<p>The two schools are very, very similar. I chose Williams, personally, primarily because I preferred the vibe I got from the students -- I bet that is the single biggest factor in kids choosing between the two, and it really does depend on the individual. I'm sure lots of Williams folks would say they thought Amherst kids were arrogant and snobby, and lots of Amherst kids would say Williams kids were overly jocky, but neither view is really accurate, as no two student bodies in the country are more similar -- the differences are really much less tangible and difficult to define with a sweeping characterization. </p>
<p>In my mind, Williams has two big tangible advantages. First, as of next year, the facilities on campus are, overall, a little better. Williams is completing a major new, spectacular student center, and already renovated a smaller student center a few years back. Since 2000, Williams has also completed spectacular new science center and theater facilities. Once the new Student Center is finished, Williams will have a group of public gathering and performance spaces that no liberal arts school can compete with. Amherst is just in the planning stages of a major fund drive and will probably catch up in due course, but that is likely 5-7 years away. </p>
<p>The second, and most important, tangible advantage is Winter Study. In January, most Amherst kids are at home for an extended six week vacation, which may sound fun if you're in high school, but not when you're paying 40,000 grand to be around amazing peers and professors. At Williams, the vast bulk of students are on campus, using the time to take often-interesting classes outside their comfort zone, working on thesis, or just bonding and socializing to a degree not possible during the more academically rigorous semesters. I think that extra month a year of campus activity makes a huge difference in the overall quality of the college experience, and many Williams students' fondest memories of campus life date to Winter Study experiences.</p>
<p>Finally, I want to chime in on the location. There is undoubtedly more to do in the Amherst five-college area, in terms of restaurants and culture, than in Williamstown. But Williamstown is far from the cultural wasteland some are depicting. Between neighboring North Adams (five minutes away) and Williamstown, you have three major art museums (two of whom, the Clark and MassMoca, host lots of interesting musical and film series), the huge new theater complex, an independant movie theater in Williamstown (which hosts the great Williamstown Movie Festival each fall) as well as a regular theater in North Adams, several good bars and a pretty high volume of quality restaurants. MassMoca in North Adams, in particular, hosts tons of really cool events, including many good concerts, throughout the year, and there are other venues for live music in the area, notably Gideon's Nightery in North Adams. There isn't the volume or variety of events you have in Amherst/Northampton, but given how busy you are as a college student, you'll find plenty of distractions to keep you occupied, and I'd say most college student don't run out of enterainment options in the area. Moreover, Williams, cognizant of its location, makes a particular effort to bring in tons of great performers and speakers each year, and the on campus options will only multiply with a new movie theater and pub in the Student Center. Williams' campus now has a ton of great and varied performance spaces for different types of shows: student center space, Goodrich, The Log, the music center, Chapin, Currier Ballroom, and three spaces in the new theater, and I imagine all of that flexibility will allow for even more interesting campus musical, artistic, and film events. Not to mention, great golf, hiking, skiing, and orienteering right on or very close to campus.</p>