned down more prestigious schools who is wildly happy with their choice.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 12:33
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Yes
Anonymous
04/29/2025 12:23
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a nephew who is facing this decision. He has visited both schools and preferred the environment and students at Bowdoin College. His father and most of his friends (he attends an east coast feeder school that sends many to Ivies/top SLACs) are telling him it would be foolish to turn down Williams for Bowdoin. They are roughly the same cost. Could someone with real world experience share if there's something significant that really sets Williams College apart? Thank you.
Curious which feeder school ? Deerfield Academy ?
Career goal of the student ?
In what fields do the parents work ?
How many students does he know or has he met at each school ? Is the student's experience at each school just a one or two day visit ?
Prestige of LACs only matters in the Northeast US. In other regions of the country many may wonder why he didn't go to a National University.
Nobody that matters would question why the student didn’t go to a National University. Only mindless folks on places like DCUM and Reddit would be that dim.
+1. I would choose Williams or Bowdoin over most Top 30 universities (except HYP, Dartmouth, Upenn, Stanford & MIT). I would def choose a top SLAC over UVA or UMich for example.
Strong disagree. It depends on the student - a big state university like UMich offers a lot of opportunities that a SLAC cannot.
That is true; one is finely fitted bespoke tailoring and the other is a mid-range off the rack type of thing. Ones goes with what they can afford.
Michigan oos is not much cheaper than Williams.
So, it's high-priced off of the rack. It doesn't change what it is and it just makes the value proposition even worse.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 09:58
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a nephew who is facing this decision. He has visited both schools and preferred the environment and students at Bowdoin College. His father and most of his friends (he attends an east coast feeder school that sends many to Ivies/top SLACs) are telling him it would be foolish to turn down Williams for Bowdoin. They are roughly the same cost. Could someone with real world experience share if there's something significant that really sets Williams College apart? Thank you.
Curious which feeder school ? Deerfield Academy ?
Career goal of the student ?
In what fields do the parents work ?
How many students does he know or has he met at each school ? Is the student's experience at each school just a one or two day visit ?
Prestige of LACs only matters in the Northeast US. In other regions of the country many may wonder why he didn't go to a National University.
Nobody that matters would question why the student didn’t go to a National University. Only mindless folks on places like DCUM and Reddit would be that dim.
+1. I would choose Williams or Bowdoin over most Top 30 universities (except HYP, Dartmouth, Upenn, Stanford & MIT). I would def choose a top SLAC over UVA or UMich for example.
Strong disagree. It depends on the student - a big state university like UMich offers a lot of opportunities that a SLAC cannot.
That is true; one is finely fitted bespoke tailoring and the other is a mid-range off the rack type of thing. Ones goes with what they can afford.
Michigan oos is not much cheaper than Williams.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 09:56
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Bowdoin is more prestigious because most people have never heard of it.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 09:54
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Williams is easier to pronounce.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 09:18
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a nephew who is facing this decision. He has visited both schools and preferred the environment and students at Bowdoin College. His father and most of his friends (he attends an east coast feeder school that sends many to Ivies/top SLACs) are telling him it would be foolish to turn down Williams for Bowdoin. They are roughly the same cost. Could someone with real world experience share if there's something significant that really sets Williams College apart? Thank you.
Curious which feeder school ? Deerfield Academy ?
Career goal of the student ?
In what fields do the parents work ?
How many students does he know or has he met at each school ? Is the student's experience at each school just a one or two day visit ?
Prestige of LACs only matters in the Northeast US. In other regions of the country many may wonder why he didn't go to a National University.
Nobody that matters would question why the student didn’t go to a National University. Only mindless folks on places like DCUM and Reddit would be that dim.
+1. I would choose Williams or Bowdoin over most Top 30 universities (except HYP, Dartmouth, Upenn, Stanford & MIT). I would def choose a top SLAC over UVA or UMich for example.
Strong disagree. It depends on the student - a big state university like UMich offers a lot of opportunities that a SLAC cannot.
That is true; one is finely fitted bespoke tailoring and the other is a mid-range off the rack type of thing. Ones goes with what they can afford.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 07:01
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a nephew who is facing this decision. He has visited both schools and preferred the environment and students at Bowdoin College. His father and most of his friends (he attends an east coast feeder school that sends many to Ivies/top SLACs) are telling him it would be foolish to turn down Williams for Bowdoin. They are roughly the same cost. Could someone with real world experience share if there's something significant that really sets Williams College apart? Thank you.
Curious which feeder school ? Deerfield Academy ?
Career goal of the student ?
In what fields do the parents work ?
How many students does he know or has he met at each school ? Is the student's experience at each school just a one or two day visit ?
Prestige of LACs only matters in the Northeast US. In other regions of the country many may wonder why he didn't go to a National University.
Nobody that matters would question why the student didn’t go to a National University. Only mindless folks on places like DCUM and Reddit would be that dim.
+1. I would choose Williams or Bowdoin over most Top 30 universities (except HYP, Dartmouth, Upenn, Stanford & MIT). I would def choose a top SLAC over UVA or UMich for example.
Strong disagree. It depends on the student - a big state university like UMich offers a lot of opportunities that a SLAC cannot.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 05:55
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Williams is strong in math and I do think it has an edge in name recognition but that doesn’t mean it’s the better place for your kid.
It’s not even OP’s kid. It’s a nephew. Stay out of this, OP!
Anonymous
04/29/2025 05:12
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore has the highest test stats of WASP so maybe many rejects/parents of rejects in this thread lol
But, but, the co-op boards!
Anonymous
04/29/2025 01:02
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a nephew who is facing this decision. He has visited both schools and preferred the environment and students at Bowdoin College. His father and most of his friends (he attends an east coast feeder school that sends many to Ivies/top SLACs) are telling him it would be foolish to turn down Williams for Bowdoin. They are roughly the same cost. Could someone with real world experience share if there's something significant that really sets Williams College apart? Thank you.
Curious which feeder school ? Deerfield Academy ?
Career goal of the student ?
In what fields do the parents work ?
How many students does he know or has he met at each school ? Is the student's experience at each school just a one or two day visit ?
Prestige of LACs only matters in the Northeast US. In other regions of the country many may wonder why he didn't go to a National University.
Nobody that matters would question why the student didn’t go to a National University. Only mindless folks on places like DCUM and Reddit would be that dim.
+1. I would choose Williams or Bowdoin over most Top 30 universities (except HYP, Dartmouth, Upenn, Stanford & MIT). I would def choose a top SLAC over UVA or UMich for example.
Anonymous
04/28/2025 19:42
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Used to work HR at a firm most parents here would love their children to be upon their first job.
We do not care
We do not care
Anonymous
04/28/2025 19:37
Subject: Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?
Anonymous wrote:DP, but Amherst Williams Swarthmore I think.
What a strange grouping. WASP at least makes since because Swarthmore and Pomona are very similar. AWS just seems like unnecessary division by East coast elitists.