School Description

Provided by Williams College

Established in 1793 with funds bequeathed by Colonel Ephraim Williams, the college is private, residential, and liberal arts, with graduate programs in the history of art and in development economics. The undergraduate enrollment is approximately 2,000 students.

Williams seeks to provide the finest possible liberal arts education by nurturing in students the academic and civic virtues, and their related traits of character. Academic virtues include the capacities to explore widely and deeply, think critically, reason empirically, express clearly, and connect ideas creatively. Civic virtues include commitment to engage both the broad public realm and community life, and the skills to do so effectively. These virtues, in turn, have associated traits of character. For example, free inquiry requires open-mindedness, and commitment to community draws on concern for others.

There are three academic divisions (humanities, sciences, social sciences), 24 departments, 33 majors, plus concentrations and special programs. The student:faculty ratio is 7:1. The academic year consists of two four-course semesters plus a one-course January term.

Fraternities were phased out beginning in 1962. Coeducation was adopted in 1970. The school color is purple. The mascot is the Purple Cow. Sports teams are called "Ephs."

Williamstown is located in the Berkshires in northwestern Massachusetts, 135 miles from Boston and 165 miles from New York City.

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Williams College

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Williams was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams as a men's college, located in the Berkshires in northwestern Massachusetts, at the foot of Mount Greylock. In 1834, the first non-secret fraternity in the United States, Delta Upsilon, was founded on its campus. Fraternities were phased out beginning in 1962. The college became coeducational in 1970. Williams forms part of the historic Little Three colleges, along with Wesleyan University and Amherst College.

There are three academic curricular divisions (humanities, sciences, and social sciences), 24 departments, 33 majors, and two small master's degree programs in art history and development economics. There are 315 voting faculty members, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 7:1. Williams College is ranked first among liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report with rival Amherst College. As of 2008, the school has an enrollment of 1,997 undergraduate students and 49 graduate students.

The academic year follows a 4-1-4 schedule of two four-course semesters plus a one-course "winter study" term in January. An intensive summer research schedule involves about 200 students on campus doing projects with professors.

History

Colonel Ephraim Williams was an officer in the Massachusetts militia and a member of a prominent landowning family. His will included a bequest to support and maintain a free school to be established in the town of West Hoosac, Massachusetts, provided that the town change its name to Williamstown. Williams was killed at the Battle of Lake George on September 8, 1755.

After Shays' Rebellion, the Williamstown Free School opened with 15 students on October 26, 1791. The first president was Ebenezer Fitch. Not long after its founding, the trustees of the school petitioned the Massachusetts legislature to convert the free school to a tuition-based college. The legislature agreed and on June 22, 1793, Williams College was chartered. It was the second college to be founded in Massachusetts.

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Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Northeast
Setting:
Small Town Setting
Type:
Private
Size:
Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad)
Mascot:
Ephs

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
2,106
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
100%
Athletic Programs:
Available
> More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 31,548
Students Receiving Aid:
46%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 60
Selectivity:
Most Selective
> More Admissions

Degree Programs at Williams College

Bachelor's Level Programs

  • Arts & Humanities

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    • English Language and Literature See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
      • English Language and Literature
        A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples.
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    • Film and Theater See more schools with programs in Film and Theater
      • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts
        A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions.
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    • Foreign Languages See more schools with programs in Foreign Languages
      • Chinese Language and Literature
        Students in this major study the Chinese language and its associated dialects and literature, including Chinese philology, Archaic and Classical Chinese, Modern Standard Chinese (Guóyu), Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Wu, Min, Hunanese, Hakka, other dialects and pidgins, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • Classics and Languages, Literatures and Linguistics
        This general program focuses on the literary culture of the ancient Graeco-Roman world and the Greek and Latin languages and literatures and their development prior to the fall of the Roman Empire.
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      • Comparative Literature
        A program that focuses on two or more literary traditions in the original languages or in translation. Includes instruction in comparative linguistics; applicable foreign languages; English/French language and literature; literary criticism; and applications to genre, period, national, and textual studies as well as literary forms such as poetry, prose, and drama.
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      • French Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Includes instruction in French philology, Metropolitan French, Canadian French, African and Caribbean Creoles, French regional dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • German Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the German language and related dialects as used in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, neighboring European countries containing German-speaking minorities, and elsewhere. Includes instruction in German philology; Old, Middle, and High German; Plattdeutsch and other regional dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • Japanese Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the Japanese language. Includes instruction in Japanese philology; Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Japanese; Japanese dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • Russian Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the Russian language. Includes instruction in Russian philology, Old Russian, Modern Russian and dialects, literature, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • Spanish Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in Spanish philology, Modern Castillan, various Latin American dialects, regional Spanish dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
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    • History See more schools with programs in History
      • History
        A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.
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    • Music See more schools with programs in Music
      • General Music
        A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media.
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    • Philosophy See more schools with programs in Philosophy
      • General Philosophy
        A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines.
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    • Religion/Religious Studies See more schools with programs in Religion/Religious Studies
      • General Religion/Religious Studies
        A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior.
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    • Visual Arts See more schools with programs in Visual Arts
      • Art/Art Studies
        Art and Art Studies is a general, introductory program that focuses on the study and appreciation of the visual arts. Students of these two or four year programs receive instruction in art, photography, and other visual communications media.
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  • Interdisciplinary Studies

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    • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies
      Any instructional program that is derived from two or more distinct programs to provide a cross-cutting focus on a subject concentration that is not subsumed under a single discipline or occupational field.
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  • Life Science

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    • Biology See more schools with programs in Biology
      • Biology/Biological Sciences
        Students in this program study general biology at an introductory level. This major provides students with a broad overview of biology and includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations.
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  • Mathematics and Statistics

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    • General Mathematics
      A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations.
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  • Natural Sciences

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    • Astronomy and Astrophysics See more schools with programs in Astronomy and Astrophysics
      • Astronomy
        Astronomy is a general program lasting anywhere from four to eight years that focuses on the planetary, galactic, and stellar phenomena occurring in outer space. Astronomy students are taught celestial mechanics, cosmology, stellar physics, galactic evolution, quasars, stellar distribution and motion, interstellar medium, atomic and molecular constituents of astronomical phenomena, planetary science, solar system evolution, and specific methodologies such as optical astronomy, radioastronomy, and theoretical astronomy.
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      • Astrophysics
        Astrophysics studies the structure, properties, and behavior of stars, star systems and clusters, stellar life cycles, and related phenomena. Instruction in Astrophysics includes coursework in cosmology, plasma kinetics, stellar physics, convolution and non-equilibrium radiation transfer theory, non-Euclidean geometries, mathematical modeling, galactic structure theory, and relativistic astronomy.
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    • Chemistry See more schools with programs in Chemistry
      • General Chemistry
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena.
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    • Geology See more schools with programs in Geology
      • Geology/Earth Science
        A program that focuses on the scientific study of the earth; the forces acting upon it; and the behavior of the solids, liquids and gases comprising it. Includes instruction in historical geology, geomorphology, and sedimentology, the chemistry of rocks and soils, stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrology, geostatistics, volcanology, glaciology, geophysical principles, and applications to research and industrial problems.
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    • Physics See more schools with programs in Physics
      • General Physics
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods.
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  • Social Sciences

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    • Anthropology See more schools with programs in Anthropology
      • General Anthropology
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs.
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    • Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies See more schools with programs in Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies
      • American/United States Studies/Civilization
        This program studies the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the United States and its Pre-Columbian and colonial predecessors, including the flow of immigrants from other societies.
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      • Asian Studies/Civilization
        This four year program focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the peoples of the Asian Continent. Asian Studies programs include the study of Asian diasporas overseas.
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      • Women’s Studies
        A program that focuses on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of women, and the development of modern feminism in relation to the roles played by women in different periods and locations in North America and the world. Programs may focus on literature, philosophy, and the arts as much as on social studies and policy.
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    • Economics See more schools with programs in Economics
      • General Economics
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues.
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    • International Relations and Affairs See more schools with programs in International Relations and Affairs
      • General Political Science and Government
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies 0f specific political institutions and processes.
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    • Psychology See more schools with programs in Psychology
      • General Psychology
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
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    • Sociology See more schools with programs in Sociology
      • Other Social Sciences
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      • Sociology
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems.
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  • Technology

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    • Information Systems Operation and Management See more schools with programs in Information Systems Operation and Management
      • General Computer Science
        A general program that focuses on computers, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, and computing theory; computer hardware design; computer development and programming; and applications to a variety of end-use situations.
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Master's Level Programs

  • Arts & Humanities

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    • Visual Arts See more schools with programs in Visual Arts
      • Art History, Criticism and Conservation
        Students of Art History study of the historical development of art as a social and intellectual phenomenon. Art History programs include the analysis of works of art, and art conservation, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes.
        See more schools with programs in Art History, Criticism and Conservation
  • Social Sciences

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    • Economics See more schools with programs in Economics
      • Development Economics and International Development
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of the economic development process and its application to the problems of specific countries and regions. Includes instruction in economic development theory, industrialization, land reform, infrastructural development, investment policy, the role of governments and business in development, international development organizations, and the study of social, health, and environmental influences on economic development.
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Students

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 100%
Part-Time 0%
Men vs. Women
Women 53%
Men 47%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 72%
African-American 10%
Asian 9%
Hispanic 7%
Other 2%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
Out-of-State 86%
In-State 14%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
New York 17%
Massachusetts 14%
California 10%
New Jersey 8%
Pennsylvania 5%
Percent of Students International: 7%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 95%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Football (New England Small College Ath Conf)
Basketball (New England Small College Ath Conf)
Baseball (New England Small College Ath Conf)
Track (New England Small College Ath Conf)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 31,548    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 212    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 5,208 10%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 1,633 6%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 20,906 44%  
Student Loans:
$ 2,073 22%  
Any Aid:
  46%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 19% (Most Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 98%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 670, Math: 670
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 770, Math: 760

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 60.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Recommended
High School GPA: Not Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Not Required
Test Scores: Required

College Advice

Yahoo

Question: what do you think about these schools?

Amherst College Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Clark University Emerson College Fordham University Hampshire College New York University Penn State Trinity College (Connecticut) University of Texas Williams College anny comments or concerns are welcolme!!
30 months ago

Best Answer

the most prestigious on this list are amherst and williams, they are small liberal arts schools in the northeast that have served many generations of new england's elite. texas and penn state are huge public institutions. texas is the more selective of the two. NYU is the most popular school in new york, and is one of the largest private universities in the nation. it has great film and arts programs. boston u and boston college are breeding grounds for future yuppies of america. both are very good schools. brandeis has a lot of jewish students. if your academic credentials are top notch, i would decide first if you want a small liberal arts college environment (amherst), a midsize university (boston college), or a big university (texas). then narrow it down.
eri
eri

Best Answer

That's a fantastic college, one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. It's in Williamstown, MA, which is pretty small. It's south of the Berkshires, about an hour south of Amherst MA and three hours from Boston. MA has traditional New England weather - gorgeous summers and falls, cold winter. I went to a liberal arts school in western MA, and I loved it - I'd move back there in a second.

Question: Are you familiar with Williams College???

in your opinions,what would you say about your years at Willliams if you are a current student or an alumnus? and where would you place Williams among Ivy schools? finally, what is your opinion on Williams' selectivity? thanks!!
34 months ago

Best Answer

I'm very familiar with Williams. My husband is an alum and my son is currently attending. No doubt they both feel that the education they received/are receiving at Williams is on par with the best Ivy educations. Opinion about selectivity? What do you mean? Williams is certainly selective, not as much as Princeton, but then again, Williams isn't as widely known as other bigger name schools... ie so they don't get the same ratio of applications for open spots. My husband loved it there and counts his best friends among his former classmates. He's worked on behalf of alumni relations and feels very strong ties to the school. My son is loving it there, as well...has totally thrown himself into all aspects of the school...terrific academics, student council, club/intramural sports. He loves walking outside and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. He's made several very good friends already and looks forward to the rest of his time at Williams.

Question: Just read an article stating that Williams College is the MOST arrogant, egocentric and snobbish institution?

True or false? Anyone have first hand knowledge?
34 months ago

Best Answer

The "Most" arrogant might be stretching it a bit. I'd personally give that honor to Columbia University but they're all pretty arrogant. Williams College students do have a reputation for always bring right, uppity, and rather eccentric but they're no worse than any other ivory tower school (like Columbia, Princeton, Duke, etc.).

Question: I'm very interested in Williams College located in Massachusettes. Do you guys know anything about it?

I've been looking at colleges and this one really got my attention. It looks like a great liberal arts school
43 months ago

Best Answer

I have a friend studying American Studies there. He really likes it and has enjoyed his time there so far!

Photos

  • Chapin Hall
    Chapin Hall [source]
  • The college sign
    The college sign [source]
  • Old Hopkins Observatory
    Old Hopkins Observatory [source]
  • The Ironic Columns, Williams College Museum of Art
    The Ironic Columns, Williams College Museum of Art [source]
  • Thompson Chapel, Lasell Bell Tower
    Thompson Chapel, Lasell Bell Tower [source]
  • [source]
  • Chapin Library
    Chapin Library [source]
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Williams College
Williamstown, MA 01267
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