<p>I know this thread has been done a miiillion and one times before, but I wanted people who could speak to my individual desires and needs as a student.</p>
<p>I have received early write acceptances from both Amherst and Williams. I want to be an architect, but I also enjoy studying obscure languages. Studying abroad is very important to me. I have a lot of really ecclectic interests, I assume that Amherst with the 5 college consortium would be better at providing these for me, but I don't know. I also know that Williams has stronger art history, and I am really attracted to the tutorial system.</p>
<p>I have lived near Amherst my whole life. I LOVE the town, and I am very close to my family. It would be wonderful to be able to see them every weekend, but I could see myself wanting to go somewhere new. I stayed for an overnight visit there, however, and enjoyed it very much. </p>
<p>I also visited the Williams campus today, but it was empty because of their Spring break. I won't have a chance to go back (I leave the country on April 10th and have to make a decision before then). Williamstown and the campus were undeniably gorgeous-I fell very in love. However, I could see myself going crazy after 4 years there. I hate winter sports, too. Also, the drive to Williamstown was not very safe or comfortable at all--lots of windy steep roads overlooking dangerous cliffs. It may seem ridiculous, but I'd be terrified to do it again. (Route 2, if anyone is familiar). </p>
<p>This may also seem like ridiculous criteria, but I have very strict dietary needs. I am a vegetarian and eat no refined sugar/very little refined grains. I'm sort of bratty about my dietary requirements. The Amherst area has a lot of health food places nearby for me, and I don't know if Williamstown does as well. It doesn't seem important, but it is to me.</p>
<p>Okay, basically, I am compleetely torn between the schools. Assuming both schools' aid packages are the same, please give me any information that could help me out here.</p>
<p>If you know the history of the 2 schools, you'd surely choose Williams. The Amherst guys split off from Williams, and never even felt secure enough with their manhood to pick a different college color (it's purple at both). Williams' alumni are far far more prominent: Steinbrenner, Bronfman, the guy who wrote the Graduate, William Bennett. Heck, they even won the Division III hoops championship a couple years back. How much more well-rounded could they get? Ok, they didn't have an alumnus who won the top all-around cowboy at the 2001 Calgary Stampede. Big f#$&ing deal!</p>
<p>I have cool parents, you guys. I'm one of those dorky teenagers who actually thinks my mom is the best person on earth. I don't have weird dependency issues (I've spent about 6 months of the past year out of the country, alone, and I'm about to go away alone for another 4 months) but I really do love the company of my family!</p>
<p>I would also go to Amherst and limit parental interaction. OR check out Dartmouth too, it's actually much more socially happening and it does manage to maintain the LAC feel amazing well. There is a huge non-frat world. I hear Williams gets old, Dartmouth didn't. And the food is pretty awesome, they even have a vegetarian-based dining hall (its kosher/ halal/ shakahara - the shakahara being vegan).</p>
<p>I would also go to Amherst and limit parental interaction. OR check out Dartmouth too, it's actually much more socially happening and it does manage to maintain the LAC feel amazing well. There is a huge non-frat world. I hear Williams gets old, Dartmouth didn't. And the food is pretty awesome.</p>
<p>Williamstown is crawling with health/organic food stores. Of the few stores it has, they mostly cater to the healthy types. The Ephorium on Spring St. focuses on to-go/health/organic food. Walking on Route 2 (I believe) toward North Adams you will come across several other health/organic super markets. Finally in regards to Williams dining, they are trying to diversify the kinds of healthy food they offer; they are buying more organic produce from local farms and beef & milk from local cattle/dairy farms. </p>
<p>No, I wasn't serious about Northeastern. I never even heard of anybody being serious about Northeastern until I came to this site and that one whacko mentions NE on every thread.</p>
<p>I'm a Midwesterner at heart, and grew up in little towns in Michigan and Illinois. My favorite uncle was a famous Williams coach for 25 years (even had part of a building named after him). He used to send my brother and me Williams sweatshirts and t-shirts that the trust-fund dorks there left on the floor of the locker room at that great old gym at the corner of Spring and whatever. So I grew up wearing Williams gear in hick towns in which nobody had never heard of Williams...except that the richest dude in one town (who owned everything) sent his kid to Williams, and HE ended up owning everything in town after the old man died. So it was like my own personal elitist curse...the only guy in town who appreciated my Williams connection was a guy whom I delivered newspapers to, but who otherwise whouldn't have crossed the street to pi$$ on me if I was on fire. Bottom line...if you want your kids to become fixated on a college, start buying them gear with that college's name on it as early as possible.</p>
<p>By the way, my uncle knew Steinbrenner well, and Steinbrenner sent tens of thousands of dollars to his old football coach for the best health care when the coach was dying. And Steinbrenner did it all covertly--he didn't care about getting credit for his generosity. </p>
<p>So I have no logical reason for disliking Amherst. I'm sure it's a great school...for those who can't get in Westfield State.</p>
<p>(There's a great scene in the old movie "Donovan's Reef" with John Wayne and Lee Marvin. They are out on some isolated Pacific island and there is a slick young Asian local who is clearly much smarter than everybody else on the island. And a one point he explains his mental superiority by saying something like, "Amherst, '37.")</p>
<p>Amherst. You like your family and you'd be closer to all the veggie options in the 5 College area. Choices for everything, not just food, will be limited in Williamstown. That isolated mountain campus would drive me crazy too.</p>
<p>btw: on a personal note, methinks that the 5 cc is a marketing gimmick, and benefits the other 4 much more than A. Why would you pay Amherst tuition to take a class at UMass?</p>
<p>UMass has a wealth of offerings that Amherst, being so tiny, can't provide, I think. I'm guessing I'll be taking a class or two at Smith and Mt. Holyoke if I go to Amherst, though.</p>
<p>Yeah go to Amherst. It seems to have a few more benefits than Williams, and a few less drawbacks for you. For a hardcore outdoors person its the other way around.</p>
<p>The folks at Williams, in general, really love being up in the mountains. Does this sound like you? Given that (1) you don't like winter sports, (2) you are terrified by Route 2, and (3) you could see yourself going crazy after four years there, maybe not.</p>