<p>I'm having a hard time deciding between Williams and Penn. I don't really care about either school's setting except for employment / internship opportunities - both campuses are nice. I'm mainly interested in math/finance/chemical engineering, of which I'll choose one depending on where I end up going.</p>
<p>I got into Penn Engineering, but by the end of freshman year I plan to transfer into M&T or at least attempt to get a normal dual degree in Engineering/Wharton. I think that Penn offers more undergraduate experiences such as internships due to 1) name recognition and 2) being in the city. I also got into the Rachleff Scholars program, which will guarantee me research opportunities every summer, making Penn's STEM research better for me than Williams.</p>
<p>Williams offers an amazing education that is, to my knowledge, slightly superior in quality to Penn's with its tutorials and such; however, I've heard the difficulty is extremely high, probably a bit harder than Penn. I'm planning on majoring in math or chemistry and attempting to get a job in finance or studying math/chemical engineering in grad school. Also, along with the difficulty, I feel that since Williams is in "the middle of nowhere", it will be harder to get opportunities until after I graduate. And since I'm neither a big athlete nor a drinker, I fear that I won't fit in well.</p>
<p>I'm visiting Penn for Quaker Days and going to Williams Previews this month - hopefully I get a tangible feel so I know where I belong.</p>
<p>Please correct anything I said you believe to be false - these sentiments are a compilation of what i've heard, read, etc. so your advice will be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>sorry for being unclear - my question is: should I choose Williams or Penn? have i gotten any details wrong in my post above? are there any perspectives that i’m missing?</p>
<p>Your choice is between a large, urban university within walking distance of a rather dour segregated neighborhood or a much smaller college in a summer resort town. The academics seem to be a wash. You’re the only person who can answer which is the best fit for you.</p>
<p>These schools couldn’t be more different in environment, both physical and cultural, so after visiting your choice will most likely become clearer.</p>
<p>Williams’ rural setting can be a either a plus or a minus. You’ll know how you feel about it when you’re there. For my son it was a positive: he liked the insular, focused environment, and even though it was appealing to breakaway to New York or Boston once or twice a term, he was always glad to return to Williamstown and the Berkshires. (Being in the middle of profound natural beauty is not exactly in the middle of nowhere. It depends on your perspective.)</p>
<p>Whether or not you go directly into engineering school or pursue a liberal arts degree is a big decision that only you can make, one that will have the most impact on your career path. Engineering isn’t something that you should be ambivalent about as it requires a serious commitment. </p>
<p>If you’re interested in exploring math, economics and chemistry Williams is an excellent choice. You can double (or even triple) major or make up your mind as your interests evolve. For undergraduate engineering Williams isn’t an option.</p>
<p>Williams students do well in securing summer jobs, internships and entry level jobs after graduation. The alumni/ae network is wide and deep and career and graduate school counseling – both structured and informal – is readily available. Employers and graduate school admissions know Williams.</p>
<p>Williams certainly doesn’t have more of a drinking culture than Penn. You will have just as many summer internship opportunities coming from Williams as you would coming from Penn, at least in the typical case, although it sounds like you may have a special scholarship from Penn which may guarantee more opportunities than typical, which of course is something to take into account. As for academic research-based internships, both during the school year and during the summer, Williams wins hands-down – no school, and certainly no university, can top Williams in terms of opportunities for undergrads to engage in research directly with faculty members. At Penn, you’d be competing with grad students for those same opportunities. Off-campus internships during the school year, there, obviously, Philly provides a big advantage, but I think most students are far too busy in all events to avail themselves of those opportunities. </p>
<p>Agree with others that there are SUCH stark differences that it seems like the choice should be fairly easy to make. If you think you want to major in engineering, well, Williams simply isn’t even an option, really. If you want to major in math or chemistry (especially math) and then postpone a more professional focus, I think Williams is the better option. But not SO much better that you should choose Williams over Penn if you prefer an urban, large-university environment. </p>
<p>I definitely second Ephman on this one. Yes, you have a guaranteed research opportunity or whatever at Penn, but almost all competent chemistry students (not sure about math) who are interested in research can get a paid position doing significant work. Williams simply blows Penn out of the water for internship opportunities. If you’re really interested in finance or academia, go to Williams. If you want engineering, go to Penn. But don’t forget that though your chem or math degree from Williams will not directly prepare you for a job in the industry, it can still set you up nicely for top graduate programs in engineering.</p>