Recruited Athlete needing to decide between Cornell (D1) and Williams (D3). Undecided major but likely business or CS. Visited Williams but not Cornell. Please help share advice and experiences.
What did you think of Williams? When do you go to Cornell - which is much bigger.
Hopefully you’ll know the answer without asking.
When I visited Williams last summer, I really liked the campus and the school vibe. I also really like the Oxford tutorial system and the Winter study as well. I plan on visiting Cornell soon. While I understand that Cornell is bigger, it has a bigger reputation, especially internationally. In terms of deciding between the 2, aside from the academics I am also torn between D1 and D3 athletics.
First thing I thought of was D1 vs D3.
Are you international or planning to go abroad ? I wouldn’t worry about Williams rep.
When you visit Cornell - it’s gorgeous but eat there and see if its rep for great food is deserved.
I think after going to Cornell, you’ll know which fits. You are going to school, four years, day after day after day. Pick the right one, not your perception of reputation (which I’m not sure is correct btw).
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I agree that when you visit Cornell you will see that it’s campus is vastly different to Williams. My son is a student at Williams who just finished a summer internship at Cornell. He also roomed with a recruited athlete his first year. I’d be happy to connect you if you want more specific info that he might be able to help with.
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Williams is equally as reputable as Cornell. Both have very high freshman retention rates.
I think you have to focus on small vs large. These two schools are really different. Williams will have small classes right at the start and there is no guarantee you’ll get that at Cornell, at least not in the first year. Because Williams is small, you will get to know a lot of your classmates. That doesn’t mean you will know everyone though. My kid attended an LAC and there were people she didn’t know during her four years. At Cornell, there are obviously more people.
Both colleges will have plenty of great campus events, but the variety of events at Cornell might be bigger.
Also, consider location. Ithaca is a really nice college town with a couple of other colleges located there. It has plenty of restaurants, shopping, etc… Williamstown apparently is quite isolated.
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In addition to campus size and vibe, which are extremely different, I’d recommend talking to the coaches and teammates about the time commitment to your sport and the rigors of your intended major. Business is no joke at Cornell, nor is CS, and I would have some concern balancing either one with a D1 team commitment.
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As a recruited athlete, you really need to also see the team dynamic at each school. Are you planning recruiting visits this fall? You said you’ve visited Williams, but was it a visit with the coaches and team? Have you been offered admissions support at each?
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Congrats! You are being recruited by two truly outstanding schools. At this point you should focus on personal fit. Two reasonable individuals could make two different choices based on what they want for their college (and sports) experience.
Please make every effort to see both schools and spend time with both coaches. The best answer for you may well become clear.
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Does the student have full support offers from each coach? And would apply ED if they accept one of them?
Often recruited athletes are told what school/major they must apply to at Cornell, you don’t get to apply undeclared. If this is the case, does that school/major appeal? The student may or may not be able to change major or school at a later date, talk to the coach about that. Williams will be much more flexible with choosing and/or changing majors (assuming they have majors your S is interested in).
I agree that the vibe of these schools is different. Not saying the same student can’t like both, but they would have a different experience at each.
The athletic time commitment may or may not be different between the two, depends on the sport and coach. Is the student drawn to one of the teams more than the other…think teammates and coaches, but also level of competition, required travel, support personnel, etc.?
Thoughts @dadof4kids?
Don’t make your decision based on this. About 50% of Williams students take a tutorial class, the majority of those don’t take a second one.
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I would guess the time commitment would be different; I’m extrapolating from the fact that the NESCAC is much more restrictive than other D3 leagues in terms of preseason, lack of spring season (for a fall sport).
Both schools are great, only the student can decide which would be the best fit. Apply the broken leg test 
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My son did his undergraduate degree at Williams and his Masters at Cornell. Both were positive experiences, but as mentioned, quite different.
One major point of differentiation in undergrad culture is that Cornell is heavily invested in fraternities and sororities and Williams has none.
Both schools have sporty/outdoorsy opportunities; but Cornell’s focus is bigger and more intensely supported.
Both have some lovely scenery — with long snowy winters. Ithaca is a lively small to medium sized town. Williamstown is really a mountain village.
Plenty of Williams grads go into business, notably Finance; however Williams doesn’t have a business school or a business Major per se. Economics is a large and popular department at Williams.
Cornell’s CS program is one of the best in the country. Williams CS department is quite respectable for a small LAC, but does not offer the same depth and breadth as Cornell’s.
Name recognition can be a factor. Graduate school admissions and many employers know and respect Williams, but your relatives and neighbors may have never heard of it. Internationally, the Williams name is likely to get a blank stare.
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Tagging @dadof4kids who has a D1 athlete at an Ivy and a nonathlete at Amherst.
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We think alike, I tagged him above!
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thank you all so much for sharing your advice and experiences which I truly appreciate. To answer one of the questions, yes the coaches have offered admissions support in the major/ college I want. Super grateful for these opportunities but definitely a tough decision.
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Congrats on the two amazing offers! There is no right or wrong answer here so go with personal fit. And once you decide, never look back!
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I can’t imagine you will need any help from CC once you have visited both. Personally, I think the winters are drearier in Ithaca than they are in Western Massachusetts and you’re not goingto have that “Outdoor Life is Fun” feeling that you would get at a small college. But really I can’t imagine anything more different than DI and DIII athletics.
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I would do what others have mentioned and break this down by fit priorities:
- Academic
- Cost
- Setting
- Vibe
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The only thing I would add is to consider what you want from your college experience.
As an athlete, a good deal of your time and social interactions will be centered on your sport in either case. But at a D1 school, you may often feel that the sport must come before academics and that you will miss more classes, etc. At a D3 school, coaches are generally more accommodating of making concessions for academics.
I have no specific info regarding Williams or Cornell, so I defer to others on that. But my experience with athletes at other schools suggest that at D1 schools, one often feels like a full-time athlete/part-time student and that it is the opposite (or at least equal emphasis) at D3 schools.
What kind of academic experience do you want? That, plus the usual considerations of vibe/size, etc., should drive your decision.
Congratulations on the fabulous opportunities!!
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For the OP (a recruited athlete) I’d also add in sports – to include time commitment, how the OP meshes with the coach and potential teammates, etc.
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