<p>nceph - I am an Amherst student who last year made the decision of Amherst over Williams. I would never universally recommend the decision to everyone (though I feel it has been absolutely right for me), and I definitely don't think that, from the many students I know at Amherst and the half dozen I know well from Williams (and the other dozen whom I've spoken to briefly), it would be easy to make across the board generalizations about how Amherst students are this and Williams students are that. I do hope that your son will get a chance to visit during the school year and see what both schools are like.</p>
<p>(Amherst does have a pretty liberal environment, but I don't know how this compares to more secular New England schools.)</p>
<p>Good luck to your son. :)</p>