<p>So lucky to have this choice, but it's a tough one. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Both are great schools and are common cross-admits. Dartmouth is probably more “fratty”, where at Williams (athletics are also prominent) there are no frats, so all students are somewhat more integrated (e.g. the “entry” system). My bias is toward Williams (at the pinnacle of SLAC’s). Nice choice to have!</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong either way. In terms of post-grad opportunities, prestige, reputation, overall academic excellence, they are equivalent and both as good as anywhere. If I were to rank the schools most similar to Williams, I would say Amherst, Middlebury, Dartmouth, probably in that order. They attract a fairly similar demographic / student type, really, other than the small, personal liberal arts school vs. larger university distinction (and the difference here is mitigated since Dartmouth is smaller than most of the ivies and like Williams fairly remote), I think it really comes down to an idiosyncratic, personal choice. Personally, I didn’t love Dartmouth as I found it a little more conservative, it had frats which Williams did not, and it just felt a tiny bit stuffier, like it took itself more seriously than Williams and its students tended to. But that was kind of a very rough feeling not based on anything really concrete. You could just as easily conclude that Williams doesn’t have the right feel for you. Talk to as many current undergrads at both as you can, and see which vibe suits you better. AGain, in terms of academics and prestige, they are really dead-even.</p>
<p>dartmouth is not after amherst or middlebury…that is pretty crazy to say</p>
<p>and “stuffy”? my visit to williamstown was definitely a one-time trip!</p>
<p>These schools are similar in a lot of respects, but offer completely contrasting philosophies with regard to coeducation and Greek organizations. Note that both schools were all-male, with a frat-dominated social life, throughout most of their history, until about 1970. At that time:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Williams totally abolished all frats (thereby discarding a great deal of history and tradition), and rebuilt itself as a completely coed institution. Men and women at Williams are socially integrated; in this regard Williams is now essentially indistinguishable from schools like Middlebury or Bates, which have been coed since the 1800s. </p></li>
<li><p>Dartmouth kept the old all-male frats (including their long history and tradition), but added new all-female sororities and coed groups as well. The single-sex Greek organizations continue to play a conspicuous and important role in Dartmouth social life, which means that there is much more social segregation of men and women. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Today, Dartmouth is famous for its Greek system; whereas at Williams, joining a frat or sorority is grounds for expulsion. Obviously people may have different preferences in this regard, but it’s certainly a difference to be aware of.</p>