<p>I'm applying for Williams in the fall, and I'm planning on majoring in the Classics, so I was wondering what the department is like at Williams? I looked at their website, and I think I would take the civilization route if I got in. I've taken three years of Latin, and will be taking AP Latin Vergil next year--would I get credit for that and be able to skip the intro language classes (not just at Williams, but other LACs like Bowdoin, Haverford, Claremont, etc.)? Any other info would be awesome. Thanks!</p>
<p>The younger faculty are Latinists, and by all accounts, mine included, they are warm, engaging, and brilliant. The senior Hellenists, not so much.</p>
<p>Yes, you could begin with advanced (400-level) Latin, if you want. It will be challenging, but perfectly possible.</p>
<p>Speaking of the senior Hellenists, if you are much interested in learning Greek, it might behoove you to look elsewhere, all things being equal. One professor in particular has earned some abysmal reviews. </p>
<p>Also: Similar LACs have classics departments with professors who are better published and more eminent in their field than those at Williams, for instance Swarthmore and Middlebury. </p>
<p>And: The classics department at Williams has a lot of easy money for students to use during the summer, for graduate school in classics and cognate disciplines, etc.</p>
<p>BTW, classics departments nearly anywhere are going to be small and cozy compared to those in other disciplines, so the comparative advantage of LACs over research institutions with regard to classics is minimal. Just something to think about.</p>
<p>I’m interested in Greek culture and history, not so much the language – Rome and Latin already own me, so it’s great that it seems I would learn alot from the Latinists 
400-level? Didn’t know I could skip that much.
I have considered Swarthmore and Middlebury (may apply to Midd), but Williams and other schools appeal to me more…
Summer funds sounds awesome! what do you mean by cognate disciplines?
I decided to go for LACs for the environment, not specifically for the major – I kinda wish classics departments were bigger in general, but whatever.
Thanks for replying! :)</p>
<p>I would agree that Swarthmore has been particularly strong in classics among the SLAC’s. Among universities, Princeton’s classics department has a high endowment and P. therefore looks very favorably at applicants with intended classics majors (read: a definite hook); however, you won’t get the undergraduate intensity/focus that top tier LAC’s offer.</p>