Williams College Admission
Williams College Undergraduate Program
Williams College Application

The Facts

Williams College is a rather small, private institution that is one of the oldest colleges in the states, as it was founded in the year 1793. It offers students a classic, liberal arts education firmly rooted in a European-style collegiate setting. The school is located in the town of Williamstown, Massachusetts, and is home to over 2,000 undergraduate students and approximately 60 graduate students. These students are able to take courses in only the liberal arts and sciences; it is very much a classical, European-influenced education. The college’s academic divisions offer broad majors in the areas of biological science, communications ad the arts, (a large program with majors as diverse as art history and appreciation and Russian) computer and physical science, (which includes a unique program in astronomy) as well as the social sciences. Williams College offers its students a highly focused range of majors in the liberal arts and sciences, however, some of the most popular with students include majors in the areas of English, psychology, as well as economics.

Admission to Williams College is extremely competitive, and many many students are turned away each year. The competition is fierce among the many highly qualified applicants, who have often been at the very top of their class in high school. Last year, over 5,340 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 1,122 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 530 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming Fall semester. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1300 to an impressive 1390, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 28 to 33. Additionally, more than 99% of those admitted were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about a 4.0.

Williams College has an incredible student to faculty ratio of only 8:1, and the miniscule and intimate classes are what draws many students to the school in the first place. Classes are centered around spirited, scholarly discussion and debate, and the professors are quite tough on their students, demanding only the best on every paper, and in each class. Participation is the key here, but Williams students are certainly up for the challenge.

The Social Scene

The town of Williamstown is quite small, but quite beautiful and historic. It is a quaint, college town that offer students amenities such as coffee shops, book stores, as well as bars and restaurants. The college-packed city of Boston is not very far away, and many students head into the city on the weekends, if they are able to break away from their studies, in order to take advantage of the vibrant social and cultural life of the city. The college has no fraternities or sororities, and most students would rather keep it that way, as they aren’t really the party-going rambunctious type. They would rather head into Boston, or hang out in small groups chatting and having a good time.

The dating scene is a good one, if you can pull your nose out of your book for some perusing...

What’s Good

“I love the old-time, intellectual atmosphere at this college. As soon as you step on campus, you just want to learn.”

“The campus is gorgeous, and just walking from class to class is like a mini nature walk.”

“The classes are incredible, and I actually really look forward to going. Sometimes I can’t wait for the weekend to be over.”

What’s Bad

“There isn’t really much of a social scene here because you have no time to do anything but study.”

“People can get way too stressed out here about grades and classes; it leaks into every aspect of life here sometimes.”

“There are some people who can be pretty arrogant here. There is a lot of unnecessary competition.”

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