<p>From Williams! Williams was the first college I went to - do you mind me asking why you don’t like it? I’m curious because when I tell people I left I get looked at like I have two heads.</p>
<p>Is it weird that I got waitlisted at Barnard AND Columbia?</p>
<p>I actually liked Williams when I went there, but after a two year break I’m ready for something completely different. The idea of going back to freezing, middle-of-nowhere Williamstown is a lot less exciting than going to New York City, where I will have opportunities to try things other than just academics and drinking parties. I think Williams caters to a very specific type of person, which is who I was coming out of high school but not who I am anymore. I can definitely understand why you didn’t like it, Midnight Firefly. It’s a great school but it isn’t a good match for everyone.</p>
<p>I’m waitlisted, and I REALLY want to get off of it. Do you have any ideas of what I could do to try and get accepted?</p>
<p>kkd530, I was originally wait listed at Williams, but I REALLY wanted to go there over Stanford (which probably accepted me because I’m a legacy), so I found out the name of the admissions director (in Barnard’s case I think it’s Emily Livelli) and called the school and asked to speak to him personally. I told him how much I wanted to come to Williams and asked him if he expected to accept anyone off of the wait list. Of course he gave a non-committal answer but at least I demonstrated interest. Then I wrote him a letter reiterating how much I loved Williams and describing a few awards and achievements I had accrued since applying. I mailed, emailed AND faxed the letter (overkill? Who knows.) Two weeks later he called to say he had a spot for me. I think demonstrating interest (a LOT of interest) is crucial. Good luck!!! I hope to see you at Barnard next year!</p>
<p>yess I did haha </p>
<p>@barnardwoman wow after all that you are leaving williams lol</p>
<p>@barnardwoman I got in too but Im trying to decide between Barnard and Vanderbilt. How and why did you choose Barnard?</p>
<p>@mccoll Well, getting accepted to Barnard was a plus (my other schools wait listed me). But once I started researching the school carefully I started to get really excited. NYU is a huge draw - I’ve never lived there but I LOVE the city, so I figured where better to spend my last two years of college? The Columbia connection is important to me too, because it means a lot more opportunities, people to meet, and activities to try. I didn’t apply to Columbia because I’m still in love with the idea of going to a liberal arts school, but at Barnard you get the LAC experience minus the isolation, small library, and limited class selection. I also think I’m a good match for Barnard - writing the “I majored in unafraid” essay was kind of like writing an autobiography.</p>
<p>I don’t know too much about Vanderbilt, so it’s hard to compare. My dad went there but I’m sure it’s changed a lot since then. He says he liked it though.</p>
<p>@ellomeno Yeah, my parents think I’m nuts. I guess I am heh.</p>
<p>Did those who received admission as a transfer also receive decent financial aid?</p>