<p>sorry to add another "can i get in" post but if i'm going to spend 60 bucs to apply, might as well try and get some free info talk is cheap, but your knowledge will be richly valued</p>
<p>i'm a jr now</p>
<p>female 3.8 unweighted gpa on 4.33 scale all honors and ap classes. big competitive regional hs
extemporaneous speaking since frosh year. have competed in states tourney every year and have gone to harvard tourn twice. 8th in state last year, squat this year
mock trial since soph., best witness award last year, attorney this year
winter track 9 10 11 jv (throw shotput)
spring track 9 10 (throw shot and discus)
youth and gov (mock congress like activity) nominated to national conference last year and nominated as an alternate this year. ran and lost contest for youth governor
french math sci natl honor society
foiunder of young dems in my town
i played piano and clarinet up to this year, now I'm only in choir
got into governor's school of public issues
640m, 720w, 800 r on Sats (will retake)
just took french, lit, and us history satiis
and ap eng langcomp and ap us history
next year i'm taking ap gov pol, ap euro history, ap eng lit, ap french, honors global studies, choir, ap calc ab (i didn't get recommended for calc bc unfortunately)</p>
<p>i'm wondering
is the international studies program strong as i have heard
how are english, french programs
kind of unrelated-is comparative literature in any way a practical major
i have a great relationship with my speech and debate coach, he's also my eng teacher and a great person to turn to for guidance and or a laugh
will williams be full of teachers like these?</p>
<p>is it close enough to a train that you don't need a car to get there</p>
<p>I'm not quite sure to which international studies program you're referring, but I assume you mean the International Relations subfield of the Political Science Department. If that is the case, then rest assured, the IR program is quite strong here at Williams. Though it doesn't necessarily have the resources or renown of programs like the Georgetown SFS or the Tufts or Johns Hopkins IR programs, it is strong in its own right. We have some fantastic professors here on staff. And of the four subfields in the Political Science Department (the other three being American politics, comparative politics, and theory), I'd argue that the IR subfield is the strongest. </p>
<p>The English department is supposed to be quite strong as well, though I can't say from personal experience. I've never taken an English course here. Unfortunately, I probably can't say the same for the French department. In general, our Romance languages programs are weaker than others. </p>
<p>Asking if Comparative Literature is a practical major at Williams is like asking if English, Political Science, or History are practical majors. Remember, Williams is a Liberal Arts College. Most majors are not designed to be "practical" in the way an engineering degree is. That said, most any major here at Williams is suitable for any future career/grad school path one might pursue.</p>
<p>One of the most compelling reasons students choose Williams over other schools like Harvard or Yale is the accessibility of teachers. Remember, there are NO TA-taught courses. Every course is taught by a professor. And except for the very large lecture courses (which are small by most standards; i.e. 100 max in even the largest lecture classes), professors usually know the names of every student in class. I've met privately with several of my professors on many occasions. Don't worry if you're concerned about forming close relationships with your teachers. It's a great asset here at Williams.</p>
<p>Lastly, the closest major train stations are in Albany (hour away by car) and Pittsfield (half an hour away by car). Therefore, you really need to find someone with a car or hire a taxi in order to get to said train stations.</p>
<p>wow you rele know your stuff
it's very clear that you like your school very well and are justifiably proud
thanks for all the great information
you're definitely right about comparative lit and similar studies
what would you say about the location?
a friend just visited and described it as "remote"
personally i like school and all its functions pretty well and i'm not planning on hitting the town very much, but some of my fondest memories are from wandering around boston with friends looking for somewhere to eat when i'm there for the speech and debate tournament
that being said, i know boston is awesome
does williams run free shuttles there as i've heard brandeis, among others, does?</p>
<p>You can take a bus from Williams to either New York or Boston. They are privately run bus lines (not affiliated with the college). The college is somewhat remote, but Albany is less than one hour away. Keep in mind that you are actually on campus for about 28 weeks out of the year, so its not like you'll be spending the entire four years entirely removed from civilization :-)</p>
<p>Passionflower, Id say that you have a good profile for Williams. The student who combines academics, sports, music and other extracurriculars is a common personality type. </p>
<p>I think that when asking yourself whether or not its the right place for you you should focus on the environment and atmosphere rather than the academics. The quality of education is simply the best. Among liberal arts colleges there are a handful that are as good but none that is better. International studies as an adjunct of political science, history, economics, literature, art etc. is topnotch. English is as good as it gets. French? Well, Williams isnt particularly known as a destination for romance language but there is a dyanamic department.</p>
<p>And yes, Williams will be full of your favorite teachers. They are superstars writers, artists, experts in their fields but they are teachers first, accessible, nurturing and there for you. When it comes time to ask for recommendations for internships and graduate school youll have many professors who know you and your work well and can write wonderfully personal accounts.</p>
<p>So I think the question is not whether youd get an excellent education at Williams but rather would you prefer the LAC style of education versus that of a larger school or a research university? There are benefits and negatives of both, but among LACs Williams shines.</p>
<p>The second point about access to cities really begs the question about whether youd like being in an insular and rural environment. The Berkshires are profoundly beautiful and Williamstown is the quintessential New England village. The area offers much in the way of outdoorsy pursuits like trekking and winter sports. There's a vibrant performing arts center and three world class museums on or near campus.</p>
<p>The remote location fosters a closely knit, inward focused community. There are tons of activities on campus every weekend and kids seldom need or want to escape to the city, but if you do its fairly common to get to New York or Boston once or twice a term for a social or school based event. Having said that I wouldnt recommend choosing Williams because these cities are or are not accessible. Those who do best at Williams are those who want to be there. </p>
<p>A visit is always a good idea in choosing a college but for Williams its essential.</p>
<p>thank you for your extensive comments and encouragement
i can definitely appreciate what you mean about location-i'm from new jersey and i'm not overly into city life
i do want to be close enough to the train so i don't need to spend a fortune on taxis to come home or get out of town for a little while
your comment about professors being the best really hit home. I do the best academically and simply get the most out of a class when i have a personal connection.
A question about atmosphere- what you say williams is very cutthroat and that people do things solely for the grade? My school, in a relatively affluent suburb where most people's parents have both gone to college, is full of people that will cut off an arm and a leg for an a or go without sleep for the better part of the year. While I admire their discipline, I have to say I would rather not be in a learning situation like that for college. I know that Williams is known for the happiness of its students, but due to the highly selective nature of the college I have to ask.
Are you personally affiliated with Williams?
Thanks again for your input.</p>
<p>Well, like I said, getting to the train requires some sort of ground transport, meaning a car or a taxi. However, I wouldn't worry too much about that for two reasons. First, most of the time, a JA or an upperclassman friend will be at hand to give you a ride if you really need it. And the school operates regular bus shuttles to Albany/Boston/NYC at the beginning and end of every term. Second, I wouldn't be terribly concerned about the need to "get out of town for a little while". Most students do not do this, primarily because of the logistics. There are simply too many things going on during the weekends to allow for frequent outings-- i.e. parties, performances, school work, and other sorts of obligations.</p>
<p>In terms of Williams' atmosphere, I would argue that cutthroat is one of the LEAST appropriate adjectives to describe it. In fact, it has often been remarked that asking about grades/one's GPA, etc. in open conversation is something of a faux pax here at Williams. Though many Williams students DO come from very cutthroat backgrounds, that does not translate whatsoever to the academic atmosphere on campus. Keep in mind that this does not mean students are lax about school work; you'll often find students working around the clock, including on weekend nights. But student A typically could care less about student B's grades.</p>
<p>is williams included in that greenwich village in massachusetts seen they talk about with mount holyoke? jw</p>
<p>oo just got satiis today
thanks for your great suggestions sorry it took me a while to respond
i don't thnk the essays are posted yet but i was thinking about talking about how when doing public speaking you have to find the critical angle to have your message totally internally reflected into your audience. i know that sounds pretty weird and i would have to briefly explain the optical phenomenon i'm referring to. sound good?
also i got my satii scores back today
730 eng lit
770 us history
670 (ugh) french- didn't realize it would be that hard. i took a practice test that seemed pretty easy and skimmmed through the book, but the actual thing was rele pretty difficult. i heard that satii language tests are very very hard unless you're a native speaker-i was thinking of retaking.
also i'm taking the sats again on sat looking to get a 700 in math but we'll see.
i'm so happy all my tests are done for college! all i have to do is write application essays, get recommendations, do well in school, and practice springting to the mailbox to get my responses!</p>
<p>How much does it help (at Williams or any of the top Liberal Arts College) if your parent is an alumni of the school?</p>
<p>As to that, there is a guy in my grade whose father attended Williams, and he was not accepted. He is extremely bright and has a commendable resume too, mind you.</p>
<p>Legacies receive an enormous boost in the admissions process at Williams. Acceptance rates for kids of alums hover around 50 percent, three times higher than the acceptance rate for non-legacies.</p>
<p>The admissions office attributes this disparity to the fact that legacies with modest stats are "coached" out of applying. I'm skeptical.</p>
<p>It's true, though. The college offers evaluative meetings with children of alumni. The admissions people go over the students' stats and other data and, for many students, gently suggest other schools that might be better fits. This helps keep alums from being really sore at the college and ensures that the legacy pool is actually stronger than the general pool.</p>