HELP! Williams vs Northwestern vs UNC Honors

Colleges and Universities A-Z Williams College
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<p>(Sorry if this ends up cross-posted to other forums, but I have been mulling over this for the past week and still have no idea how I'm gonna choose!)</p>

<p>A little about myself:
I'm a Floridian girl interested in the humanities, specifically English/CreativeWriting/PoliSci, in the hopes of becoming a writer. I don't know where that will lead (lawyer? journalist?), but I'm hoping that's what college is for. All 3 schools seem to have enormous school spirit and pride of their athletics even though sports isn't a big factor in my decision. I was already accepted at Tufts, UF honors, Sarah Lawrence, Occidental, Dickinson, but have narrowed it down to the three listed.</p>

<p>Here's the pros and cons I've made so far of each: </p>

<p>UNC-CH Honors
Pros- Strong English and Communications department, cheapest college of the 3, beautiful campus and weather, strong school spirit
Cons- No family in the state, huge class, would I feel like just a number? I know in the honors college you can take smaller classes though... Being an OOS might make it harder to fit in with NC kids who have all gone to high school together</p>

<p>Northwestern
Pros- Evanston is a cute town, but more importantly, CHICAGO. Hands down, best location. Strong English department, close to family
Cons- Greek emphasis...I can deal with the arctic tundra that is a Chicago winter, but unlike a smaller liberal arts college, it seems that it would be very hard for me to explore my interests like journalism outside my general arts and sciences school since all journalism opportunities seem dominated by Medill students. Also, I've heard rumors that a lot of the classes are huge and impersonal and that grad students take priority in research opportunities. </p>

<p>Williams- Though it is vastly smaller than the other two, Williams holds a special place in my heart. I love the idea of tutorials, strong English department, the built-in-friends that an entry offers, quirky traditions and the overall vibe of the place.
Cons- "you can make a big school small, but you can't make a small school big" ...I love rural nature as much as the next girl, but I've never been surrounded by it for 4 yrs. Would I go stir crazy? Is Boston easily accessible? I'm afraid of Williams being too much of an isolated bubble that will not prepare me for real life after college. Also, my dad seems to think that Williams not having a president yet is not a good sign. </p>

<p>What do you guys think?</p>

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<p>President Garfield</p>

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<p>All of your pros and cons for each are well-thought-out. There are some strong fiction writers on the faculty at Williams, in particular Jim Shepherd (Lawrence Raab is also a well-regarded poet). You might want to try to reach out to professord Shepherd to discuss your interests:</p>

<p>[James</a> R Shepard](<a href=“http://www.williams.edu/English/people/faculty/JShepard.htm]James”>http://www.williams.edu/English/people/faculty/JShepard.htm)</p>

<p>One other comment: the fact that Williams does not currently have a President is in no way a bad sign, not even remotely so. This level of national search always takes awhile (and it seems to be proceeding at a steady pace), and Morty just announced his departure a few months ago. You can rest assured that there are hundreds of VERY qualified applicants absolutely dying for this job, and whomever Williams ends up with will be one of the top educational administrators in the country. But, 2/3 odds you’ll be at a school that has either been (a) shaped by Morty or (b) will soon be, both very good things!</p>

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<p>I am a novelist. I would reconsider Sarah Lawrence. You will write the most there.</p>

<p>After that, I would choose Williams if creative writing is your desire.</p>

<p>For journalism, UNC and Northwestern are unsurpassed.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/commondata/2007-08/i.htm[/url]”>http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/commondata/2007-08/i.htm&lt;/a&gt;
75% of classes at Northwestern have less than 20 students.<br>
7% over 50
<3% over 100
Most of the huge ones (at most around 200 or so, not like 500-1000 in some bigger schools) are lower-level math, sciences, econ, psychology that people use for their premed or distro requirements.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all your informed and thoughtful help! I think I will go see Williams for myself and decide from there.</p>