Williams vs. Amherst vs. Princeton for Pre-med

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi! I have a terribly difficult decision to make between these great schools (Williams, Amherst, Princeton). Financial aid is not a consideration. </p>

<p>Which ones do you recommend? There seems to be a lack of specific knowledge about the pre-med track at Williams on the forum (besides that it is great) and much of the information I have regarding pre-med @ Williams/Amherst found is a few years old. Princeton, I understand, has grade deflation which may be a deterrent.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Three good choices!</p>

<p>Williams has excellent medical school admissions counseling and an excellent track record of getting its students into top rated programs. This website is a good source of information on how Williams helps students prepare, apply and succeed in medical school admissions. <a href=“http://careers.williams.edu/grad-school/pre-health/”>http://careers.williams.edu/grad-school/pre-health/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you don’t find the answer to your specific question, write and ask.</p>

<p>As you probably know, pre-med isn’t a major at these schools. If you’re leaning toward sciences I would give Williams the edge over Amherst. Princeton vs Williams I’m not sure.</p>

<p>Although there’s a fair amount of overlap among the personalities of these three schools (which is what’s making your decision difficult) there is also a degree of differentiation in location, size, ambiance, environment. If you haven’t visited, do so. I’m sure one will rise to the top.</p>

<p>Also, financial comparisons may play a role. Medical school is costly, so if there’s a financial advantage of one over the others, consider it seriously.</p>

3

<p>Your GPA will probably be a bit higher at Amherst or Williams but this will not likely play any role in med school acceptance and I wouldn’t suggest it play a role in decision making. But Williamstown MA is not Princeton NJ by any stretch of the imagination. Location and tenor of school - night/day. I’d tell you to follow your heart. All great choices.</p>

4

<p>Well, definitely don’t make your decision based on the pre-med curriculum. These are literally the top two or three LACs in the country and one of the top 5 undergraduate programs at a national university in the country. You won’t have a problem getting into med school out of any one of them, if you do well.</p>

<p>Like 1190, I suggest that you select based on the location, atmosphere, and other aspects of the schools. Princeton is undergraduate-focused, but it’s still a large research university. Some of your entry-level pre-med classes will probably be quite large even at a medium-sized university (I know that some of ours, at Columbia, are quite large - and when I say that, I mean like 300 folks). They won’t be that big at Williams or Amherst - maybe 50 at best. Your labs at Princeton may or may not be taught by graduate students, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but may not be what you want. Not going to lie, graduate lab instructors tend to be inexperienced, frazzled, and freaking out a little bit (speaking from experience here. The first time I had taught a lab was my second time teaching anything, ever, and my first time responsible for an entire class. I did very well and got very good evaluations! But some days were a disastuh). On the other hand, they may be more enthusiastic about being in the classroom than your actual professors (I definitely was).</p>

<p>At an LAC, you do get small classes, closer relationships with professors (who are there for you, and not for research or grad students) and more personal attention and advising. You get to know more people in your class, too, and you form a tight-knit unit. I just scanned the annual giving statement from my alma mater and realized that I recognized the majority of the names from my class year of alumnae who had donated this year, and a lot from the year that graduated before and after me, too. On the other hand, a small LAC can feel a bit…tight, or old, after 2-3 years - I had this experience at my LAC. By senior year, I just felt like I knew everyone and had done everything and was ready to go.</p>

<p>They’re also different locations. Princeton is a suburb - it’s a really pretty, leafy suburb, but it’s about an hour and 15 minutes from NYC on the train (an easy train ride for a weekend trip or an aaagh-get-me-away-from-Princeton trip) and about an hour to Philadelphia. Amherst seems to be somewhere between suburban and rural - the towns of Amherst/Northampton/South Hadley seem to have a nice thriving vibe about them, but it’s still 2 hours from Boston - close enough for a weekend trip, but no quick jaunts in for a cheesesteak and a Broadway show. And Wiliamstown is quite rural. It’s nearly 3 hours from Boston, and I don’t get the sense that it’s a thriving little area like the towns around Amherst and the Five Colleges.</p>

<p>It’s more isolated than Amherst, which is another consideration. Although Amherst is small, you do have the other Five Colleges, which brings the total student population - and thus the total number of things to do and people to do them with - up by quite a bit. You’ll also have access to research university resources at UMass, and it’s pretty much guaranteed that the only section of orgo won’t be at 8 am. Williams is the only game in town, and orgo might just be at 8 am and you might just have to take it then.</p>

<p>If you were asking me, personally I would pick Amherst, which I think offers a really good balance of a thriving surrounding area without it being too big-city, and a small LAC with access to lots of other college students and the resources of a nearby research university.</p>

5

<p>With Williams and Amherst being the top 2 LACs, you will have no issue re med school.; same with Princeton.</p>

<p>Be careful about the GPA stuff - Williams and Amherst are also quietly grade deflation focused and with the difficulty of the science courses your GPA will probably be no different than at Princeton because Williams and Amherst have been tough grading for a long time; Princeton is only at the forefront because they made it public to distinguish from the other Ivys where grading is easier. </p>

<p>The med school admit rate for the LACs is above 90% - you should be fine. I do not know the admit are of Pton, but I doubt is it all that different being the #1 university - they are sought after students.</p>

<p>Class size is the key though - at Williams and Amherst, the size falls of fast after the freshman entry courses of about 40 - 50, but there are a few that are 60 - 70. An average class size of 25 is the norm after that. And the prof actually teaches the class, and you interact with professors - talking with or profs at office hours is the norm. At Pton, your interaction will be 95%+ with a TA. Everything at Pton is just larger and less personal. Not a negative, just a difference in learning style and environment.</p>

<p>Chances for quality research will be about the same, but the competition for spots is lower at Williams and Amherst, just because of size. In any of the schools, you will get opportunities.</p>

<p>And forget about med school angle - do well (3.5 or higher GPA) at any one and med school is a given. Do not panic, at those schools a 4.0 is not required to get into a tip top med school - med schools know about the tough grading systems, and they know you worked your butt of for that GPA. </p>

<p>You have great choices. At this level, no one school is better, just different. You cannot go wrong; visit and choose to the school and town environment, which you like. I assume you are going to the Preview days - enjoy choosing - you are in an enviable position.</p>

6

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<p>Some of the pre-med courses at Williams will be a bit bigger than that, with as many as 50-100 students (<a href=“Williams College”>http://web.williams.edu/admin/registrar//catalog/classsizeinfo/springsize14.html&lt;/a&gt;). At Princeton, some pre-med courses may have well over 100 students (<a href=“Course Offerings | Office of the Registrar”>https://registrar.princeton.edu/course-offerings/&lt;/a&gt;).</p>

<p>Although the med school admit rate for W or A may be as high as 90%, that figure probably does not account for all the students who change career plans at some point in the pre-med track. You’ll need to work hard at any of them for a good shot at med school admissions.</p>

7

<p>^^ Thanks for the correction - Williams is a slightly larger school by about 400 students, so the entry level courses will be somewhat larger, but after the first four intro science classes they fall off real fast.</p>

<p>Not sure the wash-out rate matters - the 90% admit rate is for students who have actually applied to med school. I assume the OP gets through the science courses and applies. </p>