So I was admitted to both school and both are my top choices. Currently I am leaning more toward Williams because I would like to do a sport in college and D3 is less hardcore than D1. I also heard that the socioeconomic barrier between students is less apparent at Williams. There are also more social events that do not involved drinking at Williams so that is kinda good too.
Go to revisit days and talk to coaches. You may not be able to walk on to the team at Williams. They take their sports seriously and recruit! You may still prefer Williams, but it would not be good to let something drive the decision and find out that it wasn’t true.
These were my DS’s last two school choices, too. He’s a swimmer. He loved both schools and made the same decision you’re leaning towards – DIII sports rather than DI. I think it’s a sensible decision given that our kids will certainly not be professional athletes. My son is very serious about swimming, but he understands that the primary focus has to be on school. He’s thinking about law school eventually, and his GPA will ultimately determine the doors open to him. Also, as far as swimming goes, he’ll be something of a big fish in a smaller pond. Ivy swimming has gotten blisteringly fast. Also, Williams has a very strong swim program. Dartmouth does not. All of those things factored into his very difficult decision. But to each his own.
As for the campus vibe, I agree with your assessments. Both schools have rich kids, but the distinctions matter less at Williams where there are few places to spend money. Also the isolated campus seems to create a very close campus culture. That’s probably true at both schools, but I think most would readily concede that Williams is the more isolated campus. Bottom line is you can’t go wrong between these two magnificent colleges.
Ha ha. This poster will concede nothing. Both schools are in the middle of small towns. Williamstown is just shy of 8,000 last census; Hanover a bit over 11,000. There aren’t that many places to spend money in Hanover, although I’m sure you can in the nearby towns at WalMart and the strip malls. Actually, I guess we have to give Williams the nod on that score, given the number of other little towns around Hanover. Williams is closer to Albany (big city life, right?) and Springfield, and Dartmouth is only about 45 minutes closer to Boston. Don’t know what the transit options are from Williams, but I don’t think many kids at Dartmouth use the Dartmouth Coach to get out of town. D never noticed any distinctions at Dartmouth in terms of economics. If a kid came from money, it showed in what they brought with them – not what they spent in town. Heartily agree with @SwimDad99’s final comment and with @gardenstategal’s caution.
Is there anything at Dartmouth that I cannot find at Williams(non-academic factors)?
Nope, they are more similar than they are different. For my kid she felt the difference between 2k and 4k undergrads. She met a group of people at her admitted students days at Williams and Amherst and they committed to attending Dartmouth together. I actually love Williams and cried when she turned it down.But she bleeds green and had an amazing 4 years in Hanover.
She has her friends for life, they take a vacation together once a year, they were part of each other weddings, gone to the christening of kids and working out the logistics to come to reunion in June.
They have had some great post grad outcomes at law school, med school, public policy, teachers and school administrators, some having just left the the white house and 8 of her core group of friends went into consulting/IB then on to HBS (she says HBS likes them).
there is really no wrong choice. Visit both, find your people and you will be fine.
Fraternities and sororities.
Those numbers seem high to me. Yes, they are the official numbers for the “towns” of Williamstown and Hanover. But in New England, a “town” isn’t just an urbanized center; it typically includes surrounding rural areas as well. Both of these “towns” cover some 50 square miles.
For potential students, the more applicable figure might be the population of the CDP (“census-designated place”), which represents the “urban” (relatively speaking) center where the college is located. For 2010, those figures are 4,325 (Williamstown CDP) and 8,636 (Hanover CDP).
Neither is going to be confused with a major city. However, Hanover and the adjacent communities of Lebanon and White River Junction do form a regional “hub” that multiple counties in NH and VT revolve around. People come there for shopping, to work in the office parks, to get hospital and medical services, etc. The area is also a transportation hub; it’s located near the junction of two interstates and has a small regional airport.
Williamstown, in contrast, isn’t really a “hub” for anything. There is not much there other than the College and the Clark Art Institute. Furthermore, it is out of the way: miles off the interstate on two-lane roads, and not close to an airport. So Williamstown really does feel smaller and more isolated than Hanover.
- Starbucks
- First-run movies
- Parking meters
- Traffic lights
Just kidding about the traffic lights. Williamstown covers 50 square miles, so of course it has a traffic light. It’s within walking distance of the College too, so you can always check it out if you start to forget how they work. It has all of the colors.
Daughter also accepted at both Williams and Dartmouth. She attended both get acquainted events. Williams much smaller than D and lots of jocks. She selected D and graduated in 2014. Had an outstanding experience. Profs, academics, environment-you name it; just outstanding. Great summer internships too. Has made life long friends ; roomed with them in NYC after graduation. Has friends, connections in Boston, DC, NYC. Hanover is beautiful; D is intellectual Disneyworld. Can’t recommend D enough based on her overall experience.
I went to Williams and was aware of socio-economic differences rarely. I second what #Corbett says about frats and sororities. They haven’t been at Williams for decades. Hanover is at the crossroads of two states and two interstates. It feels busier - not cosmopolitan, but vibrant. And Dartmouth Hitchcock is one of the major medical centers in NE outside of Boston. Williamstown is more remote – or less busy, depending on your POV.