<p>I got off the Williams wait list last friday.
Should I attend Williams for Its prestige and arguably superior staff, despite being accepted on the basis of Niche Filling, or should I follow my heart and go to a much lower ranked School Connecticut College and fit right in but not get as much financial aid and prestige, as I would at Williams? The answer Isn't clear for me because I am still very undecided about what my anticipated majors are. The reason Connecticut fits like a glove is It is strongest in the areas I would like to study but like I said I am not very sure I would want to study the majors I have mentioned. I don't want to reject Williams because I know what a great school it is and would still want to go despite the difficulty I would encounter fitting in( I am not very athletic, but I can be when I want to.) So should I risk Niche Filling at an awesome school or go to a school that leans towards my preferences even though I am still not sure what they are. I happen to love Mathematics and Physics, and running for example. But I also love studying Foreign Languages Such as French, Spanish, and Japanese, and I am infatuated with music.</p>
<p>Note. I have only visited Connecticut, and loved it, and plan on on visiting Williams but Williams says it is a bad time to visit.
Williams or Conn?</p>
<p>wow. congrats on getting into williams!</p>
<p>obviously williams is easily one of the best schools in the country. top notch everything. but its not for everyone. i'd recommend you visit williams before you decide. </p>
<p>conn is typically a 'safety' school for people who apply to williams and amherst- just about everyone i know who went to conn also applied to W and/or A (myself included). a lot of people would think you were crazy for even considering conn over williams, but its not like you're choosing between the #1 school and a 3rd rate school- conn would provide you with a fantastic education and opportunities. it would be similar to someone passing over harvard to attend a school like brandeis. except for schools like HYP, its really not uncommon for someone to prefer a lower ranked school over higher schools. </p>
<p>what is it about conn that you really like? what are your doubts about williams? it might be the comfort factor, since you visited, and you thought you would be matriculating (prior to williams decision). </p>
<p>but good for you for attempting to look past the usnews rankings. make a list of pros and cons of each. good luck!</p>
<p>huskem55, thanks for your thoughtful reply to my student. I think his concern in part stems from Williams' reputation as a "smart jock" school. He's smart, but not into sports. Plays several musical instruments, however. I steered him to a ConnCollege diversity weekend last fall - it was one of the last open deadlines after I began working with him. When he returned, he summed up his experience by saying "I didn't want to leave." Since then he's visited two other schools that accepted him, Occidental and Allegheny. A little turned off by the rah-rah frat scene at Allegheny - he's not what you would call a party animal.</p>
<p>A question: at ConnCollege, are freshmen housed separately, or with upperclassmen? (My own experience was at a "residential college" system at Rice that integrated frosh with everyone else.) And are there "thematic" dorms for ethnic minorities, or is diversity retained throughout student housing? As I make recommendations to my future students, I'd like to be sure that a school considers "diversity" as more than a buzzword.</p>
<p>If you have any further thoughts after reading this, I'm sure my student would appreciate them. He'll check the thread again this evening.</p>
<p>mathteacher, I think it would be wise for your student to visit Williams. I'm not exactly sure that the campus cultures would be similar between Allegheny and Williams.</p>
<p>diversity is DEFINITELY a huge thing at conn these days. they recently made an amendment to their mission statement (which is big) about diversity and preparing their students for a diverse and multicultural society. these themes play prominently through all aspects of conn life. </p>
<p>the dorms are all mixed- all years and ethnicities are together. there isnt an 'ethnic' dorm; the closest would be Knowlton, described as:</p>
<p>"the opportunity to learn about and explore many different cultures and languages in a cooperative environment. The success of Knowlton House relies upon each resident's participation. Students are responsible for organizing a cultural presentation. The dining hall, which is open to the entire campus, is divided into language sections and offers students the chance to practice their language skills in a sectional setting."</p>
<p>the multicultural clubs on campus provide some of the most popular events of the year to the entire college community.</p>
<p>Hopefully others can address diversity on the Williams board</p>
<p>I wonder if part of his concern that Williams is a "smart jock" school comes from a certain math teacher....</p>
<p>And I do hope that a certain math teacher is not telling his/her students that they are being accepted at colleges because of a college's need to fill a niche. Review of applications at places like Williams is holistic, and its totally bogus to speculate about why a particular individual is or is not accepted.</p>
<p>MikeyD223, my student's concerns are his own. Same with the niche filling concept - I heard it from him. I know Williams is more highly ranked academically, but otherwise I'm neutral in this matter. I just want my students to get the best education they can at a school where they can feel at home. And I have nothing against jocks; I was a swimmer in college.</p>
<p>This student went from having no SLAC's on his radar in October to being accepted at 8 of the 10 he applied to, so he's a little overwhelmed with having to decide, even after filtering out the schools with less money to offer. I'm just pleased that he has the choice. And I'm grateful for the information and advice offered by folks on this board.</p>
<p>BTW, I appreciate your post tonight on the Williams board.</p>
<p>My main suggestion would be to visit the college. It's unreasonable to make a choice like this without having even visited Williams. Information provided by anonymous posters who often have agendas is generally biased.</p>
<p>I wasn't challenging your stance on athletics. Rather, I was arguing that many people at Williams fit in quite nicely without participating in a sport.</p>
<p>im not expert, but my sister was not accepted into Tufts, her first choice. she ended up going to Conn and has loved it. from hearing about all of her good times i am tempted to apply and go to school with my sister. i'm not sure Williams is much better school, there are plenty of very smart kids at Conn. And trust me, Conn is not anywhere as athletic as Williams, it does not excelle in the athletics department, but has a nice gym.</p>