<p>I'm thinking pre-med, but not necessarily that major.</p>
<p>Both are giving me full ride so FA is not a problem.</p>
<p>I'm planning on visiting Williams in a couple of days (I live in Los Angeles area).</p>
<p>I'm just having a difficult time deciding between these schools because although I love Stanford's dedication to research, I love how LAC's are very undergrad oriented with (from all I've heard) extremely passionate and dedicated teachers.</p>
<p>I also had a hard time finding stats. on medical school admission rates for both schools although that will not be the final deciding factor.</p>
<p>How do you feel about cold weather, snow, and sunset at 4:30? Some people love it, some don’t care all that much, some hate it, and I mean really hate it - seasonal affective disorder, chronic upper respiratory misery, the whole bit. Stanford is suburban, Williams is rural. Which do you prefer? Will you miss the whole Div I football pagentry, or would you be just as happy to skip it?</p>
<p>Did you get a full ride because of athletics, need, or merit(i doubt stanford gives)?
I ask because if you come from a low income family, and won’t have the financial freedom to be on the job hunt for a couple of months after graduation(assuming you come back to LA, and don’t have a job offer upon graduation at either school, nor are going straight to medical school), Stanford’s name/connections might take you farther in Cali.</p>
<p>This is probably one of the most evenly matched college decisions for undergraduate school</p>
<p>just remember that when you visit Williams it is only a visit and you won’t attend until Aug/Sept this year - just in case you love it so much that you want to stay there.</p>
<p>they are even close in the top graduate school feeder rankings:</p>
<p>Stanford is known for grade inflation – mean gpa is 3.4+. Also, if low income, don’t forget travel for both you and parents. If you are at Stanford they could drive up for Parent’s Weekend, but can they afford to visit the Berkshires? </p>
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<p>I disagree strongly. One is a major Research Uni in a suburban locale and one is a rural, NE LAC.</p>
<p>My son is facing the same decision. On the one hand, Williams offers the finest undergraduate education avaliable anywhere, and on the other, Stanford is Stanford with its cache and amazing resources. Williams’ location, rather than being a negative, touched us with its profound beauty. Any comments specific to these two institutions - rather than a LAC versus research university discussion which has been quite exhaustive on these forums - would be appreciated.</p>
<p>bluebayou, let me word it a little differently regarding comparing Stanford and Williams, in order to make it easier for you to understand. Here you go:</p>
<p>This is probably one of the most evenly matched college decisions for undergraduate school.</p>
<p>I like them both, but for different reasons. But I’m not the OP, who only asked about premed. But if that is the ONLY criteria, the OP could attend the local Cal State. Without other information, my preferences don’t much matter and may or may not be relevant to the OP.</p>
<p>OTOH, comparing Major Research Unis with LACs like Williams is a non sequituir. They both offer wonderful educations and perhaps that is what you mean by “evenly matched”, (altho I would dispute PR’s rankings of Cal and Stanford being undergrad-focused, since they are not). However, the collegiate experience is anything but even – one is not necessarily better – but it will be significantly different. Heck, it could be just sitting in the stands on Saturday afternoon watching D1 football. It could be the high level of drinking which is endemic to rural NE LACs. Or, if the OP is a person of color, s/he might want to consider that aspect as well.</p>
<p>Personally, I cannot see someone who would thrive at a rural LAC would equally thrive at a major Uni. (But that’s just me.)</p>
<p>btw: your post #12 made as little sense to me as the first. “Evenly matched” in what? How? Since the OP was also accepted at Amherst, Swat and Middlebury, would you consider those “evenly matched” as well?</p>
I don’t believe it. And citing USNWR makes me even more disinclined to believe it.</p>
<p>People have picked Yale over Stanford because the former is more undergrad-oriented. And Yale is a lot less undergrad-oriented than an LAC like Williams. Stanford as an institution strives to be the best possible university, and which does not try to place undergrad as the #1 priority. OTOH, for top-of-the-heap Stanford students, research and other university opportunities can be unparalleled.</p>
<p>Agree with Keilexandra. Have never seen, don’t buy Stanford as undergrad focused. </p>
<p>But both are great places near polar ends of the elite school spectrum. This should be a pretty easy decision after visiting.</p>
<p>If still difficult, it’s probably because of over-analyzing the choice. Go with your gut and you’ll have a happier four years with no compromising your future.</p>
<p>Personally, I can’t factor in location or compare the two until I visit both schools, but the evidence presented on undergrad teaching and rankings for feeder schools is interesting, but not necessarily convincing in making a decision.</p>
<p>Is Stanford really so research focused that they neglect undergrad students to a certain degree? </p>
<p>I’m sorry if any part of my question was redundant or ignorant (I admit I am, which is why I ask). </p>
<p>I will check out the other argument for and against nat. universities and LAC’s for sure.</p>
<p>Fortunately, just because these self-appointed experts in higher education don’t believe or buy something doesn’t make it untrue. I can easily (and rightfully) say that I don’t believe or buy the opinions that non-Stanford people make about Stanford. Neither should the OP. When the OP visits Stanford, she shall see for herself.</p>
<p>By definition, ALL top research Unis “neglect undergrad students to a certain degree”. They HAVE to. The only question is to what degree? Even the most grad school-research-focused Uni will have plenty of professors who like to teach undergrads – and many jerks that don’t. Professors at research Unis care first and foremost about research and publishing. That is why they are at a research Uni. Professors at LACs care about research and publishing as well, but not to the same “degree” as their bretheren at the top Unis. </p>
<p>The difference between the undergrad focus of LACs and Unis is considerable.</p>
<p>If you apply this binary thinking, ALL employed parents “neglect” their children to a certain degree. Research and teaching are not mutually exclusive.</p>