<p>beef,</p>
<p>the chaos theory.</p>
<p>In Soviet Russia, World Trade Center bombs you!</p>
<p>Anyone who uses USNews to support their claim that Amherst/Williams is better is just crazy. How has Williams improved over Amherst in the past 4 years, when before that Amherst was somehow better? The schools haven't changed much; the ranking criteria has. They need to shake things up to sell magazines. Look at you silly silly ephs putting so much stock into it!</p>
<p>Both schools are fantastic. Go with whichever fits you best and don't base a decision on USNews rankings, it won't stay the same when they realize that they need to change it to keep selling magazines to all the drones who really care. And when they do change it, Williams kids are going to have to start actually articulating why they like Williams better (come on you guys, it shouldn't be difficult, you go to a great school, really...)</p>
<p>Female applicants hoping to date young men of similar intelligence are wise to consider the gender ratio in the 5 college area. With Smith and Mt, Holyoke, there are probably 3+ smart young women for every smart young men. Those odds lead to the sort of behavior you might expect from young men.</p>
<p>Male applicants (instead of being confused by the above) should consider the difference in common sense demonstrated by female Ephs and female Jeffs in deciding where to go to school. Smart women with common sense make better wives than smart women without it.</p>
<p>With all of Williams' students insecurities and inferiority complexes, you'd think they were the #2 liberal arts school in the country!</p>
<p>There are also good boys at Hampshire and good boys at UMass, both much closer schools. And yes, there are, shockingly, plenty of smart people at both schools! Don't be so elitist, dkane. Perhaps there is more competition, but there is also more selection. Don't make it out like the dating scene at Williamstown is much better than the dating scene at Amherst. It would be so silly. </p>
<p>These threads are always a bad idea. You can't objectively declare one school better than the other.</p>
<p>US News is, of course, irrelevant. When it comes to prestige among people who count (grad school ad coms, fellowships, top-notch consulting firms, etc.) the schools are identical. The overall academic quality is identical. The student bodies are very similar -- probably as similar as any two schools in the country could be. The caliber of students is identical. As others have said, the real differences come down to a subjective feeling of belonging that is impossible to articulate. It is ridiculous to say one is "better" than the other. And that goes for dating as well: I'd have to disagree with Mr. Kane, I don't think anyone can honestly claim a superior dating scene is a reason to choose Williams over ANY school save (possibly) Wellesley. But if pressed to provide the objective aspects that might push someone to choose Williams over Amherst if, even after visiting, they didn't obtain a strong preference either way, I'd say:</p>
<p>(1) Location. People at Amherst have provided their take on why theirs is better. I personally much prefer Williamstown. First of all, there is unparalleled natural beauty and tons of outdoor activities -- skiing practically on campus, a top-notch college golf course, amazing hiking trails, incredible views, etc. Williamstown is not overrun by other college students, it really is Williams- centric, which I loved. The townspeople recognize you even when you come back as an alum. The purple pub is essentially a Williams bar. Etc. etc. At the same time, there is actually a lot more going on than a quick glance might lead you to think. There is a great independant theater on campus that hosts an interesting film festival each November. Williams / Williamstown hosts a great jazz festival each year. There are actually plenty of great places to eat: two great coffee / snack shops, a great pizza place, a top notch high end restaurant, a good burger joint, two amazing delis, two pubs with solid pub food, and decent thai and indian food right on the main strip. Just off campus are lots more options, including a great natural foods store. Plus, within a five-ten minute drive is North Adams, which is actually rapidly improving: they are opening this month a brand new 8 screen stadium style theater, there are 3-4 quality restaurants fairly new to town, and MassMoca hosts tons of amazing arts and culture events throughout the school year -- check out the calendar on-line. If between Williams, North Adams, and Williamstown you can't find a plethora of great things to do, you simply aren't doing any of your work or are not interesting in seeing what is around you. Obviously, Amherst has its advantages and proximity to Northampton provides a far greater range of restaurant and music options, and some will prefer that, but it is by no means a slam dunk either way, and Williamstown has just tons more culture, entertainment, and food options than essentially any other rural small town. There is a reason it hosts the most prestigious summer theater festival in the country. </p>
<p>(2) Facilities. Amherst has lots of newly re-done dorms, but other than that, the facilities at Williams are overall, I'd say, far better. Williams has an amazing new theater, studio art building, science complex, and (as of this month) two new or newly refurbished students centers -- all new in the last five years or so. The variety of spaces for both student events and outside speakers / musicians is now really amazing. Plus, just about every dorm at Williams has undergone a major renovation in the last 5-10 years. The only arguably sub-par facility (and it's far from atrocious) is the main humanities library, which is going to be demolished and replaced in the next five years, but that will benefit only those who are just starting high school. </p>
<p>(3) Winter Study -- you're paying the same price, but Williams gives you an extra month on campus, and it's usually the best month of the year -- a time to expand your academic horizons and enjoy college life without the pressure. I think that is actually a huge advantage for Williams. </p>
<p>(4) Size / five college (this ties into location). I know Amherst folks love to cite to the five college consortium, but I prefer the slightly larger volume of Williams students (and, I believe, on-campus events), and being a self-contained community. I wonder how many Amherst students actually become close friends with other students, or take more than 1-2 classes, at the other four colleges. I personally loved Williams intense sense of community, which continues into alumni-hood. It's especially fun as an alum to come back to Williamstown and immediately regain that same sense of community -- I'm not sure that Amherst has the same feeling, being immersed in a college town where UMass is the dominant presence. </p>
<p>I'm sure Amherst has an equally compelling list: the two schools are even in most ways, and are arch-rivals, for a reason. I think individual academic interests play a role as well. For instance, if you are on the fence but want to study math, art, economics or physics, Williams would be the way to go. Amherst has its own strengths that I am less qualified to opine on (although both are at least fairly strong in almost every department).</p>
<p>"(3) Winter Study -- you're paying the same price, but Williams gives you an extra month on campus, and it's usually the best month of the year -- a time to expand your academic horizons and enjoy college life without the pressure. I think that is actually a huge advantage for Williams."</p>
<p>Winter study was probably the main thing that made me choose Amherst over Williams. Amherst gave me a fellowship to travel/volunteer over winter break. Other people study (non-credit courses) on campus. Other people do winternships. Some work. Some, yes, chill out at home the whole time. There are options. If a school is already taking 8 months a year of my life, I want the freedom over the winter to volunteer at an orphanage in Mongolia or farm in central Africa. Yes, I love Amherst, and if I had chosen Williams, I bet I would have loved it just as much. But I would not want to spend my little bit of free time over a frigid cold winter in Williamstown. </p>
<p>I am taking a course which completely fascinates me at Hampshire this spring. I have quirky interests. Neither Williams nor Amherst could satisfy them on their own. For people like me, the 5-college consortium is a godsend. The 5-college consortium in no way detracts from the strong community feel of Amherst, however, though I do have friends at the other 5-colleges.</p>
<p>See how subjective it is, everyone?</p>
<p>Williams students have the option to design their own, off-campus January travel/study class, referred to as a "99" -- in addition to developing, proposing, and completing their own major. Financial aid/grants are available for both.</p>
<p>Freshman year they have to be on campus, no? Well regardless, Amherst students have the same options to develop, propose, and complete their own major - and, more freedom over January break. As I said, it's a matter of personal preference, I think Williams is a fantastic school.</p>
<p>There's something I've been meaning to ask (no malice intended), and now seems to be a good time.</p>
<p>Just what, makes Amherst special? A certain distinguishing quality, a field of excellence, a characteristic that embodies the Amherst spirit? I don't know, but personally i've never been able to pinpoint one, perhaps unregistered could tell me. I may be uninformed, but Amherst really just seems like a bastion of moderation.</p>
<p>Well, I think Amherst's true commitment to diversity (both racial and socioeconomic) sets it apart from the other small liberal arts colleges. Where else do minorities make up almost 40% of the incoming classes? That's been a big factor for me, since I come from one of the whitest states in the country.</p>
<p>If this thread is any indication, there's pretty impressive school spirit for both schools. That's a major plus for both. Being "Mortal Enemies" is fun. The alumni associations in my area do joint community service projects and jointly host the Biggest Little Game telecast, which says a lot about both schools, too.</p>
<p>Some people say that the candidate pools are very similar. I'm not so sure about that but I don't know enough to put my finger on it. The schools do have a different "feel." Visit if you can. You can visit both in a single day but it might be better to give each school a little more time than that -- perhaps a multiple day trip, adding Middlebury (two hours or so north of Williamstown) or one of the women's colleges near Amherst.</p>
<p>The only way I can describe the relationship between the two, based on my visit, is that they are two different "flavors" of LAC. They are arguably the two best LACs in the country, and you can't go wrong with either of them. It all comes down to personal preference. For a while, Williams was my first choice. After visiting, I had to reflect for a while on what I wanted out of my college experience, and I realized that I just wouldn't be able to deal with the rural setting of Williamstown. I also wanted to have as much freedom in exploring what a premier undergraduate institution had to offer in the classroom as possible, and Amherst's Open Curriculum affords me that power. </p>
<p>You will get an absolutely first-rate education at either school, as much personal attention as you want, and a great leg-up in Graduate school admissions and job recruitment. Nearly every faculty member at both schools holds the terminal degree in their field, and graduated from places like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, and Stanford, as well as other top graduate schools. </p>
<p>Simply put, both schools offer the highest level in education. The only differentiating factor lies in each applicant's preference. Visit the schools.</p>
<p>it also depends on what you want to study. williams has better arts history (best in the nation) and , in my opinion, better arts in general ;)</p>