My daughter is interested in Williams. She is an athlete but also wants to participate in other activities. I noticed that Williams schedules athletics from 4-6pm. Are other extracurricular activities generally held at the same time, or could an athlete also participate in something like one of the a capella singing groups? And is there enough time in the day for athletics, classes and homework, and other activities?
It’s definitely challenging during one’s season, but athletes across the board can and often do participate in other extracurricular activities. Folks adjust to their different needs but most find ways to make time for all their coursework, teams, and other activities.
Williams has a huge number of students who are athletes, and those athletes are also doing other things. A coach may have restrictions but I doubt many ban other activities.
The a cappella groups run themselves, and meet whenever they can get everyone together, not easy for Williams students. My daughter’s a cappella group worked around the schedules of athletes, musicians, and students participating in other activities–sometimes they’d rehearse at 10:00 at night. All Williams students seemed (to me) to be extraordinary–balancing studies, work, sports, music, community service and social life. And, judging by my daughter and her friends (Class of 2016), that doesn’t stop once they graduate.
There are 9 student-run a cappella groups, with differing rehearsal times based on their members. MY DD is in one. They have athletes, researchers, seniors doing theses, students with jobs, etc. I’m sure if singing is your DD’s thing, she’ll find a group, as long as she’s upfront with her athletic requirements for scheduling. And I agree with Kidstart. It’s amazing what these students accomplish in the course of a week. If your DD doesn’t get into an a cappella group she wants, there’s also the music dept.-organized Concert Choir, too. The music director, Brad Wells, is Grammy-winning and world-class.
I second ivegraduatedmom’s comment regarding Brad Wells and the Concert Choir. It is a wonderful ensemble and Brad is an extraordinary conductor. I was impressed with all the music department ensembles that I heard
at Williams.
Me, too. The music department is truly one of Williams’ quiet superpowers that doesn’t get promoted like econ or math. A large number of world-class profs and performance teachers and professional performance opportunities. And all the more remarkable that it’s an open department. (For those who don’t understand “open,” as long as you do the prereqs, you can take any classes you want without being a major, except for the senior thesis. And you can take fantastic performance lessons for free as long as you pass an audition.) It’s why my DD is there. She’s a double in English (creative writing) and Music (composition).
Thank you for the information, everyone! Sound like a wonderful school.