<p>I saw this thread from 2006 (<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/williams-college/155759-williams-environment.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/williams-college/155759-williams-environment.html</a>), and I wanted to know how much things have changed since its posting. I'm in a similar situation as that poster. My parents aren't that wealthy, I'm queer, I'm liberal, I like sports but I'm not really into the whole "jock" culture, I don't listen to the same music as a lot of people.I'm friends with all different types of people with varied interests, I just really don't want to "be stuck in the mountains for four years with people I cannot relate to". I know you can always find at least a small amount of people who "get" you. I just don't want to have to be friends with all the people who "hate everyone" in order to find community. I feel like that's close to what I found in my high school and though I love my friends, I'm not really looking for that kind of thing in College. Do you think these concerns are warranted?</p>
<p>Well I’m not sure what you mean exactly by “preppy” culture. A slight majority of students come from public schools now (if I’m thinking of the right statistic), there is a very active Queer Student Union and an administrator that deals particularly with gender/sexuality issues, the campus is very liberal (in the common political sense), and there are none of the stereotypical dumb jocks on campus. I come from a very non-preppy background and I can’t say that “preppiness” is an issue for me in meeting people.</p>
<p>At the same time, your concerns are warranted in the sense that there is a great variety of people. Of course you won’t enjoy everyone’s company (and you might find some people you just can’t stand). But students who isolate themselves into a clique out of cynicism towards everone else come off as snobby and anti-social. That’s not what going to a liberal arts college is about! At Williams, if you remain an open and friendly person, there are probably more opportunities to find community (e.g. you entry, clubs, sports, the dining hall, even some classes) than anywhere else I can think of.</p>
<p>S (Williams '11) did not find Williams to be an overly preppy environment. He was a slightly hippie public school kid who loved his time there and found a new career path he is now actively pursuing.</p>
<p>I think the only shocking thing about the number of “preppy students” at Williams may be their clothing, which is not really that shocking. If you are willing to dabble in the various groups of different people you describe, there should not be too many reasons as to why you couldn’t make great friends at Williams.</p>
<p>I imagine those “who hate everyone” are quite few at Williams – only because it is such an isolated place where community is such a strong tie to most, that if one were to distance himself or herself from everyone that sort of person would have to thrive on solitude.</p>
<p>As FoxboroPiper said, the Queer Student Union and a dean at the College are quite engaged with gender/sexuality issues on campus – as well as the Multicultural Center which will be renamed the Davis Center later this fall (next month!) That said, Williams does not have the same number of queer students as, say, Vassar College. But be assured that there are many support resources at Williams.</p>
<p>Yes. Yes, it is.</p>
<p>We visited Williams on Friday and preppy was not the vibe I picked up from the students I observed…</p>
<p>I hope you didn’t mean 10/5 bc it was Mountain Day and the College was away hiking on Mount Greylock. There may have been some students who didn’t go, but they wouldn’t be representative of the College.</p>
<p>Yes, we were there on Mountain Day early before most of the kids left. We saw the great set-up they had in front of Chapin Hall for lunch and saw a lot of the kids enjoying themselves on such a beautiful day.</p>
<p>A great school. Not just a good one. Lots of different students there including preppies, but so much more. A wonderful place.</p>