I hear you and I love UNC. I would be sad for him to turn it down but I am also feeling like the Williams smaller environment will probably be the best fit for his personality. He also got in UCSD which looks beautiful by the beach and has a great reputation but again a much larger school -
However - my son is having a slight ostrich head in the sand moment and isn’t progressing with his decision as fast as I would like- I hope the previews focus the mind 
Yes you are right. He has definitely really thrived in his smaller NE boarding school! At the moment he is leaning towards Williams - but there is a rumour running around his HS that only athletes on teams fit in socially at Williams and everyone else is on the side - my son is sporty and could probably walk on golf team but isn’t a recruited athlete. I told him that “rumour” sounds crazy to me and socially he would be fine as he is an outgoing, sporty, sociable kid with loads of friends at his current school- any insights to refute this rumour much appreciated !
Agree that the rumor sounds crazy, most of campus leadership roles including JAs are non athletes.
My son was outdoorsy and active in dis-organized🙂 sports. Maybe it was luck but he met up with a simpatico group on day one which continued throughout his time at Williams.
They’re now all happily established in various careers throughout the country but still close. He says the mainstay of social life at Williams was hanging out with friends in the common room plus some midnight broomball or tobogganing.
The size of the entries has changed since my son’s time, but generally the JAs did a great job of organizing activities and including anyone who wanted to be included. Always a group for dinner.
Later he became a JA himself and although his JA class did include varsity athletes— both male and female — most were just energetic and helpful kids.
To be completely honest, I noted the impact of athletes in these brief comments on Williams partly because of something unfavorable I read at that time, perhaps in the Williams Record: Struggling with D21's List. ED & ED2: Amherst, Hamilton, Wellesley, Vassar - #7 by merc81. Nonetheless, I’ve not heard anything of a degree that would keep me from recommending Williams for your son as you describe him.
FWIW, I have 2 sons at Williams and they have loved it. Several singing groups there and one of the top-rated golf course is right next to campus.
thanks - yes I have heard it’s a great golf course, and my son is in touch with the music faculty - we are revisiting for previews this weekend- looking forward to it. My son says he is between Williams and UNC in his decision -
i think it will be small v big, rural v college town, cold v warm coming into play. I now have my own preference but want him to make his mind up (hopefully quite soon :))
I think it is Williams vs UNC at this point. Great choices! Cannot go wrong with either. I will say this though, when I travel internationally, and I do travel to Asia and Europe at least 2-3 times each year, most people I interact with are not familiar with selective LACs here in the US. They are much more familiar with schools like UNC, UT, Michigan, UVA etc. Plus, the usual ones like Harvard, Yale and so on. I would go on and say that this is probably also true for a lot of Americans.
How this translates into a career advantage or disadvantage, I cannot comment on that. But, I have always wondered!
For grad school placement and jobs in finance would give Williams the nod, if you look at banking, private equity and law firm partners, Williams is more well known and highly regarded.
S23 committed to Williams- v excited ! It’s a great great fit. So sad to say no to UNC though -
Great news! Congratulations.
I wish your son the absolute best of luck at Williams, @Londonkid2!
Awesome, congrats!
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.