<p>Makes sense, except that the Williams student body is a little whiter, a little wealthier, and a little more private schooled than either Amherst or Swarthmore. Not much and I'm not trying to attribute less effort. Just that I don't think that's the explanation.</p>
<p>The only real striking statistical difference in the three schools is the percentage of students on a varsity athletic team:</p>
<p>Williams: men 39%, women 27%
Amherst: men 32%, women 24%
Swarthmore: men 22%, women 21%</p>
<p>I suspect the difference lies entirely with the lower-band athletic recruits, especially on the high-profile men's teams.</p>