I am a prospective student athlete looking to chose between Williams and Amherst. I know both are great schools with a lot of overlap but I am having trouble deciding. Looking to major in economics and potentially end up in investment banking or at a large consulting firm.
Would definitely appreciate any and all perspectives on the differences between the two in terms of:
Economics major
Career path (investment banking or management consulting)
Williams has a larger department and graduate program in development economics, high production of Econ PhDs which raises the profile of the school. Amherst students can cross enroll at UMass.
Both are favorites with ibanks and management consulting
Amherst teams seem a little more tight nit, Williams seems to have a broader range of sports and club options
Similar, Williams has entry system which helps with creating more of a community, Amherst has special houses which allow for community as well
I think itâs pretty natural to have trouble deciding between schools that are so, so, so similar. Iâd probably let things like âfitâ be the tie-breaker: do you want a more open curriculum or do you like divisional requirements? Do you want more of a âcollege townâ feel with other schools nearby or do you like pastoral, idyllic rural living? Do you like all that is right and good in the world or do you prefer the school that, until 2016, had as its mascot a man who advocated that Native Americans be given smallpox-infected blankets to hasten their demise? (Kidding hereâprops to the 'Herst for ditching Lord Jeff!)
Both are wonderful colleges. In many ways, they are more similar than different, and a student who is happy at one almost surely would be happy at the other.
I know more about Williams, so I will answer your four questions about it.
Economics major:
One of the most popular majors at Williams and a well-regarded department in the field. One of Williamsâ only two tiny graduate programs (the other is in Art History) is in Development Economics, and it educates economic leaders from developing nations.
investment banking and consulting are two of the more popular career choices, and there is a great alumni network in these areas. Also, take a look at the Winter Study catalog online to see some of the January offerings.
student-athlete experience: I do not have direct experience in this area, so maybe others can offer more insight. The college has won the Directorâs Cup for the best Division 3 program more years than any other college. Also, Williams expects students to prioritize academics and be scholar-athletes.
How much athletes hang out with their teams versus their entries varies. Everyone does some activities with the entries, but teams also hang out, and it seems like certain groups of fall athletes (like the football team) spend more time with one another than with their entries.
The teams are the Ephs (rhymes with âchiefâ and âbeefâ), the mascot is the purple cow, and the song is âThe Mountains.â
social life/ party scene:
It is easy to make friends. Williams has a very warm, inclusive environment.
They also start the year in a great way. There are a week and a half of orientation activities before classes even start. There are formal activities with your âentryââ a dorm group of about 40 freshmen and their 3 or 4 junior advisors (unpaid student volunteers who are not involved in discipline, just helping freshmen get to know one another and the school).
There also are Ephventures, when you spend three days with another group doing activities together; the most popular option is backpacking, but there are other choices as well.
These make instant social groups.
Here is how you can make friends:
Entry mates tend to say what they are planning to do on their group chat- like going to dinner at 6, going to the snack bar, or meeting for a movie. Anyone in the entry can join the activity! (Or not, if they do not want to, but going to a lot of the activities helps you get to know people.)
Ephventures groups also get together afterwards for meals and parties.
It is common to leave a sport (whether varsity or a completely open club sport) or any other type of club meeting together and go eat the next meal together. So, many groups you will join lead to socialization, too.
People can walk out of class together and sometimes eat the next meal together, so you will make friends in class, too.
People are really welcoming. You can just walk into Mission Park dining hall and sit with a stranger or group of strangers and everyone will be friendly.
As far as parties go, they are plentiful. Yes, a party serving alcohol is easy to find if you want it. If you do not drink, no worries: you can either go to a party and just not drink- no one will pressure you or care- they will just enjoy hanging out with you whether you are drinking or not⊠or you can do other activities that do not involve alcohol. There are many people who do not drink, but also many that do.
It is also an intellectual type of place. People get into talking about ideas with one another, and they really love learning. Classes and professors are amazing, too.
Pros to Amherst:
the completely open curriculum- study what you want and do not worry about distribution requirements,
more âcivilizationâ in its town and surrounding towns- e.g., you can find a Trader Joeâs nearby, etc., yet it still has mountain views,
the five college consortium allows you to take courses and get involved in clubs and activities at five colleges, expanding your opportunities and combining the benefits of a small college experience with the opportunities of a larger university,
if you are a heterosexual male, the fact that the five college consortium includes two all-womenâs colleges may be a plus,
shorter drive to it from locations south of it.
And I am sure that the economics department and career opportunities from Amherst are also excellent. Williams and Amherst are peer schools in every way.
If possible, visit both colleges and see which suits you better. You canât go wrong either way!
I can only comment on the athletic experienceâŠmy daughter is a soccer player. She is having the time of her life, says everyone is so niceâŠso unusual for a team. They are almost always together, meals, studying, etcâŠthere is a tight bond with the other freshman in her class and they seem to do everything as a unit. Not only do they practice together they have all these other events as a team. Sunday/Funday, Kalegates, etcâŠshe went there not knowing anyone from very far away and from day one basically got 30 new sisters.
Big game this Saturday against AmherstâŠgoing to be fun to watch.
Both colleges have grown more diverse over the years but, Amherst is probably leading the pack at this point which can mean a more disputative atmosphere. Iâm glad that Amherst changed the name of its mascot, but, it only happened because URMs raised the issue and stuck with it until the trustees listened to them.
Not only URMs @circuitrider. The vast majority of the student body (83%) AND alumni voted to get rid of Lord Jeff. The (college owned) Inn is next, by the way - next year it becomes The Inn on Boltwood.
I see Amherst College & Williams College as distinguishable based on type of location & level of intensity/competitiveness among the student body. My impression is that after a potential applicant visits each school, that one will develop a clear preference. No wrong choiceâjust a question of better fit.
@Publisher - Have you actually ever set foot on either campus? I ask because in other threads you have stated that you donât âhave very much experienceâ with them.
By U.S. News supplied data, these schools place second (Williams) and third (Amherst) among the ten NESCAC LACs in early career earnings. With this as one of the few available numerical indicators of career prospects, thereâd be little to distinguish these excellent colleges in this area.
Since they are both great academic schools, if you were my child I would advise you to base your decision on how you fit in with your potential teammates. I would also recommend that you research to see if the team has had quite a few kids over the past couple of years either quit the team or transfer to another college. Depending on your sport, this research will make your decision easier.
^Isolated, sureâ Williamstown is certainly far from a city and does not have much in the way of nearby big box stores and chain restaurants, which may bother some. Others will find that its natural scenic beauty and culturally vibrant museums/ festivals/ college make it an appealing place to live.
But it is not depressed. It is a sweet little village which consists of mainly students, professors, professorsâ children, and others associated with or serving the college or the nearby museums and theatre and music festivals. It has boutique stores, independent restaurants, a one-movie-at-a-time movie theatre, famous art museums and a theatre festival, etc.
Nearby North Adams- 15 minutes or so away by car- is a former mill town that once would certainly have been called depressed, but now could be described as recovering and revitalizing. I posted another thread on the Williams board here with a New York Times article that described the area quite favorably! Williams students with cars might go to North Adams for the famous contemporary art museum there, or visit its Walmartâs, or do community service there, but it is not within walking distance so is not a big factor in college life for many students.
You donât go to Williams if you want to live in a city during college, and many who do go to Williams are specifically attracted to the gorgeous mountain setting.