Williams College

Pros: Top school, small size, beautiful location, excellent resources, top sports program
Cons: Name recognition with the average joe, out in the middle of nowhere

I graduated from Williams in '99. I was an art major, and I ran XC and indoor/outdoor track. When I was in high school (public school in upstate NY, so I went through the Regents program), I just sort of coasted through and nobody paid me too much ...

Pros: Brilliant Professors, Energetic and Motivated Students, Superior Athletics, Great Fun!!
Cons: Small, Rural

I'm a freshman at Williams College, but I've been at this school for as long as I can remember. My father graduated in 1958, and I have two brothers that graduated in 1988 and 1992. To be honest, when I was applying to schools during my senior year...

Pros: nurturing environment, great professors, new changes happening
Cons: limited options, no name recognition, an expensive way to learn for the sake of learning

I love Williams. But after two years here, I need a break. That is why I am studying away this year. That is why a LOT of students study away (34% of the junior class is going away for a semester or a year).

Why I chose Williams...

Pros: Academically almost flawless.
Cons: What does it lead to?

I notice nothing but 5 star reviews thus far. I'll give Williams three for reasons I will explain.

First, I went there --class of '58 -- and I was instrumental in helping the school abolish its fraternity system. It was clear to me then that...

Pros: Beautiful campus, amazing faculty, tight-knit community, great peers
Cons: Isolated

I've been at Williams now for about a semester and I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised. Ecstatic even. To be honest, Williams was not my first choice, nor was it the type of school I was terribly interested in when I was applying. I had...

Pros: unparalleled education, fantastic classmates, great alumni
Cons: not ideal for uber-slackers, isolated, can be pre-professional

I will admit this from the outset: I was, at one point, a very disenchanted Williams student. As a minority and a liberal, I was heavily involved in petitioning for courses in Asian and Latino studies, in recruiting minority professors, and in creating...

Pros: small, fairly isolated, challenging courses, lots of opportunities
Cons: Your time here is what you make of it, but sometimes the school seems a little too small

As a freshman at Williams College, I feel that I have found the best-kept secret in the academic world. While the majority of my senior class went to schools in New England, few people on the West Coast have heard of this small and reasonably...

Pros: Unbeatable academics and extracurricular opportunities, gorgeous location, committed faculty, well-rounded students, innovative courses
Cons: It gets cold, the food is unexciting, and freshman need more non-alcoholic social activities

As all Williams alums know, James Garfield believed that "the ideal education is Mark Hopkins at one end of a log and a student at the other."

As we enter the 21st century, this philosophy remains important at Williams, yet not at...

Pros: Students, sports, and the "Dog House"
Cons: Weather

A fantastic place to truly push your limits mentally and physically. The academics, athletics, partying, and weather could kill a lesser man, but Williams is definitely a place that has shaped my life, and perspective on life in a very positive way....

Pros: Amazing professors, other students, dorms, facilities, many extracurriculars
Cons: cold weather, far away from major metropolitan area

I'm one of the lucky few who can truly say that they have found the right college for them. Williams is a wonderful place to spend 4 years of your life and most alumni keep in close contact with the school. The best part of Williams would have to...

Pros: great education, small town atmosphere
Cons: "tolerant" administration, rather preppy, and you may get 'stir crazy' there

Williams College, set in a cozy Northeast town in Western Massachusetts, could be close to being a picture-perfect postcard of a place. In the winters there, I still remember sitting on a couch in the Cold Springs Cafe on Spring Street, watching the...

Pros: Enjoy COLLEGE
Cons: Small, No one will know where it is

I graduated from Williams in 1993. The last 5 years I have been a graduate student at Harvard, and also been a resident advisor (tutor) at one of Harvard's dorms (House) for the last 2 years. I'm sure a lot has changed since I graduated, but after...

Pros: Prestigious, Top Quality Professors, Great Athletics
Cons: Isolated

I applied to Willams College a year ago thinking it was my dream school. I was accepted and attended one of the Williams Preview sessions. It seemed to be everything I expected. Brilliant professors, huge dorms, and a vibrant extra-curricular scene. The...

Pros: superb academic, friendly environment
Cons: location- but it's not that bad

I've been a student here at Williams for 7 months now, and I still have nothing to complain about. This school combines the best characteristics a school can have. The professors I have had are dedicated, highly qualified, easily accessible and always...

Pros: Lots of things to do, good crowd of people to hang with
Cons: Isolated and a little repetitive.

First of all, one has to acknowledge the geographical limits of Williams. To be frank, it's in the middle of frickin' nowhere. While this may be disadvantageous towards certain activities it's also quite condusive for many others. Also, fraternities and...