<p>what is the student body like at williams? i noticed that a large, large percentage of williams students do intermural sports. would someone who shies away from playing sports like myself feel left out?</p>
<p>i know that many people claim that certain colleges have the "typical" abercrombie-wearing, white, upper-class student body.. but is this especially true for williams?</p>
<p>I think that Williams has made incredible strides in terms of diversity in recent years. The school's recruitment efforts and financial resources allow it to enroll more international students -- 6-7 percent annually -- and more underrepresented minorities -- usually around 8-10 percent black and 8-10 percent hispancic -- annually than many of its peers. This year alone, the school took over five percent of its entering class via the Questbridge Program -- check out the kind of students that program includes (website is easy to find), definitely NOT the white upper middle class abercrombie type. Sure, Williams will have plenty of those types, but the school also attracts a lot of very intellectual kids, and in particular a lot of very artsy kids due to its tremendous theater, art, music and dance programs. It really is far more diverse than a place like Colby, Middlebury, Colgate or Bowdoin -- probably equal to schools like Amherst or Yale in temrs of economic and racial diversity, but not as diverse / eclectic as a Swarthmore, Wesleyan, or Brown. </p>
<p>In terms of sports, although about half of the student body plays serious sports -- varsity, club, or heavy involvement in intramural -- half are marginally, if at all, involved in organized athletics. I think Williams definitely does have a more sports oriented / outdoorsy / athletic vibe than its competitors (except for Middlebury), for a few reasons -- abundant hiking, skiing, golf, tennis, etc. attract those types of students, the oustanding athletic department, and a gym requirement which scares off some of the most anti-activity types. The gym requirement tends to bump up the IM and Club participation numbers, I'd say. But I for one didn't do any sports in high school, nor did most of my college friends, and we had a great experience at Williams. If you really despise athletics, hiking, physical fitness, then honestly Williams might not be for you, but if you are basically indifferent towards those activites, you'll be fine, as tons of people on campus focus their energies on arts, community service, research, or activism rather than sports / outdoors activities.</p>
<p>you mentioned that theater is popular at williams. what kinds of majors are most popular at williams or what majors is williams known for? its hard to pinpoint one for most colleges/universities but, for example, when you think of nyu you think of theater kids and business and when you think of northwestern you think of journalism.</p>
<p>Superchica, this table of majors is about five years out of date...not sure why the college hasn't updated it, they're usually pretty good about that. However, you can use it as a benchmark, and then visit the department websites that you're interested in to see what the numbers look like now. One change I've noticed over the last 5 years is an average of 13 Physics majors instead of 9. Also notice the number of math majors, rather large for a small LAC, which speaks well of a math department that provides excellent support for Economics, and the hard sciences.</p>
<p>thats good to hear because i definitely want to major in econ and math.. or econ and psych (:</p>
<p>btw, williams isn't in a college town is it? do many people go to boston/surrounding cities during their down time?</p>
<p>Well....Williams IS the town, basically. The town was founded to support the college back in the 1700s. But yes, people go to NYC and Boston for weekend trips, and also go further into the mountains (VT and NH) for skiing and hiking. Lots of grads who work in NYC and Boston (and elsewhere) end up maintaining second homes in the area too. It's not an intellectually remote place at all. Many type A personalities see it as a wonderful vacation spot.</p>
<p>Williamstown is a charming New England village. I wouldn't put it in the same college town category as Amherst or Ann Arbor, but still, it has everything you need -- dry cleaner, pharmacy, movie theater, several restaurants, etc. </p>
<p>Williams students tend to stay on campus on weekends. There is a lot to do, academically and socially. My son finds that he goes to New York maybe once, maximum twice, a semester, sometimes on his own, sometimes as part of a school related event. Williams also offers a study away program in New York, but it's just in the developing stage. </p>
<p>As far the conspicuous consumption / rich kid thing, I think this stereotypical perception is way overplayed. Williams kids like most students at American LACs are overwhelmingly middle class. Some have tons of money, some have very little, but it's not a topic of conversation, nor is it evidenced in dress or expenditure. The isolated environment is actually a great equalizer, as all social activities on campus are free and there's just not a whole lot in the way of expensive shops, elite clubs, or fancy restaurants to spend money on.</p>
<p>I wouldn't be overly concerned with percentages of athletes. All LACs have a relatively high percentage of varsity athletes, because they have to cover 20-25 teams out of a student body of around 2000. Williams DOES have a pervasive athletic or outdoorsy culture. Even if they are not involved in organized or team sports, kids tend to do something active, like dance or ski or work out. The focus is on health and well being and physical activity of some kind is a good counter to the academic pressure.</p>
<p>You might also take a look at the trip report that Quiltguru posted on the parents board.</p>
<p>hey guys</p>
<p>thanks so much for the input -- i really appreciate that (i say that a lot but i really mean it!) i've been away for the board for a little while so i'm trying to catch up with my threads. for some reason i thought williams was a college campus out in the middle of nowhere, but i guess it's sort of like cornell with its own surrounding town.</p>