<p>i'm leaning towards Brown's pass/fail classes...
what are some major pros and cons of each?</p>
<p>Brown has the “hippiest” vibe of the 3.
Williams is the most remote and outdoorsy, probably the most “jock” as a larger percentage of students play sports.
Can’t really go wrong, but they are all very different.</p>
<p>Swarthmore - intellectual/geek/indie hippies
Williams - outdoors/hiking/camping (yea, baby!!!), don’t mistake for prep though. 
Brown - ew, Ivy League…too mainstream for me! ;)</p>
<p>Williams has a very strong community feel. I am sure Swat does too. Brown less so. The entry system at Williams makes it easy for kids to find a group of friends right away, which was very important to my somewhat shy son.</p>
<p>D’s BF went to Brown and had a difficult time finding his tribe. He eventually did, but frosh year was challenging.</p>
<p>Swat seems most cohesive in politics, point of view, etc.</p>
<p>Each school is great.</p>
<p>Brown is a University, comparable to a number I can recount.</p>
<p>Swarthmore is a great LLC, but a frisbee school with many nerds.</p>
<p>WC is a great LLC with a great many circles, such that sustaining friendships may be a challenge, but is far from nerdy or freeky, but a downright great school filled with fun and filled with scholastic interest to challenge even those bored with the commonplace.</p>
<p>In the end, you must choose that school which is a fit for you. Knowing the school and knowing who you are is most important for both of you mutually. One of the problems we face is where students choose, not because of what we are, but who we are, the number one school in the nation among LLC’s, and yet many do not understand that being number one is nothing, other than in statistics, that each and every one of us must find ourselves within the school that best reflects who we are and where we fit within the realm of our personal possibilities. </p>
<p>Best wishes in your choice.</p>
<p>HR</p>
<p>On the specific topic of pass/fail courses.</p>
<p>Swarthmore’s entire first semester is pass/fail for all courses and all students. The theory is two-fold: to give new college students a chance to get their sea legs and to break excessive grade-obsession (“Teacher, teacher, is this going to be on the test?”). After the first semester, Swarthmore students can opt to take up to three more courses during college on a pass/fail basis.</p>
<p>Williams just approved, for the first time, a modified pass/fail option. They call it something like “Guadino Grades” or whatever. You can read about it in the current issue of the Williams Record:</p>
<p>[Faculty</a> approve Gaudino option for five-year trial : The Williams Record](<a href=“The Williams Record – The Student-Run Newspaper of Williams College Since 1887”>The Williams Record – The Student-Run Newspaper of Williams College Since 1887)</p>
<p>It sounds somewhat convoluted, so I wouldn’t try to characterize or summarize the specifics.</p>