Anonymous wrote:They would probably rank dead last. This isn't to say that Williams or Amherst aren't exemplary. They're great! But, the reality is that they cannot provide the same resources as the ivies, especially the top ivies. Still great options if you like tiny rural schools and don't worry about less options.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you in this thread are really unhinged! Williams has pluses and minuses but overall, I’m very glad that I chose to go there. As a STEM major, I got incredible access to research I’m not sure I would’ve had at a research university.

What exactly does this thread accomplish? Williams and other SLACS are in a category of their own for a reason.

Signed,
A recent Williams grad

You would’ve had better access to research at an Ivy. Denying that is just copium.

Your ignorance runs deep, like the pools of despair in the eyes of frustrated strivers confronting a reality that they cannot comprehend.

Are you seriously arguing that Williams college has better research access than Harvard or Princeton? How does someone become so delusional?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“roomies dad can get you a summer gig at Blackstone”

bleh that’s pretty nauseating

much different feel than the track kid from lehigh grinding frosh year and forming connections with alumni

I dont think it's good or bad, but there's a plus to going to school with connected kids. ever been thus.

middlebury is also very nepo kid

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you in this thread are really unhinged! Williams has pluses and minuses but overall, I’m very glad that I chose to go there. As a STEM major, I got incredible access to research I’m not sure I would’ve had at a research university.

What exactly does this thread accomplish? Williams and other SLACS are in a category of their own for a reason.

Signed,
A recent Williams grad

You would’ve had better access to research at an Ivy. Denying that is just copium.

Your ignorance runs deep, like the pools of despair in the eyes of frustrated strivers confronting a reality that they cannot comprehend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The opportunities are nowhere near competitive enough. DD was able to work at Yale law during the summer and get funding to examine legal theory across 5 different countries with an experienced, decorated law faculty member. During the school year, she has a grant to do bioethics policy work with a New York think tank that reached out to Yale for students, leads a club where she’s able to invite major speakers in ethics and other philosophy faculty, and was able to take a course in the SOM to fulfill her interest in bioethics. At Williams, she could’ve gone to class and taken a wide range of philosophy courses unrelated to her interest and maybe joined/started a club.

Her friends at LACs are academically impressive but that’s about it. They don’t have the experiences that signal impact. At best, they can get into an REU hosted at an institution like my daughters.

I have a kid at Yale (freshman) and Wiliams (junior) so maybe I can speak about this a little. They're both terrific.

Yale has more of a wow factor when you talk to your friends. No doubt. And they have big name speakers on campus every week. I like what a bigger school provides ie more dining options etc, but that's not a Yale thing. Would have been more food options are Syracuse etc. The kids are happy, lots of connections if you want them, lots to do on weekends (although more frat life than I realized)

The downside is the very competitive club culture. If you get into the top finance (theater, law, political, improv black) etc club, then you're on easy street. But the top finance club takes 12 kids (per year) and 2000 applied this year. So you try to get into the top 3 clubs and that can be hard too. My kid was applying to clubs nonstop and got into a good one and a couple okay ones. It's competitive. You have to be good at xyz if you want to get into the xyz club.

Williams can be an unknown to your friends, but not employers. Fewer resources on campus, fewer big names, fewer dining halls, fewer parties on weekends (but there are some, every weekend) and you're tucked away for a long winter. Those are the downsides. Upsides: more of a personal connection to teacher (ie they make calls for you). There are a ton of nepo kids there which has been an upside -- roomies dad can get you a summer gig at Blackstone. And the alumni network is very receptive. Reaching out to a rando on LinkedIn who went to yale would be weird. at Williams, totally normal. Also, you can do ANYTHING. Never done improv, who cares. Never looked at a P&L statement, you can do the January term at a hedge fund and get an internship from that.

They're very different with different ways of accessing opportunities. But both great.

My kid, now mid-30s, was a high school
Superstar in the usual ways. Ranked # 4 among 90,000+ hs debaters in the U.S., perfect SATs, editor of lit mag etc. Chose to go to one of the AWS colleges. Became head of three major organizations there.Went to one of the top 3 law schools, President of Law Review. Most of their peers went to Ivies and report good outcomes but less than satisfying undergrad experience for many of the reasons listed above. Between college and law school, a Boston consulting firm job. No shortage of opportunities and it’s fairly typical of top LAC graduates

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you in this thread are really unhinged! Williams has pluses and minuses but overall, I’m very glad that I chose to go there. As a STEM major, I got incredible access to research I’m not sure I would’ve had at a research university.

What exactly does this thread accomplish? Williams and other SLACS are in a category of their own for a reason.

Signed,
A recent Williams grad

You would’ve had better access to research at an Ivy. Denying that is just copium.

Anonymous wrote:“roomies dad can get you a summer gig at Blackstone”

bleh that’s pretty nauseating

much different feel than the track kid from lehigh grinding frosh year and forming connections with alumni

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you in this thread are really unhinged! Williams has pluses and minuses but overall, I’m very glad that I chose to go there. As a STEM major, I got incredible access to research I’m not sure I would’ve had at a research university.

What exactly does this thread accomplish? Williams and other SLACS are in a category of their own for a reason.

Signed,
A recent Williams grad

You would’ve had better access to research at an Ivy. Denying that is just copium.

Anonymous wrote:What? They are not and will not be Ivy! This is a silly silly game you keep playing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure, I guess. But with such extraordinarily selective schools, who really cares?

The best universities in the USA are:

1 Berkeley
2 UCLA
3 University of Michigan
4 UVA / UNC

Private universities are a scam.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The opportunities are nowhere near competitive enough. DD was able to work at Yale law during the summer and get funding to examine legal theory across 5 different countries with an experienced, decorated law faculty member. During the school year, she has a grant to do bioethics policy work with a New York think tank that reached out to Yale for students, leads a club where she’s able to invite major speakers in ethics and other philosophy faculty, and was able to take a course in the SOM to fulfill her interest in bioethics. At Williams, she could’ve gone to class and taken a wide range of philosophy courses unrelated to her interest and maybe joined/started a club.

Her friends at LACs are academically impressive but that’s about it. They don’t have the experiences that signal impact. At best, they can get into an REU hosted at an institution like my daughters.

I have a kid at Yale (freshman) and Wiliams (junior) so maybe I can speak about this a little. They're both terrific.

Yale has more of a wow factor when you talk to your friends. No doubt. And they have big name speakers on campus every week. I like what a bigger school provides ie more dining options etc, but that's not a Yale thing. Would have been more food options are Syracuse etc. The kids are happy, lots of connections if you want them, lots to do on weekends (although more frat life than I realized)

The downside is the very competitive club culture. If you get into the top finance (theater, law, political, improv black) etc club, then you're on easy street. But the top finance club takes 12 kids (per year) and 2000 applied this year. So you try to get into the top 3 clubs and that can be hard too. My kid was applying to clubs nonstop and got into a good one and a couple okay ones. It's competitive. You have to be good at xyz if you want to get into the xyz club.

Williams can be an unknown to your friends, but not employers. Fewer resources on campus, fewer big names, fewer dining halls, fewer parties on weekends (but there are some, every weekend) and you're tucked away for a long winter. Those are the downsides. Upsides: more of a personal connection to teacher (ie they make calls for you). There are a ton of nepo kids there which has been an upside -- roomies dad can get you a summer gig at Blackstone. And the alumni network is very receptive. Reaching out to a rando on LinkedIn who went to yale would be weird. at Williams, totally normal. Also, you can do ANYTHING. Never done improv, who cares. Never looked at a P&L statement, you can do the January term at a hedge fund and get an internship from that.

They're very different with different ways of accessing opportunities. But both great.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you in this thread are really unhinged! Williams has pluses and minuses but overall, I’m very glad that I chose to go there. As a STEM major, I got incredible access to research I’m not sure I would’ve had at a research university.

What exactly does this thread accomplish? Williams and other SLACS are in a category of their own for a reason.

Signed,
A recent Williams grad

You would’ve had better access to research at an Ivy. Denying that is just copium.

Rent free