<p>why is it that no one knows williams? is its #1 lac ranking not comparable to harvard.. as i see it or is williams really just a lac not really up to par with the ivies?<br>
also is the prestige and reputation recognized by law schools more so than a more popular boston college or ucla?</p>
<p>Don't say 'just a LAC'.</p>
<p>LAC's are another classification of schools, not a lesser one. Williams is comparable to a 2nd group Ivy, IMO. In a prestige fight - HYPSM > Williams; Penn/Dartmouth/Columbia/Brown = pretty comparable. But that is among people aware of academics. So for law schools, yes Williams >>>> BC; for bragging about getting in at your HS, probably BC > Williams.</p>
<p>Take a look at the (admittedly extremely limited) WSJ feeder school rankings, or look at the 'most common grad schools' list in the brochure. Williams is exceptional.</p>
<p>Williams is definitely not a "household" name like Harvard is, but it is considered to be one of the best schools in the country by those in academia. So yes, law schools will be very familiar with Williams, and a good GPA from Williams will make you stand out.</p>
<p>I would take Williams over an Ivy in a heartbeat. Just my preference, and I am an Ivy parent.</p>
<p>In the northeast, Williams (and Amherst) are considered to be essentially on a par with the Ivies. They're very well-known and well-respected here.</p>
<p>I would probably dispute your opening question, “why is it that no one knows williams?”</p>
<p>It may not be a household name, but among top high school students and especially for those in the northeast, it is extremely well known. Qualitatively, the students are on the same level as any of the Ivies and the school regularly wins cross-admit battles with those schools for students who like the smaller size of Williams and the close-knit environment that the school and the town fosters. Probably the only Ivy that is comparable to Williams is Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Williams’s academic strengths and graduate school placement ability is quite strong and the school is well appreciated in the for-profit world, especially Wall Street. One distinguishing aspect of the Williams experience is the interest and active participation of its students in the college’s athletic teams. Something like 40% of all students are involved in intercollegiate athletics. Culturally, I liken this to its southern peer, Davidson, which has a similar vibe to it and an even higher varsity-sport participation percentage (and on a Division I scale even though Davidson is only 2900 students). </p>
<p>I also think that Williams might win the award for “Cutest School Mascot.” How ‘bout those Purple Cows!</p>
<p>You will go to one of these schools, you will then have one of these jobs, you will buy one of these cars. That could be made for a Williams prospect.</p>
<p>FG13, Williams is a fabulous school, with a student body equal to that found at any of the Ivy's. People in academia will have heard of Williams and know of it's rigor. Your average "guy on the street" will say, "what, where?"</p>
<p>Alums include George Steinbrenner, Stephen Sondheim, Elia Kazan.</p>
<p>List</a> of Williams College people - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>
<p>Smart people and rich people will have heard of it.</p>
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You will go to one of these schools, you will then have one of these jobs, you will buy one of these cars. That could be made for a Williams prospect.
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<p>Heh heh...barrons, I liked that Audi A5 commercial...:)</p>
<p>Good commercial but I'm still not sold on Audi. Porsche uber alles.</p>
<p>I posted a similar thread this morning, "apples and oranges". I am having trouble determining how comparably ranked schools on the two main US News lists compare in terms of academic prestige/ grad school admissions.</p>
<p>Barrons - yeah, but not if you live in an area with any weather or you have a family. Plus Audi's are generally pretty much 'sleepers', where you shock people by how fast they are(at least with the S and R series), vs. the Boxster which looks faster than it is.</p>
<p>As cost increases - Audi/Porsche/Audi/Porsche/Audi/Porsche/Audi (A4/Boxster/S4/Carerra/A8/Cayman/R8).</p>
<p>Calgal - Generally student body strength gives a pretty good basis for comparison, so SAT/ACT scores and top 10% numbers can give a pretty solid glimpse into that.</p>
<p>Just because Williams doesn't have a Division I football team to make it a household name doesn't mean it isn't prestigious. Williams offers an awesome academic program that, in my opinion, would give you a better education than the Ivies.</p>
<p>Speaking of prestigious schools with good athletic teams--do you all think that the athletic scenes at schools like Duke and JHU and Georgetown make them out as better schools than they really are?</p>
<p>JHU has teams? I don't think most people are even aware of that stick game.</p>
<p>I went to a men's basketball game at JHU because my nephew was playing and the gym was smaller than my high school and only 50 people in the stands, obviously just parents of the players.</p>
<p>Its not really prestigious</p>
<p>Williams=Amherst=Dartmouth=Brown. Anyone working in grad school admissions, Wall St, consulting firms knows this.</p>