First-time poster asking for opinions on our son’s happy dilemma.
He loves the Williams vibe. This is his favorite by a narrow margin.
At Georgetown he’s been accepted into the School of Foreign Service, the quality of which he’s excited about, but he’s not yet necessarily ready to make a hard-and-fast professional decision.
At Cornell he’d be in Arts & Sciences.
Williams and Georgetown are the clear frontrunners at the moment. He’ll find out much more about all 4 schools this month on accepted students’ visits.
Financial aid on Williams & Amherst is comparable and generous. Cornell lags behind these two by about $2K a year and Georgetown is another $2K behind.
My wife and I are UC Berkeley grads who went to Ivies for grad school. Until now we’ve known very little about the LACs, so we’re coming here for some much-needed perspective. Thank you for reading!
All great schools! He will get a great education at any and should go to whichever he likes the most (unless financial aid makes a difference).
I went to Williams and loved it. The freshman entry system contributes to the wonderful feeling of community at Williams. Small classes are the norm. These can lead to close relationships with professors-- seriously, you might eat meals with them, visit their houses, know their families, as well as collaborate on research and serve on committees with them.
Congratulations to your son! The visits will likely be very helpful as these four schools have stellar academics but quite different settings:
Williams - remote; small town
Amherst - not quite as remote, with UMass Amherst, Hampshire, Mt Holyoke, and Smith nearby
Cornell - big school relative to the others
Georgetown - secluded campus, yet walking distance to the National Mall and a subway for the rest of metro DC
Thanks, GreyKing and magtf1! Good to hear of your enthusiasm for Williams, GreyKing. Just how remote and isolated does Williamstown feel? And what comparisons would anyone be willing to make on the quality/reputation for employers/grad schools of Georgetown v. Williams?
Amherst alum here. If your son wants to hedge his bets about career path, choose Williams or Amherst. If your son wants to be in a city or hates snow, choose Georgetown. If your son doesn’t mind living in a town with two restaurants, choose Williams. If your son is an athlete, Williams or Amherst are good choices. If you could see your son pursuing a PhD some day, Williams or Amherst produce many of them.
I live in DC. Plenty of Georgetown, Williams, and Amherst grads. The people I know are mostly lawyers (but not me) far along in their careers where their undergrad education is no longer a discriminator.
Personally I would choose Williams or Amherst but I’m a little biased. Lifelong learner type? Amherst or Williams. Pre-professional and DC-focused? Georgetown.
Amherst or Williams, IMO. My D chose Amherst because it felt less isolated, but in almost any way that matters, they are two sides of the same coin. Either will provide an incredible education and both will open doors to careers and graduate schools at the level of the top Ivy league schools.