Williams vs. Yale

<p>I was looking into colleges recently and I was stuck between Williams and Yale. Do you know the differences between the people, campus vibe? Also I have straight A's (maybe one B) and an SAT score of 2150. I am also a soon to be Eagle Scout, concertmaster of my school orchestra, and an intern for a congresswoman. What are my chances of getting into either? Thanks a lot guys!!!</p>

<p>There’s been several threads on this already, just google your post title. From glancing at your stats I’d say you have a shot at Williams and little chance of admission at Yale.</p>

<p>I’ll check it out!! Thanks a lot!</p>

<p>I know a current student who chose Williams over Yale (and I’m sure there are several others, too). I think the primary difference would be the fact that Williams focuses more on undergraduate experience. Your classes will be more involved, your professors more eager to teach and get to know you, and your overall education experience a lot more positive. Of course, it’s important to visit both schools -especially Williams. Try to do an overnight stay because I think the best thing Williams has to offer is it’s overall environment and student community. Everyone here is seriously great -students, staff, professors -that’s not at all an exaggeration. Also, if you’re thinking about grad school, Williams students are in the top five feeder schools that send students into elite schools for law, medicine, business, and everything else.
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<p>You are just looking into colleges recently and you have an SAT score of 2150 as of September? Are you a junior or senior?</p>

<p>JackTornson mentions on another post that he is also prospective Williams student (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/williams-college/1544005-am-i-good-fit-williams.html#post16298408[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/williams-college/1544005-am-i-good-fit-williams.html#post16298408&lt;/a&gt;). Therefore, he can’t possibly tell you whether you have a good chance at getting into Yale or Williams. Coming to College Confidential is not a good place to come to get an evaluation of your admissions chances, especially since most of those who will evaluate you are high schoolers.</p>

<p>I’m not an admissions officer either, but have been an alumni interviewer for more than 30 years for another Ivy school, which has very similar admissions standards to Yale, and can tell you that you do have a shot at Yale, although everyone who doesn’t have a Likely letter in hand should consider Yale a reach, because no one has a high chance of getting in.</p>

<p>Regarding Yale vs. Williams, the difference is really night and day. Yale is in New Haven, a gritty city. Williams is in a picturesque town, surrounded by mountains. Some will find Williams’s location to be boring and Yale’s to be exciting, while some will not want to be in a downtrodden city like New Haven, and would prefer to hike the Appalachian Trail after class.</p>

<p>Yale is larger and has numerous graduate schools/programs in addition to a great undergraduate program. Williams has no graduate program, but a great undergraduate program. Williams will have no grad students teaching, while Yale will have some. By the same token, there will be far more internationally-prominent professors at Yale than at Williams.</p>

<p>Visit both to learn more, and also think about which environment best suits you.</p>

<p>Thanks for your smart informed input on this Boondocks. My D also has Williams and Yale at the top of her (lengthy and thus far unedited) college list, although she is not so much torn between the two, as torn among the fifteen. She attended an overnight conference at Yale last June and was smitten. The way she describes standing in an old stone courtyard listening to the bells of Harkness Tower gives me goosebumps. Well almost. Next week she flies to Williams for 3 days on campus and I fear she will love it as much, albeit differently. Over the next two months she also has fly-ins to Bowdoin, Amherst and several others. It may seem odd to us old folk but I think an open-minded curious 17 year in love with a variety of experiences and the life of the mind can actually feel equally attracted to Yale and Williams or Chicago and Pomona or Swarthmore and … at least for my D she seems (at least so far) to see equal value in the very different benefits of a Yale or a Williams just as you describe those opposing qualities. Go with your gut doesn’t seem to work in her case, since her gut seems as indecisive as her brain. Maybe she doesn’t know herself well enough and will by next spring when options are real. Probably no wrong choices in these cases.</p>