<p>It does not seem like it to me after visiting campus and reading about it on here. However, my parents are both adamant in decrying it as an elitist institution where you will not fit in unless you have lots of money and know the ways of the rich. Williams is my top school so I really need to know is Williams College Elitist and also is it hard to fit in if you have the money, but none of the socials skills of being rich?</p>
<p>Williams College does accept many private school kids, and many kids from public schools have never even heard of liberal arts colleges. That’s definitely true. However, half the people I know are on financial aid and feel no shame about the fact. Of course Williams has prep school kids who are accustomed to their wealthy lifestyle, but so does every college or university. It’s not like anyone is going to shun you for not being rich.</p>
<p>My daughter is not from a wealthy home (upper middle class) and she receives financial aid. No issues on campus. Lots of friends with various income levels.</p>
<p>what others have said. When over half the student body is receiving financial aid, and a substantial percentage (around 20 percent) are receiving Pell Grants, it goes without saying that you can fit in if you are not wealthy. Your parents are probably familiar with Williams from a generation ago, when it was a totally different place: Williams has more than twice the percentage of minority students than it had just 20 years ago, for example, and has made a conscious effort to recruit first-generation applicants (typically have one of the highest percentages of first-generation college students among any liberal arts school). I also think that Williams scares off at least SOME elitist people from applying, who instead choose Ivies rather than a school which is relatively unknown to the general public. Finally, I’ll note that, even if you have a lot of money, it’s not like it will necessarily be readily apparent on campus – there aren’t a lot of places to spend big bucks in Billsville, after all, the campus aesthetic tends to run more towards jeans and plaid shirts over uber-expensive attire, and first year students are not permitted to have cars on campus.</p>
<p>Agree with the ^ posts.</p>
<p>S is planning to apply to Williams and we are $0 EFC. He had an absolutely incredible experience there over the summer: a completely free, week long Math Camp led by a Williams prof. Admission was based on essays, stats, and transcript. The weirdest thing about it was that there was not one question asked about finances. Of the 18 kids accepted most came from public HS but it was not geared toward any specific income bracket. Obviously the “best” schools are found in the “best” school districts so these kids get higher scores but kids like S find their way there, as well. And once they get there they are made to feel at home. S spent a couple bucks on ice cream / coffee shop but other than that there is nowhere to even spend money. The college student assistants and other staff were welcoming, accessible and down-to-earth. S said kids made no show whatsoever of having – or not having – wealth. It only cost us the gas money it took to take him there and back.</p>
<p>In sum, my impression is that Williams (as the rich insititution which it is) not only doesn’t need to be need-aware for admissions, they actually go out of their way to attract lower-income students. I hope this impression is correct because it is high on our S’s list!</p>
<p>I went to Williams and didn’t have any money and was fine. Rich people are rich people, and there are plenty of them at every “prestigious” school (and many not-so-prestigious ones), but they’re paying everyone else’s tuitions, so whatevs.</p>
<p>I went to USC and was on financial aid. One day my tennis partner and I ran out of balls and we walked to his car where he had an extra can of balls. Imagine my shock when his car was a Mercedes-Benz AMG. I had no idea that he was the son of some diplomat. He was just a cool guy. </p>
<p>You will find rich kids at every school. If they are jerks and want you to feel uncomfortable, it won’t be because of the household income.</p>
<p>Besides, as Bill Cosby once said on The Cosby Show, “your mom and I are rich. you kids are poor.”</p>
<p>Williams College is a brand. It is perhaps the most “branded” school in the United States. Ownership of nearly the entire local area has made it much more economically and socially dominant than a place like Amherst. The school is insular and very athletically oriented. One of the best D3 athletic schools in the USA, with many sports breaking out in the top 10 in the nation. Great academics and facilities. It is a dorm style system, students live on campus. Students are almost entirely 17-23 with very little age diversity. Williams gives many a sense of loyalty to the school borders on extreme, and that is by design. The school definitely impacts people much more than people impact it.</p>
<p>It depends on what you are looking for? If you want to be surrounded by social diversity then I would recommend Amherst or an Ivy… if you want a really intense bonding experience with a hyper elite institution, Williams is a great experience. </p>
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<p>i lol’d.</p>
<p>My alum wife said the rich vibe is old money–the type where you drive beat up old station wagons and LL Bean clothes. I think the lack of Greek life and being out there in isolated rural splendor tamps down on pretentiousness. It’s kind of we’re all in this together. </p>
<p>Someone define “elite” and then “rich”.</p>
<p>I have a few Ephs in my family. They seem more pop-grundge than elite. But yeah, they make quite a bit of dough for hard work.</p>
<p>“It is perhaps the most “branded” school in the United States. Ownership of nearly the entire local area has made it much more economically and socially dominant than a place like Amherst. The school is insular and very athletically oriented.” This is so accurate. Williamstown exists/functions because of Williams College. </p>
<p>OP, seems like you’ve had plenty of responses since last January. As a parent of a low income Williams student, I can tell you that a visit to campus squashed any concerns I might have had about ‘elite’ culture. The admissions director met us in a sweatshirt (Williams sweatshirt of course ;)). The student performances were incredibly eclectic with perhaps even a majority of black and brown faces. All students and faculty are down to earth, welcoming, and everyone just seems healthy and happy. My daughter made closer friends in her first month at Williams than she had in four years of HS, and her overwhelming response (as frequently reported to me in texts with lots of !!!) was how brilliant and interesting everyone is. She only learns about other students’ socioeconomic situation by accident. Hopefully you’ve convinced your parents by now; if not and you are admitted, next April’s previews will do that job for you! </p>
<p>These opinions are very helpful. Thank you. Older S went to college in a big city and his lack of a credit card was obvious. But this made my S respect the first gen kids who truly scraped to get admission. We don’t use the term rich kids. We call them credit card kids and they aren’t in my kid’s work your ass off, Wall Street network. Williams sounds like a level playing field. </p>
<p>The nice thing about Williamstown is there isn’t that much to spend your money on.</p>