Congrats on Williams!! That’s a much more Oxford-adjacent experience academically, and has nice outdoor recreation options too!
When my daughter was researching study abroad options, the Oxford semester had a higher GPA cutoff than any other program. (But it wasn’t ridiculously high - it was just that most others were more in the low-bar “good standing” range, whereas Oxford only takes A-/B+ and above type students.) Going to Williams and aiming for the Oxford program could be a best-of-all worlds option for you. I personally can’t see why Colorado College would still be in the running now - great school when it’s a fit, but I’m not hearing reasons why you’d choose it over Williams if you go with a US LAC… assuming the aid packages are likely to be equally generous.
Congratulations! Indeed, Williams may offer the best of both worlds for you…
From what my kids told me, the US-Oxford study abroad programs are generally less demanding academically, so students will have more time for cross-cultural experiences and explorations… It can be an ideal setup…
By the way, I do just want to say that if Colorado College appeals to you most, you can still choose it! Just because Williams and Oxford said yes to you doesn’t mean you have to say yes to them. A high school classmate of mine who was “the total package” (excellent student, state level sports competitor, leadership, plus a quirky and deeply invested EC done independently) chose CC and thrived there. Now very successful with an offbeat career of their own creation. This person wasn’t much interested in prestige or tradition, but wanted a strong education in a flexible setting, and CC provided that. Their sibling went T5 for undergrad and T5 for professional school, but the kid who went to CC is the one with the richer life IMHO.
Congratulations on your admission to Williams. As others have mentioned, Williams has a unique tutorial program that’s adapted from Oxford. Tutorials are classes of two students and a professor and are offered in many departments. There are tutorials specifically meant for first-year students, so you could take a tutorial every semester. My D has several friends who have taken them, and she plans to enroll in at least one tutorial before she graduates. Tutorials – Academics
There’s lots of information about the Williams at Oxford program (including a video of last year’s info session) here: https://exeter.williams.edu/
The program has a pretty active Instagram account that you might find helpful, too https://www.instagram.com/ephsatoxford/
And while the Berkshires and Green Mountains aren’t exactly the Rockies, outdoors activites abound. The Williams Outing Club has lots of activities from sunrise hikes to snowshoeing to rock climbing and more. https://www.instagram.com/wocstagram/
Great post and so helpful for a student considering Oxford. I especially liked the sense that she was developing in a way she did not think was possible.