Hi. I’m interested in both science and art and would possibly like to double major or major with a minor. I was wondering which LAC is the most well-rounded in terms of their science department and art department. I don’t really have a preference for either college which is why I am asking around for some opinions.
Thank you!
What kind of Science? Math, CS, Engineering, Premed?
I can’t really speak for Vassar, but Williams has one of the best Art History Undergrad and Grad program(and they have an art museum right next door.) They have arguably the best Math Department out of all LACs, top 3 LACS in CS, have no engineering program but you can do the 3-2 program(although this program is not exclusively at Williams) and has an extremely good placement rate for Med school.
Tufts is not really famous for STEM, but its location near Boston will give you access to museums as well as scientific research opportunities.
The school of fine arts at Tufts is affiliated with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, so their art program is very strong. May be more studio focused than Williams which has an excellent art history program. Tufts is also well regarded for engineering and pre-med
Thank you for your reply! It was very insightful!
Two. The Williams College Museum of Art and the incredible Clark Art Institute. The Williams graduate program in art history is in affiliation with The Clark. The Steinway on display alone is worth a visit. http://archive.clarkart.edu/museum/collections/dec_arts/content.cfm?ID=3&marker=3&start=3
http://www.clarkart.edu/museum/overview
The Clark also has a very interesting history.
Vassar is also very strong in both subjects. Among LACs, Vassar has always been a top destination for students interested in the arts. The school has one of the finest collegiate art collections in the country. The school is also very strong in the sciences, even more so because of the brand new “bridge” science complex that just opened a year ago. You could not go wrong with Vassar, Williams or Tufts if interested in science and art.
Since Vassar has minimal distrubution requirements, it is perhaps ‘easier’ to double major than at Tufts or Williams. Plan out your schedule. All three are good options but have different vibes. Be sure to visit!
Are you choosing between those schools, or are you still open to suggestions?
What would you have suggested jnicole55?
I went to Williams and my spouse went to Vassar. (Wife of husband’s cousin went to Tufts, but I do not know it well enough to comment.)
Both my spouse and I loved our college experiences. I think you will have a great academic experience at either one. Williams is well known for art history, but Vassar is more artsy overall. Both have good sciences-- a slight edge to Williams, but Vassar just built a beautiful new science facility.
Both have small classes, smart kids, great professors, intellectual conversations that spill over into dorms and dining halls.
Williams has distribution requirements that are pretty minimal and easy to meet. Vassar has even fewer requirements- foreign language and quantitative.
I think your biggest differentiator will not be academics, but environment. Which “feels” better to you when you visit?
Williams- rural, small one-horse town but with great art museums and a theatre festival. Surrounded by mountains, great natural beauty and outdoor opportunities. Far from anything else. Eclectic buildings, very nice (see new library) , but Vassar has an overall edge in architecture. Freshman entries build a community for new students-- a very special part of the Williams experience. Students then move on to live in other dorms and most students live in on-campus dorms for all four years. Many, many single rooms. 3 dining hall choices. Liberal overall but definitely more traditional than Vassar.
Vassar-- suburban school, within two hours of Manhattan. Some of the most beautiful college buildings every built. An artsy, liberal school, where you will encounter more political protests than at Williams. Great theatre. Students are assigned to a pretty dorm where they will live for their first three years, then many move to on-campus school-owned apartments for senior year. Many single rooms in later years. One central All Campus Dining Center (AC DC).
You can’t go wrong here. Let’s put it this way: neither my spouse nor I think our son, now a high school junior, would be better off at one of the schools than the other. We would be happy for him to attend either college, or another school altogether; it is all a matter of personal preference.