<p>First, to those who got accepted, congratulations, Williams has gotten much more difficult to gain admission to in the last few years, and it's a fantastic accomplishment. Believe me, you will have a wonderful, life-changing experience that will continue to pay dividends throughout your life. I'm curious, what were the final ED numbers of applicants and acceptances? </p>
<p>The good news for those who got deferred is, first, hold out hope, there is still the second round to go. They know you want the school, and I'd recommend a follow-up letter stressing that Williams is still your top choice, and enumerating any new accomplishments during your senior year. </p>
<p>Secondly, if you don't end up at Williams, there are tons of other choices that provide, essentially, an equivalent experience. Amherst, Middlebury, Haverford, Dartmouth and Bowdoin, in particular, as well as others like Carleton, Macalester, Bates, Swarthmore and Wesleyan will provide essentially the same great overall social/academic/extracurricular experience you would have at Williams -- and based on your stats, you guys will have lots of great options. For pretty much all of my friends who didn't get into their first choice school, after a year they were wondering why they hadn't actually applied early to the school they eventually attended in the first place. Among the top liberal arts schools, the cultural and quality differences are really negligible, and what's more important is that, once on campus, you make your mark socially, academically, and extracurricularly. I have confidence you'll end up someplace fantastic for you. But I've met tons of folks from Midd, Amherst, Haverford, and Bowdoin, and I'd be hard pressed to distinguish them in any really meaninful way from Ephs. Best of luck ...</p>