Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.

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.

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.

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.

Not bad at all! Fwiw Bowdoin's numbers look very different, so it does vary. But SLACs do tend to attract more "life of the mind" kids who don't have a hyper-narrow focus. My own kid will be attending a WASP school, selected in part because they want to double major in STEM and humanities plus do a little music. We also really liked the intellectual curiosity of the Oberlin students we met on our campus visit--nearly all double majors and one who was a triple major!

OP, look up this kind of info, which is readily available OL. It will give you a sense of the academic climate at each school and whether they are more alike than different.

Regarding the bolded portions: LACs are liberal arts schools, so, yes,they do attract students who have less of a pre-determined career goal or path. In many,maybe most, instances they need to go to grad school in order to proceed through life.

I respond because the "life of the mind" comment is not a compliment in my view--it just means that one is somewhat directionless and needs to grow & mature further in order to find a career.

In my experience, students at the elite National Universities and in public university honors colleges tend to be brilliant, motivated and determined.

Different environments for individuals with different preferences and in different places in their lives.

That’s such an insane reading of life of the mind to me. Most people do not finish in the same career they started. Most people don’t commit to a single path anymore at all. These are 18 year olds, not everyone is going the boring safe path of being an accountant. Being stubborn and “mature” about careers when you haven’t worked a corporate job a day in your life is called being an idiot.

+1000

College counselor here. Both are obviously excellent schools, although I favor Davidson for most students. With that said, I would think about where your DC will likely want to build a network during and after graduation. If in the North, Williams is the better choice. If in the South, Davidson is the better choice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.

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.

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.

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.

Yeesh what’s the point of a liberal arts college if the students are running towards stem.

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.

Students everywhere find it easier to get a job in consulting than to "follow their passion." All you need to qualify for an interview is a decent gpa from a good school in an Econ or quantitative major. It's a pretty easily laid out path and open to new people, which is why consulting continues to steal top students. There aren't higher education degree barriers or unnecessary competition or technical ability.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.

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.

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.

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.

Yeesh what’s the point of a liberal arts college if the students are running towards stem.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.

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.

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.

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.

Yeesh what’s the point of a liberal arts college if the students are running towards stem.

Liberal arts have always included STEM.

Sure but acting like they haven’t historically been more known for humanities and social sciences is delusional.

Go visit both campuses. Sit in on classes.

There are way too many variables for us to tell you the answer for your student.

I will say that of all the SLAC’s we visited, and we visited many, Davidson was the only one that didn’t give off an obsessed about sports vibe or that the athletes are gods. I mean they did mention Steph Curry and that the whole town comes out for basketball games. Wouldn’t you though?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.

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.

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.

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.

Yeesh what’s the point of a liberal arts college if the students are running towards stem.

Liberal arts have always included STEM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Richmond as good as these schools?

Yup.

Um, no. Like seriously: no.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.

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.

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.

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.

Yeesh what’s the point of a liberal arts college if the students are running towards stem.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.

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.

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.

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.

Not bad at all! Fwiw Bowdoin's numbers look very different, so it does vary. But SLACs do tend to attract more "life of the mind" kids who don't have a hyper-narrow focus. My own kid will be attending a WASP school, selected in part because they want to double major in STEM and humanities plus do a little music. We also really liked the intellectual curiosity of the Oberlin students we met on our campus visit--nearly all double majors and one who was a triple major!

OP, look up this kind of info, which is readily available OL. It will give you a sense of the academic climate at each school and whether they are more alike than different.

Regarding the bolded portions: LACs are liberal arts schools, so, yes,they do attract students who have less of a pre-determined career goal or path. In many,maybe most, instances they need to go to grad school in order to proceed through life.

I respond because the "life of the mind" comment is not a compliment in my view--it just means that one is somewhat directionless and needs to grow & mature further in order to find a career.

In my experience, students at the elite National Universities and in public university honors colleges tend to be brilliant, motivated and determined.

Different environments for individuals with different preferences and in different places in their lives.

That’s such an insane reading of life of the mind to me. Most people do not finish in the same career they started. Most people don’t commit to a single path anymore at all. These are 18 year olds, not everyone is going the boring safe path of being an accountant. Being stubborn and “mature” about careers when you haven’t worked a corporate job a day in your life is called being an idiot.

I visited Williams one summer and currently have a student at Davidson.

As for Williams, I can only remark on the physical campus. It’s nice, but not a stunner. It’s spread out more than it needs to be and is in a rural town somewhat difficult to get to.

Davidson is in an idyllic community/suburb of Charlotte, NC with easy access to other surrounding communities, activities, and the city. The campus is beautiful and compact without being cramped. The vibe is friendly, academic, and collaborative. All the kids take their studies seriously, but Davidson spares the cutthroat competition common at NE schools. Professors encourage students to attend their office hours and are happy to mentor kids and help them find career or research opportunities. The career center is great and alumni actively recruit graduates. Basically, attend Davidson if you want an idyllic setting, warmer weather (but still four seasons), rigorous academics, friendly and smart students, and great outcomes. Save Harvard for graduate school.

Williams is more isolated

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:boy, won't be on a sports team, will be interesting in IB (possibly) so dont want to get shut out by firms that come and only take athletes.

has great stats but doesnt need to be at "best". wants opportunity - internships, etc

A bit of a contradiction. Not good prospects for a non-athlete male at Williams College targeting IB, but Davidson College is not a strong school for IB placement.

Why not attend a National University ?

My cousin majored in Econ and math at Davidson and got a fantastic investment banking job afterwards.

Most kids at Davidson are not interested in IB because there are more important and interesting things to do in the world. That said, economics is a strong and popular program at Davidson, and the school offers an IB boot camp for those interested in the path. If students at Davidson want IB, the opportunity exists, especially with BofA in Charlotte.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone talking about Williams now? It is a decent school, but people talk of it like it's Princeton or something.

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.

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.

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.

Not bad at all! Fwiw Bowdoin's numbers look very different, so it does vary. But SLACs do tend to attract more "life of the mind" kids who don't have a hyper-narrow focus. My own kid will be attending a WASP school, selected in part because they want to double major in STEM and humanities plus do a little music. We also really liked the intellectual curiosity of the Oberlin students we met on our campus visit--nearly all double majors and one who was a triple major!

OP, look up this kind of info, which is readily available OL. It will give you a sense of the academic climate at each school and whether they are more alike than different.

Regarding the bolded portions: LACs are liberal arts schools, so, yes,they do attract students who have less of a pre-determined career goal or path. In many,maybe most, instances they need to go to grad school in order to proceed through life.

I respond because the "life of the mind" comment is not a compliment in my view--it just means that one is somewhat directionless and needs to grow & mature further in order to find a career.

In my experience, students at the elite National Universities and in public university honors colleges tend to be brilliant, motivated and determined.

Different environments for individuals with different preferences and in different places in their lives.