Agree, that applicants that need (or want) financial aid should not apply ED as it eliminates the opportunity to compare and negotiate financial aid offers.
I was taking the OP at her word that “tuition is not a problem.”
Understandably, colleges like to publish stats like this to entice applicants to commit and apply ED, but these stats really say less than what people think they say if they are given without any context of the applicant pools. For example, is the ED applicant pool stronger? Does it include more recruited athletes and others with highly preferred characteristics?
ED definitely helps if the school considers level of applicant’s interest, but Williams does not.
“colleges like to publish stats like this” (#61)
Note that in this case the figures were not provided by Williams in any direct form. They were calculated using several steps from information acquired from two separate websites.
“these stats really say less than what people think they say”
If the stats reveal anything at all, then they have potential value.
Yes, but do they show that Williams prefers ED applicants (so that the same applicant will have a better chance applying ED), or that the ED pool is stronger in ways that Williams considers in admissions (so that the same applicant’s chances will be the same either way)?
As an opinion, what the figures indicate – in cases such as this in which the disparity is particularly large – is that Williams may simply not have room in the RD round for applicants who they might have accepted in the ED round. If nothing else, this may indicate a de facto preference for ED applicants, irrespective of expressed policies.
Those percentages do not give enough information to make that indication, since they do not show how much of the admit class was taken up by ED admits.
The common data set ( http://provost.williams.edu/files/williams_cds_1516_w_tuition.pdf ) gives numbers that may suggest how much room Williams has for RD:
Overall admits / applicants: 1212 / 6883 (section C1)
ED admits / applicants: 244 / 593 (section C21)
RD admits / applicants: 968 / 6290
However, without any indication of the strength of the ED versus RD applicant pools (including how many of the ED applicants were “special” ones like recruited athletes), it is still hard to tell whether there is an actual preference in ED, and how big a preference it is if it exists.
I would suggest that you consider Trinity University in San Antonio, Tx. When I was touring the college, they mentioned that their Art Department is very strong and continuing to gain momentum. They are a small LAC with a very high endowment and pretty generous financial aid. Their food was spectacular, the best of any college that I visited, their housing is top notch, and the campus is generally beautiful. STEM is a major part of the school with the newest building because dedicated to STEM but other departments are strong, too.
Trinity is also in San Antonio which is an up and coming town in Texas with a vibrant art scene. In addition, it is also only an hour away from Austin which has an established art scene. I ended up not choosing Trinity because I am a PolSci major and I got into a school in DC which made more sense for me, but, I think Trinity may fit your criteria. (I may of missed something though, so other posters, feel free to correct me).
To the OP regarding applying ED, if Williams is your clear first choice, then go for it. As many have pointed out, Williams is a tough admit, but if you present a polished application and show a continued upward trend in your first quarter senior year grade report you will have a shot. However, have applications to other schools prepared for December and January deadlines should Williams not accept you.
In the meantime, continue to research other schools. Contact coaches, even those who were reluctant, keep them updated as to your progress with the injury. Through this process you should find that several schools on your list will suit your needs should Williams not come through. You might even find that another school is a better fit for you in terms of academics, campus culture and cross country/track team opportunities.
@ucbalumnus : As you would know, this topic has been rigorously investigated by scholars at Harvard’s Kennedy School. The conclusion at the time of the study was that an early application provided the equivalent of an extra 100 points on the SAT (CR+M). Based on the design of the analysis, the conclusion relates directly to your inquiry, in that the advantage was shown to exist after identifiable complicating factors were controlled for (notably, “hooks”).
@ironsweater : Have you lined up your SAT subject tests for Williams? Two are required.
Isn’t the OP waiting for results of pre-read from Oberlin, Bates and Colby, as a recruited athlete? Perhaps I missed an update, but I didn’t recall seeing she is in the pipeline as an athlete at Williams. And, I believe I read she has not visited any of those schools, as she lives on the west coast. My advice would be, if pre-reads comes back positive, schedule visits to those 3 schools for the fall. Contact Williams coach – if she hasn’t already – (though OP says she has been injured for some time so did not have a spring track season), and see if there might be interest.
If she likes Bates/Colby/Oberlin, and has coach’s support, and the money works – personally, I can’t imagine recommending that a student pass on applying ED with coach support at any of these three schools in order to apply ED as an unhooked applicant to Williams because it has the top LAC art history program. If an athlete gives up an ED application with coach support, at most schools, that athlete has walked away from sport having an impact on their admission. Coaches are happy to take as walk ons any recruit-level athlete who comes to the school through RD, but we didn’t meet any D3 coach who said they had any impact on RD. And ED2 is used by athletes who got surprise deferrals or rejections from their ED1 school, and are trying to find another program that wants them, rather than lose entirely the value of their recruit status in the admission process. For a student with a 3.75, 32 (superscored 33) – they are qualified for any of the LACs, but no more likely to be admitted or not than any other student. Coach support through ED changes that. Personally, I can’t imagine walking away from that possibility, but that is a decision OP will have to make with her family.
On other questions OP raised – Bates has fabulous food, beautiful fine art/performing arts building, and the student art work at the senior exhibit we saw was impressive. The Bates library is a more modern design, not Hogwarts-y, but my professor spouse looked at the holdings in various areas, and said it was very impressive, that the acquisitions were very strong.
The OP’s (un-superscored) ACT score is at the 75th percentile for Bates (reported middle range: 28-32). Her chances at this school in the RD round may be greater than that for the typical applicant. Though her GPA could still be a factor here, as at elsewhere.
My advice to the OP regarding applying ED to Williams is based entirely on her expressed interest in the school.
Post # 69 is incorrect. Williams no longer requires SAT subject tests.
Hi everyone, I’m not sure if this is where I should post, but I am seriously considering Colby after visiting this summer. I’m applying to their diversity overnight program, and the essay question is why I want to be a part of that class. I wanted to mention my visit with the coach and students and how they were part of the reason I liked Colby so much, but I’m not sure if I should leave it out since they might want people who don’t know Colby as much? On the other hand, I didn’t actually go on an official campus tour or information session there because of some flight delays. So should I talk about how the coach and students really made me want to be part of the class? Thanks!