Anonymous
03/08/2026 17:38
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't know much about Pomona but I think both Williams and Amherst are wonderful for students looking at a small liberal arts college. I believe Amherst had a record number of applicants for class of 2029 with over 16,000 apps, don't recall for Williams. I doubt a student can go wrong at either school for humanities or STEM.
Williams is much better than Amherst for stem.
Perhaps years ago that may have been true, no longer in 2026. Williams may have a slight edge in theoretical math/physics but Amherst's consortium and the open curriculum may be better for CS and other interdisciplinary STEM. Both send about same percentage of students to PhD programs. Neither school is "much" better than the other.
Williams students are getting more awards and more recognition in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Geosciences. Amherst is better for psych and bio. Especially math, there is no argument that Williams is much better than Amherst
I don't think so - similar for major awards normalized for size. The interdisciplinary sciences may be better at Amherst esp the research environment offered by UMass and the other LACs.
Amherst students hardly use Umass in the way you think they do. They aren’t joining Umass labs, nor are they taking more than maybe 1 or 2 classes there.
Quite the contrary, many do take classes in the consortium, esp at UMass, and many do use the research labs as did my DC and many of their friends.
I also think this is funny, because the student's themselves recognize that they don't use the consortium: https://amherststudent.com/article/take-more-five-college-classes/
Anonymous
03/08/2026 17:37
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't know much about Pomona but I think both Williams and Amherst are wonderful for students looking at a small liberal arts college. I believe Amherst had a record number of applicants for class of 2029 with over 16,000 apps, don't recall for Williams. I doubt a student can go wrong at either school for humanities or STEM.
Williams is much better than Amherst for stem.
Perhaps years ago that may have been true, no longer in 2026. Williams may have a slight edge in theoretical math/physics but Amherst's consortium and the open curriculum may be better for CS and other interdisciplinary STEM. Both send about same percentage of students to PhD programs. Neither school is "much" better than the other.
Williams students are getting more awards and more recognition in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Geosciences. Amherst is better for psych and bio. Especially math, there is no argument that Williams is much better than Amherst
I don't think so - similar for major awards normalized for size. The interdisciplinary sciences may be better at Amherst esp the research environment offered by UMass and the other LACs.
Amherst students hardly use Umass in the way you think they do. They aren’t joining Umass labs, nor are they taking more than maybe 1 or 2 classes there.
Quite the contrary, many do take classes in the consortium, esp at UMass, and many do use the research labs as did my DC and many of their friends.
Great then it shouldn't be difficult at all for you to link a single Umass Amherst lab page with an Amherst college undergraduate student researcher in it! Let's see it!
Anonymous
03/08/2026 16:35
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't know much about Pomona but I think both Williams and Amherst are wonderful for students looking at a small liberal arts college. I believe Amherst had a record number of applicants for class of 2029 with over 16,000 apps, don't recall for Williams. I doubt a student can go wrong at either school for humanities or STEM.
Williams is much better than Amherst for stem.
Perhaps years ago that may have been true, no longer in 2026. Williams may have a slight edge in theoretical math/physics but Amherst's consortium and the open curriculum may be better for CS and other interdisciplinary STEM. Both send about same percentage of students to PhD programs. Neither school is "much" better than the other.
Williams students are getting more awards and more recognition in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Geosciences. Amherst is better for psych and bio. Especially math, there is no argument that Williams is much better than Amherst
I don't think so - similar for major awards normalized for size. The interdisciplinary sciences may be better at Amherst esp the research environment offered by UMass and the other LACs.
Amherst students hardly use Umass in the way you think they do. They aren’t joining Umass labs, nor are they taking more than maybe 1 or 2 classes there.
Quite the contrary, many do take classes in the consortium, esp at UMass, and many do use the research labs as did my DC and many of their friends.
Anonymous
03/08/2026 16:04
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Not sure. I had a kid at Amherst but not the others so there is no way for me to compare 3 schools without actual experience.
Thank you for saying this. So sick of parents with kids at one of these colleges insisting theirs is *of course* the best. But I do have a current junior interested in Amherst. Did your kid have a good experience there?
Anonymous
03/08/2026 15:49
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Not sure. I had a kid at Amherst but not the others so there is no way for me to compare 3 schools without actual experience.
Anonymous
03/08/2026 15:48
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Amherst may be many things, but "flat" is certainly not one of them.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I liked Williams and Pomona best of the 4. Would have been thrilled with either.
Amherst and Swat didn't speak to me.
It's a vibe thing, I think. So your asking about vibes
Amherst was just so flat, boring, and ugly. I have no idea why you’d choose to go there.
+1 They just proved that they hadn’t actually been there. Typical DCUM mom, just talking out her ass and making shit up.
No you just proved that you hardly understand English.
Sure Karen. You’re not very good at this. Sit back and let the adults have a conversation.
Can you shut up? Seriously just dragging it
Anonymous
03/08/2026 15:44
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Amherst may be many things, but "flat" is certainly not one of them.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I liked Williams and Pomona best of the 4. Would have been thrilled with either.
Amherst and Swat didn't speak to me.
It's a vibe thing, I think. So your asking about vibes
Amherst was just so flat, boring, and ugly. I have no idea why you’d choose to go there.
+1 They just proved that they hadn’t actually been there. Typical DCUM mom, just talking out her ass and making shit up.
No you just proved that you hardly understand English.
Sure Karen. You’re not very good at this. Sit back and let the adults have a conversation.
Anonymous
03/08/2026 15:13
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Amherst may be many things, but "flat" is certainly not one of them.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I liked Williams and Pomona best of the 4. Would have been thrilled with either.
Amherst and Swat didn't speak to me.
It's a vibe thing, I think. So your asking about vibes
Amherst was just so flat, boring, and ugly. I have no idea why you’d choose to go there.
+1 They just proved that they hadn’t actually been there. Typical DCUM mom, just talking out her ass and making shit up.
No you just proved that you hardly understand English.
Anonymous
03/08/2026 15:03
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Amherst may be many things, but "flat" is certainly not one of them.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I liked Williams and Pomona best of the 4. Would have been thrilled with either.
Amherst and Swat didn't speak to me.
It's a vibe thing, I think. So your asking about vibes
Amherst was just so flat, boring, and ugly. I have no idea why you’d choose to go there.
+1 They just proved that they hadn’t actually been there. Typical DCUM mom, just talking out her ass and making shit up.
Anonymous
03/08/2026 14:14
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Amherst may be many things, but "flat" is certainly not one of them.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I liked Williams and Pomona best of the 4. Would have been thrilled with either.
Amherst and Swat didn't speak to me.
It's a vibe thing, I think. So your asking about vibes
Amherst was just so flat, boring, and ugly. I have no idea why you’d choose to go there.
I’ve learned people here have a very geographic interpretation of the word flat. Flat: “lacking interest or emotion; dull and lifeless.”
Anonymous
03/08/2026 14:13
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't know much about Pomona but I think both Williams and Amherst are wonderful for students looking at a small liberal arts college. I believe Amherst had a record number of applicants for class of 2029 with over 16,000 apps, don't recall for Williams. I doubt a student can go wrong at either school for humanities or STEM.
Williams is much better than Amherst for stem.
Perhaps years ago that may have been true, no longer in 2026. Williams may have a slight edge in theoretical math/physics but Amherst's consortium and the open curriculum may be better for CS and other interdisciplinary STEM. Both send about same percentage of students to PhD programs. Neither school is "much" better than the other.
Williams students are getting more awards and more recognition in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Geosciences. Amherst is better for psych and bio. Especially math, there is no argument that Williams is much better than Amherst
I don't think so - similar for major awards normalized for size. The interdisciplinary sciences may be better at Amherst esp the research environment offered by UMass and the other LACs.
Amherst students hardly use Umass in the way you think they do. They aren’t joining Umass labs, nor are they taking more than maybe 1 or 2 classes there.
Anonymous
03/08/2026 08:20
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Amherst may be many things, but "flat" is certainly not one of them.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I liked Williams and Pomona best of the 4. Would have been thrilled with either.
Amherst and Swat didn't speak to me.
It's a vibe thing, I think. So your asking about vibes
Amherst was just so flat, boring, and ugly. I have no idea why you’d choose to go there.
Anonymous
03/07/2026 21:56
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Princeton is much better than all of these schools
For graduate work it obviously is. For undergraduate work there is nothing to point to that would indicate that it is better than any of the top 10 SLACS or top 20 universites. Princetons ranking is driven by its endowment and all of these schools have as much money as they need.
Anonymous
03/07/2026 21:21
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Anonymous wrote:Amherst and Pomona are exceptional schools, but Williams is in another class entirely - Williams on par with ivies, specifically Dartmouth and even Princeton
Well, Williams is easier to get into than Pomona (slightly higher admit rate, slightly lower average SAT). Is that what you mean by “another class entirely”? LOL.
Anonymous
03/07/2026 21:09
Subject: Williams, Amherst, Pomona: how are the different or the same in terms of rigor, styles of student who excel/best fit...
Princeton is much better than all of these schools