Since I’ve learned so much from CC, I thought I’d give back a bit by sharing a second-hand report of my daughter’s recent visit to Williams in case it’s helpful to anyone else considering applying to the school. (Thankfully, she’s not obsessed with CC. LOL.)
On the plane ride up, her random seatmate was actually a Williams alumni who was also visiting the campus. She was pleasantly surprised, because nobody at her school has even heard of Williams.
While she thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, a couple of key things really stood out. First, she kept saying how much Williams seemed to care about their students - they continually stressed the support they offered before, during, and after their years at Williams. She felt this wasn’t just marketing spin - she felt truly cared about even in her brief visit. Quite a stark difference from our tour at the huge flagship school.
She was also impressed by the financial support they provided if you received any financial aid. While they are not a no-loan school, they cover so much - insurance, emergency dental issues, books, trips, internship costs - they even provide interview clothes or winter coats if needed. Since the EFC is already a stretch for us, this was quite reassuring; I’d hate for her to choose a school and then not be able to participate in activities/trips/internships due to financial constraints.
What made the biggest impression, though, was the faculty she met. She couldn’t believe how passionate they were about the school and particularly about their subject. One instructor had a tattoo based on her subject, while another couldn’t stop talking about his rats. She clearly was wow-ed by their enthusiasm and love for their discipline. She’s even considering a new double major after her visit.
She does have some concerns about the size and particularly the remoteness…but Williams is certainly on her short list. I haven’t seen her this excited for years -she has two other visits, though, so it will be interesting to compare the three experiences.