<p>Now that decisions are in, I would be curious to learn of the other schools in the decision set of those who have elected to attend Williams.</p>
<p>Conversely, if you did not chose Williams, where are you going in the fall?</p>
<p>Williams over Dartmouth, Duke, Amherst and Swarthmore. go EPHS</p>
<p>williams over bc, ucla, unc, usc...</p>
<p>worth considering waitlist at penn, u of chicago, or vanderbilt?</p>
<p>You're almost certainly going to get a higher quality education at Williams. Unless you're really gunning for Wharton or some specialized program, I would think it a mistake to choose Penn, Chicago, or Vandy over Williams.</p>
<p>I personally would choose Williams over Penn, Chicago, or Vandy in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>Depends: U. Chicago is arguable more intellectually intense if that's what you're looking for.</p>
<p>My S chose Williams over: UofC, Brown and Amherst. He is quite happy with his decision.</p>
<p>Intellectual atmosphere: Williams is more intellectual than it is given credit for. UofC has more trappings of intellectualism. It depends on what kind of intellectualism one is looking for.</p>
<p>I love UofC so no dis coming. UofC is about learning the vocab, the style, the past, the future, the jargon, the nomenclature, the great thinkers. All the things I wanted to know when I went to college. It's also about discoursing about them.</p>
<p>Williams seems more exploratory. S is getting support in crossing disciplines, forging his own thought paths.</p>
<p>Both valuable and suitable to different personalities.</p>
<p>The quarter vs. semester thing can only make a difference.</p>
<p>Williams is more laid back. Also a personality different.</p>
<p>I agree with the assessment of Chicago. I also found Dartmouth to be more exploratory in nature, my feeling is that most of the strong LACs and many of the Ivies are oriented this way. I have always preferred this type of intellectualism.</p>
<p>i think i already have williams over u chicago in my mind. penn and vandy were actually the two i was still thinking about. penn is ivy league-does that help?</p>
<p>"penn is ivy league-does that help?" </p>
<p>Help what? The only way that is going to affect you is if you're looking to play a sport at the D-I level instead of D-III level.</p>
<p>I would personally easily go to Williams over any of the three and would consider it the most selective of the four; so find it strange that it was your only acceptance among the four.</p>
<p>Though Penn is indeed Ivy League, do not let that make you think for even a moment that its reputation is more highly regarded or the opportunities it afford you greater than those of Williams. Although the layman may be more awed by Penn because it's in the Ivy League (this too is debatable, though, as the average person probably mistakes UPenn for Penn State), Williams almost certainly beats Penn where it matters-- elite employers, law schools, med schools, graduate schools, etc. </p>
<p>Moreover, I have a twin brother who currently attends U Penn. I don't want to speak for him or project, but from all that I can gather, I've had a more rewarding academic experience. The depth and intensity of courses at Williams seem stronger, and I know several professors very well outside the classroom, which is more than my brother can say. And in terms of housing opportunities...forget about it. Williams dorms are palaces compared to what Penn kids have to put up with.</p>
<p>Williams, Swarthmore and Amherst are in the same top educational tier as Harvard, Yale and Princeton (think of as LAC counterparts to the top Ivies). Penn and Vanderbilt are great schools, but not in the same league unless they have specific programs/locations that you are seeking.</p>
<p>definitely saw williams as superior in many regards (academics being prime concern) i actually turned down about 10+ other acceptances for it.
penn and vandy are basically still options though. i was told today that i was admitted to vandy. i kind of like the size there better but is vandy comparable academically for my interests?</p>
<p>You haven't told us what your interests are, but trust me when I say that regardless of what they may be, you'll get a better educational experience at Williams than at Vandy. The faculty quality and post-graduation opportunities will far outstrip anything you can get at Vandy.</p>
<p>sorry i didn't clarify that. i am looking for a solid liberal arts curriculum possibly majoring in poli sci (and maybe something with it). looking to go to law school so reputation of school with regards to that is also a consideration of mine. it seems now that vandy does not offer advantages in that area when compared to williams (i kind of preferred vandy for being a bit larger though). however, what about penn in that regard?</p>
<p>I;d choose between Penn and Williams on social life, both will get you into a top law school. Personally I would go to Williams.</p>
<p>If you want a solid liberal arts education, then Williams seems to be an automatic choice.</p>
<p>As for law school, you should realize that a school's academic reputation matters very little in the application process. The only real exceptions are HYPS, and even then, the boost that comes from having attended those schools is quite marginal. What really matters for law school are numbers. Contrary to other graduate/professional schools, the law school admissions process is very predictable. If you have an LSAT and a GPA above the medians for any given law school, then the conventional wisdom says you're a shoe in. This applies for virtually every law school in the country (Yale and perhaps Stanford being exceptions), regardless of your undergrad. A 3.8 GPA + 174 LSAT coming from Colorado State or from Dartmouth are both going to have equally good shots at law school.</p>
<p>^ from everything i've read, thats so true...and so disheartening</p>
<p>Why is that disheartening?</p>
<p>I heard that Williams is well regarded by law schools and that a 3.75 Williams gpa with a 175+ lsat is pretty strong for law schools except for YLS or SLS.</p>