<p>That is a great list of schools, I am a Williams grad so I am biased in that direction, but you can’t go wrong at any of the five. It seems to me like Yale would either be number one or number five on that list, since it is so different from the rest, and both in terms of size, institutional culture (a more serious and intense place, in my view), location (New Haven is VERY different from the other four locales), etc., it is readily distinguishable. </p>
<p>The other four present a closer call. Financial aid at Williams, Amherst and Yale is top notch. Carleton I don’t know about in that regard. Grinnell is probably good too since the school is uber-rich. But if you are Questbridge, and you are admitted as a Questbridge scholar, don’t you get a full-ride to any school that you are matched with, anyway? I thought that was how Questbridge works, but I could well be mistaken. In all events, at most of those schools, financial aid is very good. </p>
<p>Speaking to the four liberal arts schools on the list:</p>
<p>In terms of diversity, Williams and Amherst are both more diverse than either Grinnell or Carleton, particularly racially (around double the percentage of underepresented US minority students vs. Grinnell / Carleton). I think that Williams and Amherst are both more geographically diverse as well thanks to the national reputation / pull. None of those schools are particularly economically diverse, although both Amherst and Williams have been making a big effort to increase the number of first generation college students and Pell Grant recipients on campus, to the point where they are now at the top of the liberal arts category in these dimenions.</p>
<p>Williams is DEFINITELY a non-competitive place, and students are uber-supportive of one another. That will not be an issue for you at all. Academics, like at all of those schools, require a lot of work, but there is no competition at ALL when it comes to grades, and the campus, despite having a lot of folks who are very academically minded, is a relaxed, down-to-earth sort of place. The beautiful small-town environment and insular nature of the community is a plus in that regard, it is really a VERY supportive and congenial place. You will certainly meet a lot of interesting people as well. And yes, the school doesn’t take itself too seriously: hard to do so when your mascot is the purple cow. Look up traditions like Mountain Day, Winter Carnival, the well-known end-of-semester Williams Trivia contest, the Green Chicken, Free University during Winter Study, the Springstreakers, and so on, and you will see that the campus really embraces quirky traditions and personalities. Someone more acquainted with the other liberal arts schools will have to speak more to this dimension on those campuses, but I’d bet that all four are roughly similar in this regard. </p>
<p>It is nice to have a car on campus, I will say, but it’s certainly not a big deal since you will almost certainly have friends who have cars. Frosh can’t have cars in any event. There is plenty going on on campus and in town, but it is nice to get a way to escape the purple bubble for a day / weekend trip a few times per semester. Again, not something you need regular access to a car for, because you can always hitch a ride with folks who do, or use a college vehicle / Zipcar. </p>
<p>Try to visit Amherst when you are at Williams, only 1.5 hours away. After those two visits plus Carleton, I think you’ll have a much better sense. Good luck!</p>