Mount Holyoke would definitely be a strong school to consider. I don’t know why it didn’t pull up on my initial search. But according to the IPEDS data, they had 15 education majors in the most recent graduating class.
OP, you will also want to think about where you want to teach. First off, there’s a teacher shortage nationally, but that shortage isn’t spread across the country (or each school district) the same way. In some states, it is very easy for someone with their Bachelor’s in the subject to get a provisional license and start teaching and the district will help pay for the coursework leading to certification. Other states/districts have stricter requirements and you will need a Master’s before being certified. This is very geography-specific, and very district-specific. It also depends on your field. There’s a bigger need for math teachers than for English teachers. Now, if you want to teach English Language Learners (students who are trying to learn English as their native tongue is a foreign language), that is a high-demand area in many states.
Then you also want to think about how you would want to go into the classroom. Yes, it’s possible to enter without any certification. But do you think you will be setting yourself up for success? The jobs for teachers without their credentials are not going to be teaching the honors students who are begging for extra work (as they’ve already done the assigned work correctly and on-time) who can’t wait to go to school every day. You’ll be probably be teaching at a school where students are used to not having adequate supports in their lives and that reflects is reflected in the classroom. Do you want to have experience (or at least theoretical knowledge) of how to teach a 15-year old kid phonics, or what to do when a neurodiverse kid is overwhelmed while you have 33 other kids in the class asking questions and you’re the only adult in the room? Is it normal that the a kid who was reading all words correctly all of a sudden starts making mistakes that look nothing like the word? Do you want to have the skills to be able to identify specific weaknesses that are keeping a kid from success and knowledge of multiple ways to try and address those weaknesses? Those are the types of things that you should learn in a good teaching program, but whether that type of education is happening is also very dependent on the teacher program. It’s something to research, for sure.
As a secondary school prospective English teacher…one way to really make yourself marketable is to have a double degree in special education. With many students with multiple needs in the classrooms, this is a huge plus when looking for a job.
Seriously consider Boston College. It has the top-ranked Lynch School of Education, and you can easily combine Education, English and STEM studies. BC offers free, weekly on-campus counseling for students and prioritizes mental health through programming of its “formation” office. BC actually runs an elementary school - St. Columbkill - and has relationships with many public and private schools in the area for volunteering and internships. BC meets 100% of need and strongly supports FGLI students from a financial, academic and social perspective. BC has a better track record of graduating Pell grant recipients in 4 years than most Ivy Leagues. See: Boston College has nation's third-highest graduation rate for Pell Grant recipients
BC students have balanced social lives, with clubs, spectator sports and strong support of arts programs (particularly dance). BC is located in a lovely, safe residential neighborhood of Boston with easy access to jobs.
Again, apologies to OP for missing/forgetting the first message and I’m glad they’ve survived and prospered - you have to prosper to get into Williams.
OP - I know quite a few students who struggled mightily to enjoy school their first semester. Most of them came to love their school by the close of their first year. A few others needed to transfer for sophomore year and that was the right choice for them to make at that point. Looking into transfer opportunities and submitting applications is a good idea as it gives you that option should things not improve for your second semester. Hopefully it also makes you feel better to have back-ups so you don’t feel “stuck” in a place you don’t enjoy. But once you submit applications, please leave yourself open to the possibility that you may grow to love Williams. By leaving yourself open to that, you maintain the best of all options - Williams and wherever else you could potentially transfer.
Good luck. There is no single path. You will succeed no matter which path you ultimately choose.
OP, your chances of successfully transferring are based not on what you seek but on what the proposed colleges believe you will contribute to their campus. The competitive schools do not need to accept transfers and generally do so when it will benefit them. If you can make a convincing case that you need to pursue an education certification unavailable at Williams but possible at your new school and are eager to get involved in related activities, that would help. Do not assume that the student body at any of your proposed schools varies materially from that at Williams-the degree of extracurriculars and FGLI support there is not likely to be exceeded elsewhere and you would likely need a state school to obtain great SES diversity.
OP, I’ve been thinking about you. Remember that you know now more than you did a year ago, so ask the questions of each schools that will inform you about your areas of concern. Some may be around academics, others around social issues.
IME, most schools with the resources of Williams have devoted, staffed programs to support FGLI students. These exist in part because they know that there is much about their environment that will not be welcoming to that cohort. You probably have experience with the gap between what they want to do and what is achieved. As you do your research around vibe, stay attuned to the supports Williams had that you found helpful as well as the gaps. And remember that at every school, almost every student at some time or another feels like they aren’t fitting perfectly in some respect. Be compassionate with yourself.
Regarding your original list as pertains to geosciences, Connecticut College does not offer a major in this area. Tufts, I believe, restricts some of its geosciences programs to certain students. For example, its site states that its geology minor is open only to students in its engineering college. Be sure to verify aspects such as this as you proceed with your research.
With respect to colleges strong in geosciences, this site may be of interest:
Regarding English and writing, maybe reach out to recent alums who were English majors and first gen, they can be a support network for you and help with your deliberations. The English department course listings on the website look fairly diverse and interesting, have you looked at the course listings at Bowdoin to compare? Also, you could go to Williams Oxford junior year and take English there, more courses available there.
Based on its geoscience course listings, CC appears to emphasize the study of geomorphological processes and features. Courses in some foundational geological topics, such as mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, stratigraphy, sedimentology and paleontology, do not appear to be present, however.
The OP began her first post by mentioning an interest in journalism and writing. She went on in her next post to express an interest in “attending a school with a solid English/creative writing or education program. I am currently studying geosciences at William and may still want to continue my geosciences studies elsewhere (while majoring/double majoring in English or education) depending on where I’d end up transferring.” In a later post she said, “. . . I would like to attend a college in which an education major is available to me . . . ; this is in conjunction with studying English with Earth and/or climate science/geosciences.”
With this range of interests, I don’t see ruling out Conn College at this point. If it met her requirements otherwise for financial aid, campus culture, and community involvement, the shortcomings of the geoscience department might not be as important.
I think that your point about the geoscience course offerings is well taken. She should look at the course catalogue and/or talk to a faculty member, depending on how strongly she feels about this, and then decide for herself.
With interests in multiple areas, I think that Conn College could offer her a lot through their Connections and Pathways programs to help her tie her interests into a coherent focus for her studies, career, and life.
I think Smith could be a great option for you. My sister went there. The vibe is great, very supportive. I went to Wellesley UG and found the academic intensity/competitiveness to be like you describe Williams; Smith was more collegial, more EC focused well-rounded kids, less pointy, laser-focused workaholics. (We were at the schools at the same time so we visited each other.) Northampton town is great and walkable from the school so jobs would be available even if you’re not doing on-campus work which they used to have (not sure about now). They do a lot of financial aid (we were both LI) and have lots of minority representation. They have an Education major. I think it fits your description of what you’re looking for (unless you want guys on campus.) Smith takes 50 transfers a year. https://www.smith.edu/admission-aid/how-apply/transfer