<p>I've been accepted at all three and I know they are all great schools. For what I want to study--philosophy, biology--they are all close to equal in my mind: close enough anyhow.
I'm interested in the life of these three schools (plus Dartmouth and Brown which I haven't heard back from yet).</p>
<p>I know MIT is probably the bigger name, but I figure that I'll almost certainly go to grad-school anyhow and the "name" factor will probably derive from that school for my career options.</p>
<p>Any comments on what it is like to live out four years of your life at these 3+2 schools?</p>
<p>oh, and if it makes a difference, I'm female.</p>
<p>My son has been accepted to Williams and is waiting on Brown and Amherst as well. Here is a list as how these schools rank as "feeders".</p>
<p>Wall St. Journal</p>
<p>Top 50 Feeder Schools
1) Harvard
2) Yale
3) Princeton
4) Stanford
5) Williams
6) Duke
7) Dartmouth
8) MIT
9) Amherst
10) Swarthmore
11) Columbia
12) Brown
13) Pomona
14) University of Chicago
15) Wellesley
16) University of Pennsylvania
17) Georgetown
18) Haverford
19) Bowdoin
20) Rice
21) Northwestern
22) Claremont McKenna
23) Middlebury
24) Johns Hopkins
25) Cornell
26) Bryn Mawr
27) Wesleyan
28) Cal Tech
29) Morehouse
30) University of Michigan
31) New College of Florida
32) Vassar
33 University of Virginia
34) United States Military Academy
35) University of Notre Dame
36) Emory University
37) United States Naval Academy
38) Macalester
39) Brandeis
40) Bates
41) University of California, Berkeley
42) Barnard
43) Trinity
44) Grinnell
45) Tufts
46) Colby
47) Washington University
48) Washington and Lee
49) Case Western Reserve
50) Reed</p>
<p>MIT has a strong philo grad program, but that doesn't necessarily translate to undergrad. Amherst and Williams are both known for having strong undergrad philo departments. Both schools have big departments for their size. I'd give a slight edge to Williams because of the tutorial system which works particularly well for philosophy courses. Additionally, Williams has the Williams-Exeter exchange program, and if you're interested in going abroad, Oxford has probably the best philosophy department in the world.</p>
<p>Biology-wise, it gets a little more complicated. MIT will probably have the most grad offerings, but once again that doesn't necessarily translate to exceptional undergrad education. Williams is a bit better known than Amherst for bio--the department's bigger, the labs are a little nicer and newer, and I believe the research opportunities are better. Once again, I'd give a slight edge to Williams here.</p>
<p>However, all three schools are phenomenal for each of these (same w/ Brown or Dartmouth which I would list immediately after the other three). Your decision should really be based on fit--which school feels the best for you. MIT (and brown and dmouth) in particular are very different from Williams and Amherst. Visit your top schools and see which feels right. Fit-wise, MIT is more male than female. Amherst has two all girls colleges in near viscinity. Williams and Dartmouth are both in rural areas of the country. Brown is in a city. They are all fairly different schools, and I'm sure after spending overnights at them you'll find that you like one more than another.</p>