Lafayette College as a safety

<p>I concur with a lot of points here:</p>

<p>No contest between Williams and any other LAC for art history. (Between Williams and a major university is a tough one. Depends on the style of education and environment you’re looking for.)</p>

<p>To add to Driver’s comment, there are THREE major museums in the Williamstown area, The Clark, The Williams College Museum on campus and MassMoCA in nearby North Adams. Although we’re pretty knowledgeable about museums, we had never even heard of MassMoCA and it was a pleasant surprise. It’s one of most active centers for contemporary arts in the country.</p>

<p>To second Elleneas’ts comment, my son “escapes” to New York or Boston once or twice a year to recharge his batteries. The college sponsors academically related or just-for-fun excursions. He’s always happy to get back to sleepy Williamstown.</p>

<p>To add to Mattmom and Driver on sports, etc: “Athletics definitely were not the defining aspects of life at Williams.” Kids do support the teams, but they also support everything their friends are involved in, be it art shows, plays, concerts, planetarium events, dance performances. In my son’s inner circle there are two varsity athletes (girls) but there are also an artist, a dancer, an actor, a classical musician, a jazz musician, a campus activist and probably more that I don’t know about. As Mattmom says “many people fill more than one niche.” The college does a pretty good of matching up roommates and suitemates so most likely your son would find an instantaneous group of like personalities to hang out with.</p>

<p>And to heartily endorse Driver’s comment: "I've found the students at Williams to be a truly remarkable group of individuals"These are the kind of kids you want your child to be around. Their energy, curiosity, warmth and enthusiasm are infectious.</p>

<p>Williams for sure isn’t for everyone. It’s isolated. It’s cold and snowy. But those that like it tend to love it.</p>