<p>I know these schools are very similar, but how many differences are there? If I were to be accepted into both (which I hope will happen 
) then I will have a tough time deciding. One major difference I know is that Williams is in its own town while Amherst is surrounded by more colleges. Any others?</p>
<p>You really need to visit them. My kid visited both, and he liked both very much. However he did come away with a vague sense of first-choice, second-choice. Some kids visit both and really like one and really don’t like the other. My kid liked both, but still could sort of feel out a slight preference – probably based on silly and temporal things, but I guess one reason is as good as another when choosing between two excellent LACs.</p>
<p>Pay attention to the academic departments that most interest you. They do have some differences there.</p>
<p>Amherst: Open curriculum.
Williams: Loose requirements in three areas.</p>
<p>Amherst: One dining hall.
Williams: Many dining halls open to all students.</p>
<p>Amherst: Themed housing.
Williams: No themed housing.</p>
<p>Amherst: Nice sized small town set in five-college consortium.
Williams: Tiny small town in a more isolated and more mountainous outdoor setting.</p>
<p>Amherst: Social science emphasis.
Williams: Arts (music and fine arts) and science emphasis.</p>
<p>I have tried to be objective here. My child goes to one of these schools. He knew immediately which one was for him. Most students do have a decided preference.</p>
<p>And of course, Amherst is more preppy…Kwu?</p>
<p>I believe Williams requires students to pass a swimming test to graduate. Williams also requires a certain number of PE credits, but they offer everything including sports like bowling.</p>
<p>Amherst has no PE req.</p>
<p>DS did hiking in the mountains for his PE credit.</p>
<p>Not so much about how Amherst and Williams are different, but the ways they are the same…</p>
<p>I found very odd and a little delightful that they both have campus maps that look like primitivist watercolor, a little Grandma Moses style. They both must have been done by the same artist. Very charming.</p>
<p>And both of them feature purple as a school color.</p>
<p>It feels a little conspiratorial ;)</p>
<p>I’ve never been to Williams but I’m quite familiar with Amherst. It’s a great school in a fantastic setting. Being right on a village green is really nice, and the town of Amherst has bookstores and restaurants that are fun, plus Northampton is a wonderful small city/large town and there are buses that run there all day and evening. It’s a great place to meet all kinds of people and the classes at Amherst itself can be wonderful.</p>
<p>'rent of 2: Well, I think each would be a little less fun without the other as the school you love to hate. A worthy rival is a lot of fun.</p>
<p>And by the way, Amherst stole the purple. I’d make a smiley face if I could. (See above.)</p>
<p>Williams got purple when Jennie Jerome (Winston Churchill’s mom as a young girl) cut up purple ribbons (all the ribbon store had) to show support for Williams in a game, hm, I think it was against Amherst.</p>
<p>Anyway, it’s the oldest college football rivalry in the country, and I think it’s all in good fun.</p>
<p>Although kids think they could be happy at one and not the other, I find that a bit hard to fathom, unless Williams isolation is too much to take. (Though No. Adams, a very lively little town with MassMOCA (contemporary arts museum) and several screen movie theater is very close. Still, not walking distance.)</p>
<p>Amherst was founded by Williams’ folk to be less isolated.</p>
<p>Endicott – agree with everything you said.</p>
<p>My favorite rivalry story: Amherst football team cut a bit A (for Amherst obviously) into the grass of Williams’ football stadium. The Williams team responded by cutting a B+ into Amherst’s.</p>
<p>Gotta love “smart jocks.”</p>
<p>Reminds me of the infamous Harvard-Yale game where the Engineers rigged a balloon to erupt out of the middle of the field during the half-time show with MIT blazoned on it…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Minor point. 
A vs. W is the oldest Division 111 rivalry and the fourth most played rivalry in all of college football. <a href=“http://www.williams.edu/home/focus/wms_amherst/[/url]”>http://www.williams.edu/home/focus/wms_amherst/</a></p>
<p>Harvard vs.Yale is the oldest rivalry. A vs. W-1884 H vs.Y-1875</p>
<p>Amherst vs Williams</p>
<p>Very simply: Iconoclastic behaviors vs Constructive thinking.</p>
<p>Generally, college is about rebellion and the overturning of tradition. Whereas Amherst prides itself on openness, Williams is tradition and value driven. We at Williams pride ourselves for our foundational respect and regard for history and continuity.</p>
<p>Our rivalries, though respected, are merely the ground of our competing dissension.</p>
<p>May the purple win the day and colors of our loved ones.</p>
<p>Pardon me but I have NO idea what your post means, Horseradish.</p>
<p>Linde:</p>
<p>Forget the post.</p>
<p>Postings are of no consequence.</p>
<p>Pursue your quest, regardless of whatever distractions are thrown your way.</p>
<p>Best wishes and AIM HIGH!</p>
<p>The schools are much more similar than they are different and most of the differences are atmospheric. They aren’t all that different, but they feel different when you’re there. People who are in the position to choose between the two schools usually can figure out which they prefer just by visiting them both. It’s very rare that you hear anyone say they had trouble deciding which one they prefer.</p>
<p>S’s preference was really visceral. And the dog and pony shows (both schools had fancy open houses the same day knowing the same people would be trotting around) just confirmed his feelings.</p>
<p>For me, the schools were kind of neck and neck, so it is very personal.</p>
<p>DS is now a junior and planning his senior curriculum and I have learned many things in the past few years that have shown me that he made the right choice for himself.</p>
<p>OTOH there were some problems that he probably wouldn’t have had at the other school.</p>
<p>Anyone lucky enough to be accepted into both can decide by sitting in a class. ED as well, and I’ve always found that reading the course catalog is an excellent way of understanding the pedagogy of a school.</p>
<p>Translating HorseRadish’s post: he is saying that Amherts’s model is more innovative, Williams more respecting of tradition.</p>
<p>Although this may superficially be the case, I haven’t found that true in terms of academics.</p>
<p>For example, in a course on Greek and Roman drama DS was permitted to hand in an entire music score in wrote in lieu of a paper, and he received a A. We have found the courses and teachers at Williams to be surprisingly creative and innovative as opposed to Barnard (where my D went to school) where the professors and approach was VERY academic.</p>
<p>Neither was better, and each suited the personality of the child who attended.</p>
<p>Here’s a couple Amherst things that are likely different at Williams, did some looking into it when D2 was looking to transfer someplace:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/amherst-college/402909-5-college-consortium.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/amherst-college/402909-5-college-consortium.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/amherst-college/617884-amherst-female-perspective.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/amherst-college/617884-amherst-female-perspective.html</a></p>