Could you help me answer some questions about Williams?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Williams College
1

Hi everyone, I’m a rising senior and had a few questions about Williams and were wondering if you could answer them. Thanks in advance.

What are the tutorials at Williams like? Are they in all classes?
What other colleges have the tutorials?
Is Williams strong in my areas of interest (physics, history, geology, linguistics)?
Is Williams’ social scene dominated by drinking (I’m a kid who prefers to just hang out with friends)
What colleges are similar to Williams but less selective?
How does Williams help student on the engineering track?
What other colleges offer winter study? Is winter study beneficial?
Has anyone ever got shut out of a class?

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bump

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Williams is very strong in physics, not sure about the rest but I assume they are above average. Look at the profs in each dept, their backgrounds and research focus and classes offered. Do that for all your schools.

Tutorials are intense, with only 2 students and one teacher. Admissions says that about 50% of students take one tutorial, most of those who do take one don’t take another. Not sure about other US schools that offer tutorials, Ohio U honors program used to, maybe St. Johns and New College as well.

There is prevalent binge drinking at many LACs. It is not difficult to attend parties and not drink though. Certainly there are students who hang in smaller groups at all schools.

Many of the schools on your other thread could fit the bill as similar, but less selective: Colgate, Grinnell, Kenyon, Sarah Lawrence.

Paging @TheGreyKing

4

IPEDS can show you the popularity of the various majors at Williams (and other colleges): https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Williams&s=all&id=168342#programs. Williams graduates a relatively high number of students (34) with majors from its excellent history department, for example.

With respect to physics, you can read articles about Williams’ Apker recipients, such as https://physics.williams.edu/articles/augenbraun-apker-winner/.

Regarding the study of linguistics, Williams’ absence of a major or concentration in this field may indicate that its courses in this area would be considerably less plentiful than at colleges with an available major/minor.

https://www.williams.edu/academics/areas-of-study/

5

@Diaz42

I believe tutorials are offered in all (or at least most) academic areas. Most involve written papers, but they can also be visual (i.e. art studio) or quantitative (i.e.math & physics). Satisfaction level can vary depending on how sympatico the 3 parties – one professor, two students – are. My son took a couple of tutorials which he enjoyed, but ultimately preferred the small seminar (6 to 10 students) format. This is probably more than you want to know, but it explains the tutorial concept and gives a idea of the range of topics: https://catalog.williams.edu/pdf/tut.pdf

My understanding is that Williams is the only US school that offers the Oxford model tutorial, though most academically rigorous schools (especially LACs) offer small seminar-style courses.

Yes, yes, yes and no. Physics is a small but excellent department. History is a liberal arts mainstay. Geosciences encompasses geology, mineralogy, oceanography and earth sciences. Williams mountain location is ideal for field work. Same goes for Environmental Studies. There is no linguistics major per se, but majors in several foreign languages are available. Williams encourages experimentation across disciplines. Double, even triple, majoring is common as are cross-disciplinary concentrations.

My son’s experience was that “hanging out with friends” pretty much defined Williams social scene, and the first year entry residential system provides a ready-made social group. No doubt some kids drink more than is good for them, but it’s much less widespread than rumored.

I think your other thread pretty much covered the range. I’d look at Colby, Grinnell, Wesleyan, Conn College, Skidmore, Kenyon.

Williams doesn’t offer engineering (except as a 3/2 program with Columbia). Graduate and professional school advising is excellent overall.

Winter study is a fun time to kick back with friends, enjoy snow sports and explore a topic outside of your comfort level. Last year’s course offerings: 
https://winterstudy.williams.edu/winter-study-2020/

It happens, but not to the extent that it impedes getting from A to B in your major. My son’s experience was that an appeal to the professor usually fixed the problem. If not, there were plenty of other desirable options. He said he could have easily filled up another 4 years with interesting courses.

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Wesleyan has an interdisciplinary major called, The College of Social Studies (CSS) that requires enrollees to take at least one individual tutorial with an assigned faculty member in order to complete the degree:
https://owaprod-pub.wesleyan.edu/reg/!wesmaps_page.html?stuid=&facid=NONE&tutorial_list=CSS&term=1209

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Wesleyan actually has lots and lots of tutorials in every department, even outside the CSS major. I don’t know why this isn’t shared more. These are the tutorials offered for the upcoming fall semester (click the ‘show tutorials’ box and then ‘list courses’ to search and see them all): https://owaprod-pub.wesleyan.edu/reg/!wesmaps_page.html?stuid=&facid=NONE&page=search&term=1209

Colby has a very popular January plan for winter study: https://www.colby.edu/januaryprogram/

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@mominwashington wrote:

I was wondering the same thing!

It’s not played up the way it is at Williams, but I can remember having a tutorial nearly 50 years ago, with the late Joe Reed (who passed away only recently.) I’m assuming it was under the English department, but it’s the nature of Wesleyan that it could have been under American Studies or Film Studies just as legitimately. Reed’s courses, especially, were frequently cross-listed.

I’m glad to know they’re still around!

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Carleton should be included in this discussion, as should Vassar, which accepts ~33% of its male applicants.

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OP asked:

“[Which] colleges are similiar to Williams, but less selective?”

Answer: Applying ED to Williams College. ( Williams College’s ED admit rate is dramatically higher than its RD admit rate, although many ED applicants are preferred athletes and legacies.)

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According to the Fiske Guide To Colleges 2020:

Overlaps for Williams College:

Amherst, Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, Middlebury, Princeton, Stanford.

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OP: If you want to attend an LAC, then apply ED in order to enhance your odds of admission.

Williams College
Bowdoin College
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Carleton College
Amherst College
Pomona College
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Bates College
Colby College
Colgate University
Middlebury College
Vassar College
Wesleyan University

If you want to avoid drinking / substance use, then Pomona College, Davidson College, Haverford College are my best guesses.

Tough to avoid drinking parties at small, rural LACs. If you are a disciplined athlete who can tolerate being alone or in a very tiny group, then you can make your own fun. It is really about self-disciplins & confidence.

Colby College in Maine has new athletic facilities.

But, I am not going to lie to you, at most LACs social activities tend to revolve around drinking.

This is a reason that I like larger schools in warm weather climates or those located near an urban area = more people with different interests & more variety of social & athletic events. Again, it is about self-discipline & confidence, but also about increasing the odds of alternative activities.

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Outside of the 8 Ivy League schools, you should consider Northwestern University, Duke, Michigan, Virginia, Stanford, MIT. Vanderbilt & Rice as well. University of Washington is a serious school. University of Chicago.

As a safety school, consider the University of Pittsburgh. Lots of scholarship merit awards.

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Though the below survey-based rankings cannot indicate more than a relative position in the case of Williams, note that it does not appear on either of the Princeton Review lists related to high alcohol consumption:

https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=lots-beer

https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=lots-hard-liquor

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Thanks everyone for your responses!

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How do you find the male acceptance rate for a school?

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I’ve been thinking of everything I want in a college and it seems like Pomona is really great. Are more religious LACs like Holy Cross less drinking than others?

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For a central resource, visit IPEDS, select a school of interest (e.g., https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Vassar&s=all&id=197133#admsns) and select “ADMISSIONS.” For slightly more recent information, visit individual college sites, then combine sources to infer missing data.

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With respect to this, I would be more inclined to compare HC to other Patriot League LACs, such as Lafayette, than to other religiously based LACs specifically.

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The only connection–even though I am Catholic–that I have with Holy Cross are friends who attended & always knew that they would become physicians. They loved Holy Cross but were determined to get into medical school. Somewhere along the way, however, my friends did learn to like the taste of a Mimosa or two. But they also work hard & make wages expected for medical professionals.

Lafayette, Lehigh & Bucknell & Colgate probably have more drinking than does Holy Cross.

Truthfully, if you want to avoid drinking, elite National Universities offer more alternative activities. But it is an individual choice. Just easier to avoid at some schools than others.