<p>Hello! After visiting way too many schools, including Williams, I think I want to apply early decision to Williams. The academic experience at the school sounds amazing and I really liked the students that I met when visiting. The students seemed to very "well-rounded." However, I have several questions. </p>
<p>1) Are academics overbearing? How much work does it take to have a 3.5+? I want to major in economics and am willing to work hard. However, I don't want studying to be the only thing I do. </p>
<p>2) What is the typical weekend like? </p>
<p>3) Is it more of a hookup or dating culture?</p>
<p>4) Parties... what are they like? How big are they? How lenient is the school with drinking?</p>
<p>5) How helpful is the career office? </p>
<p>6) For internships and academics, is the atmosphere more collaborative or competitive?</p>
<p>happy, I’m a parent, not a student/alum, and I’m not going to touch questions #2,3,4.
But as for #1, 5 & 6:</p>
<p>I don’t think a 3.5 average is out of the grasp of a serious, but not obsessed, student. My son’s experience was that the first year was quite rough, but after that as he got into the flow and better understood his professors’ expectation, it was easier to get A’s, especially in his major. Williams encourages a balance of academics, extracurriculars and socializing. </p>
<p>The career office was helpful to my son, mostly because oprganizations/firms in his area of interest recognized Williams as fertile ground for recruiting. He started his job even before he graduated, and it was such a good fit for him he returned to the same firm after getting a graduate degree.</p>
<p>Williams was also instrumental in helping my son secure summer internships. The alumni/ae network is loyal and active. I would say that the academic atmosphere is collaborative. Of course, you have to do the work yourself, but there is a lot of support from professors, classmates and other help mechanisms, like the reading center and study groups. Grades – for better or worse – are kept fairly private, so you don’t get blatant competitive crowing.</p>
<p>I am another parent with a child currently at Williams and, like @momrath will share my perspectives on questions 1, 5, 6.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>My daughter is a double STEM major, so she has been very, very busy. She has achieved a 3.5 + every semester thus far but has had to put in a tremendous amount of work. Academics take up a large percentage of her time, with a small amount of time devoted to extracurricular activities.</p></li>
<li><p>The career center is very helpful. Not only do they have a vast listing of available job opportunities but will also email you if a job becomes available that they believe (most likely generated by the profile the student fills out) you might be interested in. </p></li>
<li><p>My daughter has been fortunate to have numerous summer internship opportunities. Her fortune was due to her hard work and professors (whose reputations seem to precede them in their field of study) who wrote her recommendations. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Concerning academics, her professors have been tremendous and peers have always been supportive. And, although a very good writer, she likes visiting the Writing Center to get a second point of view.</p>
<p>At some schools, students who make the Dean’s List in a particular semester have their names posted. I have never seen this done at Williams, so I too believe that grades are kept private unless the student shares.</p>