Where did she grow up? Where did she go to high school? I would encourage her to consider the one that is the most different from what she already knows so she can experience a new geography and environment…
@CaliMex we are in the city of Los Angeles but she is in boarding school at Midland in Los Olivos so she is accustomed to taking the subway on her own, loves NYC and has traveled by herself out of state multiple times so she is urban savvy and confident enough for NY but has spent the last four years hiking and backpacking almost weekly, and being surrounded by nature everyday which makes Williams feel like a natural extension to her HS life. Harvey Mudd is pretty local, a forty minute drive which is a huge plus for me, not so much her since it seems students rarely leave campus so we wouldn’t necessarily see her extra but probably more than if she was on the other side of the country.
I understand that dilemma. Many of my son’s friends headed off to larger urban schools, feeling like another small, tightly-knit secluded community would be four more years of “been there, done that”. My son, on the other hand, felt like the BS community had really worked well for him and that he had the rest of his life to live in an over-priced city (his words, not mine.) College does offer a relatively risk-free way to experience a different part of the country.
College counselor suggested making a pro list for each school. Good luck with the decision. All great choices but different. That is how I’m looking at S’s choices- they are all good programs but the path will be different.
@MA2012 yes, I think that’s really the hard part, choosing a path when they all sound great and exciting. And, at this age it is the first major life choice for them.
Harvey Mudd is very strong in Science and Engineering and is well known to produce many PhDs. I think in the East the corresponding school is Swarthmore (and Bryn Mawr.) All great choices =D> but very different (even women’s college in the mix) very difficult to choose! 
CameoKid and I were in Worcester Tuesday night and Wednesday for WPI’s Accepted Students Program. There were a lot of families visiting, from pretty much everywhere. So many adorably nerdy kids all in the same place! 
We were told that there were 10,500 applications this year. It feels like the school is becoming a better known/more popular choice. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my kid put herself out there and make connections with current students, faculty, and other visiting kids. She met up with a few people she’s connected with on the FB page and socialized in the dorm until late in the evening (but ultimately chose to sleep in the hotel, in an actual bed, rather than on the dorm room floor). Everyone we met, from the President to the dining hall staff, was so incredibly friendly and welcoming. My kid is SO excited and happy with her college choice, and can’t wait to start school in the fall. In a surprise decision, one of her close friends from home decided to commit to WPI that day… he had been leaning to another school, but was won over by the friendly community during the overnight visit program. And I went on a shopping spree at the school store… couldn’t resist the really cool swag with the adorable goat logo! 
So happy for CameoKid, @cameo43 !
Happy endings are terrific, @cameo43 . Love hearing about kids who are excited to have made the right match.
Love that story @cameo43 !!
@HailuMu, if your daughter still hasn’t made her decision yet, I thought I’d throw this in. My father-in-law was a physics professor (recently retired) at a large state university. When my son looked at Williams, my FIL spent some time looking into the physics curriculum there. He was actually quite surprised at how strong the department and offerings were (I think he had some bias that a LAC couldn’t possibly match up with a large university, when it comes to the sciences), and he said that if S decided he wanted to pursue physics, that Williams would be an excellent choice. And when we were at Middlebury’s revisit days last week, S spent a bit of time talking with the head of the physics department, who said (in perhaps an unguarded moment of candor), “well, obviously we can’t compete with Williams when it comes to physics.” Given that he hadn’t even mentioned Williams, I thought it was pretty interesting that out of nowhere she acknowledged that as the top LAC for physics.
She chose Williams! I asked her why and it all came down to fit. It’s where she sees herself. She listed a long set of reasons and as her mom I’m proud of her decision.
Thanks everyone for your input
HailuMu: Congrats to your daughter — and to you! Hopefully you will find as many excuses as you can to visit…I love that area of the country. Route 7 is a great road to explore, both North and South of Williams.
congratulations @HailuMu !!
Congratulations, @HailuMu! That would have been my choice of those if I were 18 again! (Not happening btw…)
Congratulations, @HailuMu! A purple cow is nearly as cool as a goat!
Congratulations @HailuMu ! <:-P
I LOVE Williams College. I still have my Williams staff ID from the years I worked at the Clark Art Institute. Such a great school and a nice town, gorgeous area. Big Congrats to your D, @HailuMu!!
@HailuMu Congrats
@soxmom where is you kid heading for? Please 2017 parents post where your kids are headed. Thanks