Hi, I am considering applying ED to one of these three schools in the fall. I’m wondering how they compare as far as the premed cultures, although I’m not 100 percent sure that I will be premed. I also love math, stats, and Econ and am interested in exploring a variety of different subjects in college. I’m looking for a school that is not too pre-professional, and that encourages exploration and intellectual development just for the sake of the love of learning! I really like the tutorials at Williams, but I’m worried that Williams might be too small and isolated. Dartmouth is a little bigger, although still isolated somewhat, but I’m wondering about the drinking/Greek scene there and how dominant that scene is in their culture. I don’t really want a big Greek scene, and would like to go somewhere where I can be happy as an independent, and still have a fun social life that’s not centered around drinking and huge parties. That said, I really liked the residential colleges at Wash U and loved the friendly, inclusive vibe on campus there. Does anyone have experience at any of these three schools that would be helpful? Thanks. I do plan on visiting two of the three again in the fall.
All are excellent. It sounds like you like WashU the most (?), but remember that you can always apply to all 3 RD if you can’t decide. For Williams, you have to be ok with the ruralness and small size, and for Dartmouth, you have to be ok with the ruralness and campus culture. Those are distinctive attributes of those schools.
I can comment on Williams. Economics, math and statistics departments all are strong and very popular. The math department creates a community with its events.
The overall environment is intellectual. Friends have all sorts of cool conversations in the dorms and dining halls. So many people read for fun and talk about theories. It is a “life of the mind” kind of place.
It also is pre-professional in that, this summer following freshman year, whereas most of S’s high school friends are working in temporary non-career-goal-related jobs like construction or retail, many of his Williams college friends are in internships.
There are no frats at Williams. But there is a ton of drinking. I hear there also are plenty of people who go to parties with drinking but don’t drink themselves, as well as people who choose activities other than parties. You will be able to find like-minded friends and make whatever decisions you want for yourself about alcohol.
Its size and the freshman entry system create a strong community. There is so much “culture” on campus, plus arts in the area, and so much going on socially.
But it is absolutely a rural area, so the happiest kids will be those who appreciate the beauty of the purple mountains and are not looking for tons of shopping outlets or whatever else a city might provide.
Best of luck in your search!
To add onto @TheGreyKing’s response, premed at Williams is great too. High med school acceptance rate, and the most frequently attended med schools are Harvard, Columbia, and Penn. The premed advisor was the former dean of admissions for Brown’s med school.
To gain a sense with respect to the economics departments at your potential choices, you can read through these analyses:
I had a family member who was an economics major at Dartmouth. He got a great education. Interned in NYC. Plenty of job offers. He did often comment on the drinking culture at Dartmouth. It wasn’t his thing, and he found it hard to find a local scene that wasn’t centered around drinking. Just his experience.