<p>Hey, I think the world of Amherst and Williams. And if I were to choose today, I’d probably choose Williams.</p>
<p>But to say that Amherst is so much more prestigous than Middlebury that it should override an individual’s personal preference for one of these schools over the other is silly. I’d encourage a kid to go to Harvard instead of UMass based on prestige, but to go to Amherst over Middlebury on that basis? Ridiculous. </p>
<p>Amherst is hardly “famous”. To be honest, all three of these LACs are obscure in the big picture. If you want to go to a school with a big reputation, go to Harvard. Or if you want to go to school that everyone has heard off, go to Harvard (or Notre Dame). If you want to go to a school that will provide you with a first class undergraduate education any three of these LACs will do the job. </p>
<p>A student’s options after college will be WAY more affected by what he or she did while at the school than by which of the three he or she attended.</p>
<p>***Amherst is hardly “famous”. To be honest, all three of these LACs are obscure in the big picture. If you want to go to a school with a big reputation, go to Harvard. ***</p>
<p>Middlebury is every bit as good. I lived in Upstate NY very close to Williams(about 45mins away) and the Middlebury name was every bit as big there as the Williams name. Both are great school and have the same kind of reputation.</p>
<p>You really should go to the one that you feel has the best fit for what your needs are.</p>
<p>Middlebury, Williams, and Amherst represent some of the finest that the NE has to offer just as Carleton, Grinnell and Oberlin would represent the mid-west best followed by Pomona, Claremont Mckenna in the West etc…</p>
<p>d’smom makes the best point. Fortunately, there really is no “best” school, or maybe even “best” fit. I’m hoping that DS could be happy and successful on several of these LAC campuses. Here in the South when I mention that DS is looking at Williams and Middlebury MOST don’t know where they are! And these are well-educated people; just not as familiar with LACs. I am thrilled that there are SO many GREAT schools. If you are just looking for prestige then you’ll be chasing an elusive target.</p>
<p>Top northeastern LACs aren’t on very many people’s radar screens here in the Midwest, either. Except for a few Northeast transplants and some doctors, lawyers, and college professors who themselves come out of pretty elite academic backgrounds, you’re likely to draw a blank stare if you mention a school like Williams, Amherst, or Middlebury. The quickest explanation that people connect with: “It’s a really good small liberal arts college, similar to Carleton.” Not that everyone in these parts knows Carleton, either, but for those who do it gives them a point of reference. The names of the schools don’t carry much weight in themselves.</p>
<p>Harvard, Yale, Princeton, to a lesser extent Columbia—those names ring bells. But even some of the Ivies—Brown, Dartmouth, Penn—are likely to draw the same blank stare as Williams. Cornell is a little better known because they’re sometimes good in hockey.</p>
<p>There’s a difference between being at an all time high and being at the top. One implies room to grow, the other does not. Surely they teach you such things at Amherst? </p>
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<p>Well Amherst dropped this year, and it was “pretty” for Middlebury.</p>
<p>I was taught a drop means there’s room to grow back. All time high means it will go down. Expect a PA correction for Middlebury in the future. ;-)<br>
You got it slightly backward. See, different schools teach different things.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone who is aware of Amherst/Williams will not be aware of Middlebury, all being good LACs. No one will think they are FAR MORE prestigous…</p>
<p>An all time high doesn’t mean it will go down. Quite the contrary–it means that it’s reaching new heights. When the S&P hits an all time high, it still has room to go higher. When you’re ranked number one, you can’t be ranked higher than that. Odds are that you’ll eventually be number 2, as Amherst demonstrated this year.</p>
<p>The good news for Amherst is they now have room to improve. Middlebury has been on an upward trajectory and still has 3 spots to go ;-)</p>
<p>Fine. In the same manner that Yale is more prestigious than Columbia.</p>
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<p>Sure. I define it in the same way that you would likely define it–a school well-respected in academia, by both older and younger professionals. Respect earned over a cumulative and consistent history of success manifested in those attending, and graduates of, the institution.</p>
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<p>Except the OP was asking specifically about prestige, not repute. Perhaps he or she cannot distinguish between the two. If we’re talking about general name recognition, all LACs lose the game, yes.</p>
Yes, but the sky is the limit for S&P. Same thing can’t be said about PA. ;-).
There will be correction on the PA thing for Middlebury next year. Just you wait. </p>
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But everyone knows Amherst = Williams regardless of what US News said. </p>
<p>I must’ve missed anything like that advice in the preceding posts. I disagree that AW are significantly more prestigious than M anymore, but kwu’s remarks overall are balanced.</p>
<p>The social history of American colleges is interesting. There have been big changes in attitudes about colleges and class in the past few decades. I think it’s a good thing for all these schools if a smart kid can seriously consider which one works best for his or her needs, without getting too worked up over which is more “prestigious.”</p>
<p>From every aspect, you compare Middlebury to Amherst/Williams, just like you compare Dartmouth to Harvard/Yale.</p>
<p>Of course, A and W are the most prestigious colleges for undergraduate education, even Harvard took Amherst as a model when they discussed how to improve their undergraduate education in 2007. Yes, they are not well known by the general public, but Ohio State is the most well known, can you claim Ohio State is a prestigious school? </p>
<p>By the way, I am not a student from A or W.</p>
<p>^Actually, I’d say that AWS–Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore–are the HYP equivalents in the LAC world. And not only because the acronyms match up neatly in threes; in some academic respects, Swat beats out both A and W.</p>