<p>Not intended to be negative in asking this question, "Is the Campus Culture so Sports-Oriented that Non-Athletes Feel "Outside" Community?"</p>
<p>Trying to get at the degree to which the social life for most students revolves around sports, & if a student who doesn't really have interest in sports--as a player or spectator--would fit in.</p>
<p>of course, she could always find a niche at any school, but i'm wondering the degree to which the sports culture permeates the campus & whether the non-athletes feel a bit on the outside.</p>
<p>my dau is very interested in environmental sustainability, & is passionate about science & studio art. </p>
<p>She's not preppy or sophisticated about fashion, but rather is kid who usually has her hair in a pony tail, wouldn't even know how to apply no make-up, wears comfortable REI-type clothes, & is somewhat socially introverted so not exactly a party person, either.</p>
<p>She would absolutely fit at Williams intellectually & academically, & would love the tutorials, the closer relationships with faculty, environmental clubs, & the entry system.</p>
<p>we're just not sure if she would fit at Williams socially, & would love to have insights from you. </p>
<p>Autumn, My son is a graduate of Williams, majored in art studio/art history. He wasn’t involved in team sports – either as a player or a spectator – except on a friendly, occasional basis. He was, however, active in the outdoorsy activities that Williams mountain environment encourages, like hiking, backpacking, snow related activities.</p>
<p>I would say (as a general statement) that Williams kids are not necessarily organized sports-nuts but they are physically active and like to get out there and do something, like broomball with your entry or midnight tobogganing. Williams Outing Club sponsors all kinds of environmentally friendly activities that take full advantage of Williams close relationship to nature.</p>
<p>I would add that Williams has a terrific art department, both studio and history that includes hands-on museum access. Double majors like art+science are fairly common.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s athletic but not at the expense of intelligence and engagement in other pursuits. She will find others who share her interests. As at any school, she will need to make an effort to join groups related to those interests. The entry system can be helpful in drawing out the somewhat introverted students who might find the beginning of freshman year a bit daunting socially. My daughter has attended athletic events here and there (mostly if friends were involved) but it’s low-key. This isn’t Penn State.</p>
<p>Williams is academically outstanding, the students are extremely bright and the curriculum rigorous. The school has few peers. The athletic culture (for better or worse) is, however, dominant. This can be positive, leading to a vibrant school spirit, loyal alumni network, etc. If a student is not a varsity athlete (or in the theater crowd), on the other hand, it is possible to feel a bit socially marginalized. The lack of frats means that the athletic culture permeates the campus (rather than being compartmentalized). Parties are thrown by teams, certain study/dining areas are monopolized by teams. If this is a concern, and a student is bright enought to be accepted to Willliams, then that student should also seriously consider Swarthmore, e.g., where sports exist, but the overall campus attitude toward athletics is a bit more apathetic, and the sports scene is not overarching.</p>
<p>That is the picture of the typical Williams student. D has not put on make up since starting college at Williams and typically wears leggings and fleece most of the time. She does play a sport but her social life revolves around the community at Williams, not her sport. Williams students are fit, but as someone mentioned, not focused on organized sports at the expense of intellectual engagement.</p>
<p>Is needing to be on a varsity team for social life even more important for guys? seems like an even higher percent of guys compared to girls are on a team and I wonder if guys not on teams there have trouble with social life/opportunities with girls, etc.</p>
<p>My D is not going to be a varsity athlete in any sport. She is a decent–not great–basketball player, though not playing for her high school team this year.</p>
<p>Are there intramural or club teams that she might be a part of?</p>
<p>if so, are they competetive in terms of making the team? can you just sign up to play?</p>
<p>I disagree that being on a team is a “social ticket.” There are plenty of non-sports related activities to be involved with. In addition, anyone can walk-on for crew, cross country, track, rugby etc. without fears of being cut. Yes, there is an active intramural system. Only half the campus is involved with a intramural or varsity sport.</p>
<p>From what my son has told me, I would agree that the athletic culture is dominant, but I would define athletic as active, sporty, outdoorsy, physically fit – not necessarily team-driven. I never had the impression that students who were not team members were marginalized in any way, or that teams “monopolized” any campus facilities.</p>
<p>LACs generally have 20+ varsity teams, mens and womens, so this automatically adds up to a disproporately large percentage of a small student body at all LACs, even at un-sporty schools like Swarthmore or Haverford. The difference is in how seriously the college takes varsity sports (at Williams, very) and in what kids tend to do when they’re not studying (at Williams often something physically active).</p>
<p>My son was part of several overlapping social circles – his entry, his academic major, his formal extracurriculars, his informal extracurriculars, his fellow JAs. At the end of the day, it’s a small school and there are no barriers to participation in campus activities.</p>
<p>There are lots of casual unstructured opportunities to participate in team or individual sports – club, intramural or just a bunch of kids who decide at midnight that it’s time to play soccer or have a snowball fight.</p>
<p>Haverford has roughly the same percentage of students participating in varsity sports as Williams, but the athletic spirit is less dominant (perhaps the Quaker tradition): Williams is clearly more of an athletic powerhouse.</p>
<p>Many, many Williams students aren’t into sports. Social life often revolves around sports teams, but parties are open and generally welcoming. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s an academic school first and foremost.</p>
<p>Yes, that’s the point: all small LACs have 20+ athletic teams (though some have dropped football). That adds up to a fixed number of varsity athletes which divided by the total number of students can result in a fairly high percentage at ANY LAC. </p>
<p>The difference is in the overall ambiance: Do they win, do they get the top recruits, do the student body, the administration and alums support the teams, does the typical student participate in sporty-active-outdoorsy actitivities? At Williams, the answer to all of these questions is yes. At other LACs, maybe yes and no.</p>
<h2>Momrath (I think) was alluding to this but I think it’s helpful to make a clear distinction between “athletic culture” and “jock culture” regarding this discussion.</h2>
<p>Regarding % varsity athletes and how it may affect campus culture, Haverford’s as Williams’ is relatively high. It should be pointed out that the vast majority of HC’s are on the track/cross country team and there is a varsity cricket team as well. As HC does not have a football or ice hockey team as WC, I do not know how these teams traditionally impact the social culture on a college campus.</p>
<p>I am relieved to hear that sports is not a “social ticket.” OR IS IT? Please explain. In such a rigorous academic environment–so intellectual? I guess there are laxbros everywhere, but as long as they don’t dominate… I am surprised by the Dad2 and gtalum posts. What if you are not physically fit or outdoorsy, just want to learn, love music, books, good times and friends, and maybe…frisbee…ping pong? Seriously, I don’t want a repeat of high school where there are athletic cliques that are more socially valued. Should I just apply to Swarthmore instead? (lol) I HOPE NOT. Thee impression I got on my tour of Williams–The admissions director seemed very cool and the students seemed smart and interesting and diverse. Loved the idea of the tutorials. Please advise, apps are due soon…</p>
<p>Whoops, I mean gtalum, your post was encouraging after dad2’s. Still, the question is, “can a (kinda smart, friendly) physical dork be happy at Williams College?”</p>
<p>readyforit - I am not a student, but I have visited and I know several kids there who are non-athletes. They love it there and seem to have no problems having an active social life. I know that my daughter has athlete and non-athlete friends. There are a lot of non-sports related and casual sports related things to be involved with. In fact, the students not in sports probably have a more active social life as they get to “hang out” more which D, being in a sport, misses terribly.</p>
<p>First to answer the question: Yes, you can be happy at Williams if you are not a team athlete. You may find, however, that your entry mates drag you out of your room at midnight for a broomball game or snowball fight, so you have to be a good sport.</p>
<p>Second, No, I wouldn’t call Williams a jock culture. Smart, talented, athletes and smart, talented active kids. Frisbe and pingpong qualify as active activities.</p>
<p>Third, Sports connections can be a social ticket but they’re certainly not the only one. Each person may have several overlapping circles of friends – your entry, your academic major, your interests, your clubs and organizations. There is no shortage of things to do.</p>
<p>Fourth, the ancilary to an active culture is that the kids generally pay attention to health, wellness, fitness. They eat well and get some kind of exercise. I consider this a plus: the best antidote to the academic pressure.</p>