“Williams or Amherst?” That should be the title of this thread.
@duhherro your first decision is UC B/UCLA vs Amherst/williams - large classes vs small classes - little individual attention vs lots of individual attention. Williams and amherst are in very different surroundings and amherst doesn’t have general ed. requirements. The bigger decision is University of California vs LAC… Amherst also has a very long winter break - before christmas through most of January
More about Williams , there is one of the top Math REU’s over the summer, known as SMALL, if you are thinking of pure or applied math research, and Williams students are favored for this program.
https://math.williams.edu/small/
Also, Williams College has fantastic connections to Wall Street/management consulting/banking positions. . Williams just shines for their alumni network, but Amherst does
have the bigger more active community with great busing between all the LACs in Central MA.
Williamstown. It really is very isolated and small,but this leads to a very tight knit student body. Also January periods can be used to travel abroad and/or do research or just stay home and relax in California.
Williams is the kind of school thats hard to turn down, because you will get one on one mentoring in math and computer sciences.
Berkeley is a place where some students thrive but some do get lost. Berkeley as a city, is getting tarnished by increased crime and homelessness. But, for the right student, who can self advocate, Berkeley is a fantastic experience, with a much bigger social life than an LAC, and actual top notch research university, with mathematicians and computer scientists, Lawrence Berkeley Labs for CS/applied math research, and just a lot going on, in an urban area. You will meet PhD students at Berkeley who can help guide you to your next steps. You get to meet a bigger variety of students and be involved in many different academic and extracurricular activities.
Hello everyone. Sorry I haven’t had the chance to reply to everyone, but I definitely read everyone’s feedback. I visited both Amherst College and Williams College, and I liked Williams Previews so much better. However, I am quite worried if this is an accurate representation of the school. At the moment, I am leaning towards Williams College, but I still am hesitant to turn down the opportunity to attend Amherst College and the wonderful opportunities it provides. Can anyone provide more insight on these two schools? Thanks so much guys. It seems weird to take the opinions of strangers online into consideration, but you guys have been wonderfully helpful!!
Digging out the popcorn popper right now. 
Two great options! I really think there is no wrong choice here.
Your reaction based on previews is as valid a way to choose as is anything else. The colleges are so similar in so many respects that it may come down to a “feeling,” and that is okay!
I listed everything I see as an advantage of Williams in my post above. (post #6)
Advantages of Amherst are that it is in a more lively location, it has the five-college consortium which is nice because it expands your course options and social options, and, best of all, it has the open curriculum.
I am a Williams fan, but Amherst is its equal in every way.
Try this exercise. Imagine picking Williams. Think how you feel about picking Williams and saying goodbye to Amherst. Sit with that idea for maybe 15-20 minutes. Then, do the reverse, picking Amherst and saying goodbye to Williams. Which college were you more pleased to go to and/or more disappointed not to go to? Pick that one.
Then, do not look back. There is no need to. Either way, you will be in for a great college experience at one of the best small liberal arts colleges in the nation!
My feeling on accepted students days and similar opportunities such as overnights is that if you don’t listen to your impressions, then these visits could have been skipped. To be clear, then, I think you should place at least some weight on your recent experiences at these schools.
You guys are definitely right. I think I’ll be committing to Williams!!!
Congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful college experience!