<p>I'm wondering if you have suggestions about how to determine whether Williams is the right school for my daughter. </p>
<p>We do know that Williams would be a perfect fit academically---she is strong in math, sciences and studio art, and she would flourish intellectually at Williams. She would love the tutorials and the active, stimulating classrooms discussions.</p>
<p>We're wondering about whether she would fit socially at Williams. She tends to be introverted and quiet socially, and is not a proactive, "mover and shaker"-type personality.</p>
<p>Strong thinker. Gets lost in books. Not the outgoing leader, not a sports person. Top of her class, brilliant, humble, unassuming, cheerful person. Quiet outside the classroom. </p>
<p>Your advice about how to best help our daughter sort out whether she would fit socially at Wiliams would be really helpful. Thanks.</p>
<p>Thoughtful, serious, quiet people are not uncommon at Williams. The first year entry arrangement helps get those who lean toward introversion into a ready made social group. Despite its reputation as a party school, my son said a majority of free time was spent socializing with friends in the common room. The Outing Club is another low key organization for non-sports oriented kids who want to experience Williams’ natural beauty.</p>
<p>If your daughter hasn’t done an overnight visit she should do so. Also she should be clear about her concerns on her housing request form. They really do try to match first years with similar personalities, either as roommates or in the same common room.</p>
<p>Momrath, you addressed my concerns perfectly. I’m so clear about the academic fit at Williams, if she gets in, of course, and you have really helped me know that the social fit could work equally well. </p>
<p>My son is that type a d made friends in the orchestra and theater. He loved spending hours in Hopkins Forest by himself, and he really enjoyed having a single all four years. OTOH, he loved his entry and did do many things with others. He also go a girlfriend so he was never isolated.</p>
<p>One thing you didn’t mention was Winter Study. I think this was a high point for S. he learned new things.</p>
<p>Williams has a reputation for smart jocks-- and there a lot of them. But they also beat out every Ivy but Harvard (and placed 10th in North America) in the Putnam–and most mathematicians aren’t the boisterous sort–usually.</p>
<p>Even shy kids have wonderful ways–low key–to make friends-- from their entryway to small classes. If someone is alone at Williams it is because that person has made a decision (consciously or not) to be that way–which will also be respected.</p>
<p>I remember the associate college chaplain who is also a Jewish cantor summed up Williams as a “place with soft elbows.” I think that such a place would be terrific and in which an introverted student would find a home-- it is a community that takes care of its members, not a loud and boisterous place that thrives in controversy (think the opposite of UCal Berkeley ).</p>
<p>I am also a little worried about the issue of fitting in at Williams.</p>
<p>I feel that since Williams is such a small-size, isolated school (i.e everyone hangs out on campus, so there is no getting away from your classmates, as opposed to a city school) that if you do not fit well socially and can’t make friends, you would be quite miserable for 4 years. </p>
<p>Williams is my top choice academically, but I think both your daughter and I will just have to attend the Previews to test the fit!</p>
<p>[Deciding between UChicago, Williams, and UPenn at the moment - all very different campus cultures! To give you some frame of reference, I am probably closest to the UChicago personality - intellectual, quirky, the anti-athlete. ]</p>
<p>My S had the same profile as you. He is now in grad school to be an art historian. His choices were also U of Chicago and Williams. He chose Williams and was very happy there. No athletics in his profile at all and little interest in drinking.</p>
<p>2200 kids isn’t like Marlboro with 300. Even in a school like Michigan with 40,000 students in the end a person hangs out with a handful of folks. You can find your handful at Williams…</p>
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