@smiles2122 Your S22 should definitely consider Williams. Their math department is considered one of the best at a SLAC and while the students are serious about their studies, it seems less intense than Swat.
@JanieWalker - Just wanted to let you know from one mom to another that I’m so impressed with how hard you are working for your daughter’s college app process.
You have the added stress/demand of authoring and organizing all those additional writing descriptions that accompanies being a homeschooling family.
So…,know that I speak for many, no doubt, that you are a tremendous champion for your daughter. I’m a bit in awe of your attention to detail, etc. Well done!!!
@123Mom123 Wow, thank you, I really appreciate that. Though I would caution not to praise me just yet as the acceptances haven’t yet happened. 
I could royally screw this up somehow. Just hoping I don’t. I definitely need a break though because my patience in general with everything has flown out the window and probably won’t return until I’ve had at least two weeks of not having to think about anything college-related whatsoever. But again, thank you. I really appreciate it. As a single mom, I don’t have much (any) words of support on the home-front, so reading those kind words from a fellow mom feels wonderful, and it is much appreciated.
@flyawayx2 @NateandAllisMom My D decided the UMass architecture as “bi-polar”! Lol. She’s into the Colgate/Lehigh type of classic look. UMass has a couple of nice old buildings, mixed with a lot of modern, not so attractive stuff.
There still weren’t a lot of students around, so I think that makes it tough, but it felt really big, even though I don’t think it’s much bigger than UConn, if at all. The honors dorms are central, right in the middle of the campus, but most others were across the street on a couple different sides. #1 food in the country; our guide gave it rave reviews.
A downside was the adorable town of Amherst isn’t right adjacent to campus, as it is for Amherst College, but it’s not far. It kind of lacked that walkable town area D wants.
While they have the worst football team in the country, guide said people go to the games for tailgating and the band. He absolutely loves the school, and he said everyone he knows does too.
After leaving, D liked it enough to keep it on the list. But a big thing is the majors weren’t quite what she wanted. Then the next day after seeing UCoon, she liked it so much more UMass came off.
@smiles2122 Mount Holyoke is part of the 5 college consortium, which includes Smith, Amherst, UMass Amherst, Hampshire and Mount Holyoke. There is a shuttle that runs regularly between the schools and students can cross-register for classes. Students with/without cars can easily get from South Hadley to Northampton or Amherst. There’s a pretty big mall that isn’t too far away and there’s also the city of Springfield.
This is interesting about UMass. Did your UConn guide tell you their football stadium is 30 minutes from campus?
@gotham_mom thank you, he is definitely curious about Williams! He did want to look into whether most math majors are headed to Wall Street or if there is a good balance with the ones who are PhD track. Also, what is your take on what the student culture is like? Are there a lot of athlete, Greek, preppy things going on? And/or a lot of outdoorsy people drawn there, given the setting? (He would like that.) Seems like a gorgeous setting.
My D was able to take the SAT this morning. All the schools she’s applied to are test optional and she’ll get in without it (two acceptances already 
) but some of them are still using it for merit aid. She said there were a ton of people there taking it (we’re in Denver).
@smiles2122 S19 took Multi Var freshmen year and liked it, but I think he is heading toward a Chemistry or Geology Major so he won’t have time for much more math. He says his math friends like their courses but “they are hard!”. As a long time ago math major myself, I get it:). We looked at Williams as well for S19 - they have a tremendous math department and IIRC 10% of the students are math majors, but the feel is very different from Carleton - more pre-professional and sporty, vs. Carleton which seems more “professors in training”. Different strokes for different folks.
@smiles2122 My far from preppy or sporty D will be headed to Williams next fall. (She’s taking a gap year.) She’ll probably major in the humanities so we didn’t do a deep dive into math. When we started looking at schools I was sure she’d end up at an artsier school like Vassar (which she loved) or Wesleyan (which felt too much like her artsy urban high school), but she wanted to be in a rural setting with a different mix of students. She likes the mix of outdoorsy, intellectual, sporty, artsy, and quirky kids. She was lucky to have several great options, but she just felt the pull of the Purple. Valley.
I’m tagging Williams experts @momrath @shuttlebus @TennisParent and @TheGreyKing who can share their insights.
@smiles2122 I don’t have first hand experience with Williams’ math program, but my understanding is that it’s one the best among LACs with a solid track record of graduate school admissions – as well as with careers in finance, consulting and tech.
You might enjoy reading this account of a recent Williams grad who is pursuing a math and statistics PhD at Michigan. (I note from one of your posts that you are a Michigan alum, as am I.)
https://math.williams.edu/moving-on-up-graduate-school-life-after-williams-by-daniel-p-maes-mathematics-and-statistics-18/
Williamstown’s mountain village environment offers a lot in the way of outdoorsy activities, both for serious Eagle Scout-level excursions and for casual walks in the woods plus snow sports of all kinds. Winter study or January term is a great time to enjoy a low-stress month on campus while taking one interesting/fun course. Williams doesn’t have a Greek system. My observation is that the social culture consists mostly of hanging out with friends. The first year entry system provides a great start on a social group.
I hope your son gets a chance to visit. Like @gotham_mom’s daughter, my son appreciated “the mix of outdoorsy, intellectual, sporty, artsy, and quirky kids.” What impressed me about Williams kids is that they often check all of the above boxes.
@smiles2122 If your S22 will be considering Carleton, check out St Olaf as well, which is in the same town… Probably more of a match school for a strong student, math department has a good reputation and overall it has strong PhD and med school placement. It’s a kind place, pretty campus, a bit less intense than Carleton.
@Solstice155 our HS is not back in session yet so we can’t get recommendation and transcripts loaded in Naviance until that happens. So we have two applications submitted Bama and Clemson but without the required additional documentation.
Mom laid down the law yesterday and we had some progress with the Common App. And avoided a potential catastrophe where D could have put a program that mandates a January start and summer abroad as her first choice for one school. ?
We got a scheduling curveball yesterday afternoon also. D21 has 7 classes with one elective course. Orchestra cancelled and Film was her second choice… got a robocall yesterday that Film cancelled also. So she signed up for Yoga/mindfulness as the other options (beginner French, Yearbook, microbiology, theater) were not appealing. The catch is she also has a year of PE. So her classes will be:
AP lit (might go down to English 4, teacher is iffy and only a few kids take AP)
AP Calc BC
AP Bio
AP Econ/Gov
Health Science Practicum (required, 2 period course - magnet school)
PE
Yoga/mindfulnesss
She had 5 APs last year. My question is, should she comment on that last course either in the “special circumstances” question or the COVID question on the common app? As in, “d/t COVID, my first two choices for elective including a fourth year in orchestra were eliminated and I chose to do something healthy for my mind and body”? I am in full support of her taking this and not a fifth AP class this year but I’m wondering if it looks like she’s taking it easy.
@eb23282 yes, she told us that, but the school runs shuttles to the games and said she never missed a game. She was in a sorority and said the frats and sororities also share shuttles to the fball games. Hockey is also off campus. The basketball arena is right on campus. And tickets are free to students, which is a nice plus.
@mm5678 I wouldn’t bother commenting about yoga vs orchestra/film. She’s got five APs (assuming Lit stays) or 4 if it doesn’t. They are not “easy” APs and she’s got both BC and a demanding lab science. And she has the core classes covered (I assume she’s completed her foreign language requirement?) Especially given COVID, this does not look like coasting! However, the best person to ask would be the GC - maybe the external constraints her senior schedule might be mentioned briefly in his or her letter.
@NJWrestlingmom I loved your daughter’s description of U Mass’s architecture - so apt! Although the food might make up for it!
@mm5678 – good question, and I’m following what others say. My gut is her schedule is plenty rigorous and calling it out draws more attention?
I have a question for folks. When S and were logged into common app on Friday we read the language around the COVID section and he thought it sounded like it was things that are more disruptive than he’s faced.
He has a list of things that have been cancelled and changed for him (sports team and robotics seasons cancelled, summer camp job cancelled, etc) and we were leaning toward putting them in the Additional Info section instead of COVID b/c they are not so dramatic. Keep it simple – one sentence for each.
His feeling is that the COVID section is for more serious consequences from the pandemic. Have you guys heard any AOs talk about this?
And for the record since there was chatter on this, my S has yet to finish a single essay. He’s working but LOTs to do. He really should have done more this summer, sigh. He’s under the impression he’ll pop them out no problem. We shall see. . .
My son is double majoring in math and computer science at Williams. He has had a great experience.
@AlmostThere2018 not from AOs but the podcast seem to consider the Covid question as reserved for hardship cases. The general consensus seemed to be to reserve it for unusual and significant disadvantages, rather than routine cancellations that a lot of students might experience.
I would put that in the additional information section in the way you described it- briefly - especially ones where he was selected or it is an achievement to participate rather than voluntary.
@momrath -such a helpful description, thank you, and thank you for that link. My S22 also did some math work over the summer on infectious disease and really liked it so he will connect with that post. (I mean, to the extent that I can “encourge” a 15 year old boy to read anything that isn’t required.) And I am glad to hear that “quirky” is there. Crossing fingers we can visit.
@mamaedefamilia Will do, good call. thanks. Didn’t realize that about the PhDs. The name St Olaf always reminds me of Golden Girls but I don’t remember why.
@shuttlebus thank you, great to hear!