<p>Does Williams have a higher ED acceptance rate?
Also, Collegeboard says both school's overal acceptance rate is 18%
but has it always been that way?</p>
<p>According to the 2007-2008 Common Data Sets, the ED acceptance rates were 35.6 % for Swarthmore, and 40.0 % for Williams. </p>
<p>Acceptance rates been falling at practically all top schools in recent years. According to the 1999-2000 Common Data Sets, the acceptance rates at that time were 21.8 % at Swarthmore, and 23.1 % at Williams.</p>
<p>Those are two excellent, but pretty different schools. You should not make your choice based solely on the acceptance rate when considering a binding application option.</p>
<p>Excuse me,
but can I ask how Swarth and Williams differ so much?</p>
<p>I really don't know well.
Can anybody tell me?
I thought all LACs are similar..</p>
<p>Campus cultures differ. Just because they are LACs doesn't mean they are the same. That's like saying all state universities are similar. I'm sure Penn State has a different atmosphere, racial makeup and political culture than say UCLA.</p>
<p>How many LACs in the south, for example, have the same liberal campus culture as Oberlin?</p>
<p>True, but I have noticed that there are a lot of kids who have both schools on their lists. I have noticed that at our school, however, we get many more kids into Swarthmore than we do into Williams. Since so many kids apply to those two schools, I can really see this data clearly. Also the Williams kids tend to be athletic admits which skews the results even more.</p>
<p>Swat is more intensely academic, has access to Philadelphia, has Quaker background, has honors program.</p>
<p>Williams appears more laid back, is not as political, is rural and in the mountains, has tutorials, has more students but no consortium, and has more of a drinking scene, though one does not have to drink in my son's experience.</p>
<p>I respect both schools tremendously. I would say it's a difference in temperament.</p>
<p>My S looked at both, and I would say that mythmom's brief descriptions are "spot on." :)</p>
<p>never apply ed when you're not sure.</p>
<p>At Swarthmore.. you don't have to feel weird about being weird.. because nobody cares.. everyone (almost) is just too busy with their own stuffs.. and most Swatties (not all) are friendly.. 98% of profs are friendly and helpful.</p>
<p>Mythmom, what do you mean Williams has "tutorials?" Don't most colleges have a tutoring system to help students? Does Swarthmore have "tutorials?"</p>
<p>No, Williams has something different. It has classes that are patterned on the Oxford system. Two students meet with a teacher and engage in each other's writing and learning style. It's a full credit course. They are offered in all the disciplines.</p>