<p>I've recently started to look at LAC's. However, I've somehow gotten an impression that most asians tend to look at Universities (read: Ivies). After thorough research, I'm absolutely sure LAC's like Williams are pretty much on par with some of the Ivies. However, a main concern that I do have is that there will be close to ZERO asians on campus. This is not to say I only have asian friends- it's actually quite the opposite. However, I would feel a tad uncomfortable if I were one of the only asians on campus and the predominant majority were white. And overall, there are less asians at LAC's. Does anyone have any input on this? Is there any kind of racial cliques or such at Williams? Thanks!</p>
<p>The ethnic breakdown of the student body at any college or university is available from several sources, including the USNEWS college rankings edition and the college's own Common Data Set. The percentage of Asian American students at the top three LACs for the 2005/06 academic year was:</p>
<p>Williams: 9%
Amherst: 13%
Swarthmore: 15%</p>
<p>This is a pretty typical spread for the top universities in the northeast as well.</p>
<p>There are a few east coast schools with much higher percentages. Two that come to mind:</p>
<p>Wellesley: 27%
MIT: 27%</p>
<p>The percentages vary a bit by region of the country depending on the underlying population. Southern and midwestern schools tend to have lower Asian American percentages. California schools tend to have higher percentages.</p>
<p>Asian American enrollment peaked at Williams in 1994 (11%) and then fell back to 9% where it has held steady for the last eight years. There are many theories as to why Asian American enrollment is slightly lower at Williams. The concensus seems to be that Asian American students are simply less likely to fit the admissions profile, in part due to Williams' admissions emphasis on varsity sports.</p>
<p>The 9% figure refers to Asian Americans. When you add in Internationals something like one out of every 10 students would be Asian. The surrounding area, however, like most of rural America, is predominately white. </p>
<p>From my observation kids tend to form social groups among the people they live with during their first year and those they interact with in extra-curriculars, not along racial lines.</p>
<p>We don't have the whole picture as we don't know the racial breakdown of all applicants, but it appears that Williams accepts a higher percentage of Asians than the percentage that chooses to matriculate. As you say, they tend to go for more urban or more "prestigious" schools. I think this gives an advantage to Asian applicants, but for sure, fitting in with the campus culture is an important factor in admissions.</p>
<p>I'd suggest that you do an overnight and see for yourself.</p>
<p>One way to get quick and current figures on % of Asisn-American, Latinos, African-Americans, etc. is to go to <a href="http://www.collegeboard.com%5B/url%5D">www.collegeboard.com</a> and on the very top change the dot from "site" to "colleges" and type in any university/college you are interested and you will find the profile.</p>
<p>For Example, Williams's profile is:
Student Body
1st-year students:16% In-state students
84% Out-of-state students
52% Women
48% Men
1% American Indian/Alaskan Native
10% Asian/Pacific Islander
9% Black/Non-Hispanic
11% Hispanic
64% White/Non-Hispanic
6% Non-Resident Alien </p>
<p>Amherst's is:
Student Body
1st-year students:13% In-state students
87% Out-of-state students
52% Women
48% Men
<1% American Indian/Alaskan Native
10% Asian/Pacific Islander
10% Black/Non-Hispanic
6% Hispanic
45% White/Non-Hispanic
7% Non-Resident Alien
23% Race/ethnicity unreported </p>
<p>Princeton's is:
Student Body
1st-year students:16% In-state students
84% Out-of-state students
1% American Indian/Alaskan Native
13% Asian/Pacific Islander
10% Black/Non-Hispanic
7% Hispanic
60% White/Non-Hispanic
9% Non-Resident Alien </p>
<p>Just notice that for some schools, there is a % that is unreported....</p>