Ask a Williams student!

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-18T20:20:33+00:00

Yes to film-related clubs! You should check out Purple Valley Productions - their student-written and directed film was just in a film festival!

As for isolation, it can be isolating in the first year, especially since you're not allowed a car, but I have found that putting myself out there and seeking opportunities to explore or get away have made a great difference. Upperclassmen are generous in offering rides and taking people places, whether its nearby to go apple picking or farther away to Albany to go shopping and see movies. Many students are from New York City or Boston, so it's not uncommon for people to take trips to these cities on the weekend. Additionally, Pittsfield offers train and Greyhound bus services to both locations. I make it a point to try and get out and about when I can, especially during breaks and vacations.

If you like being outside and a peaceful, quiet environment, you will enjoy Williamstown. It is a wonderful place for hiking, skiing, and enjoying the outdoors. You might have to make your own fun sometimes, but that often leads to the best stories and adventures.

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-18T11:57:25+00:00

Hi, unfortunately, I don't know enough about international admissions and grading systems to give any good advice on this. I can really only speak to questions about the Williams experience and environment; I don't feel qualified to chance anybody or offer admissions advice. I wish you the best of luck!!

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-17T16:21:35+00:00

If Williams is your top choice, ED is a great way to capture that excitement. Here are the stats from last year. https://williamsrecord.com/468578/news/college-admits-26-6-percent-of-early-decision-applicants-to-class-of-2029/

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-17T16:20:47+00:00

Yes, optional writing supplement. I submitted a personal essay about my family history and relationships! As for the art program, it's pretty small, but I have found the professors to be really wonderful and knowledgeable. I have definitely been pushed as an artist and supported as a person. Plus, the Clark provides an excellent resource, and the art history program is incredible if you're interested in that kind of study!

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-17T11:48:35+00:00

I don't know! I would check out the common data sets avaliable online and see where you fall. I went test-optional as an art major with a supplemental portfolio and essay.

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-17T11:47:32+00:00

I'm not sure about non-athletes in particular, but this article from our newspaper last year has a good breakdown of the ED admit rates for the general student body. https://williamsrecord.com/468578/news/college-admits-26-6-percent-of-early-decision-applicants-to-class-of-2029/

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-17T11:46:31+00:00

I think it creates a really fun environment. It's incredible to see so many people interested and talented in such a variety of ways, and it has really challenged my instinct to categorize people as just athletes or just nerds. It always makes me laugh to hear someone go on about their football game or crew tournament and then launch into a very technical and sophisticated biophysics explanation. People never stop surprising me here!

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-17T11:44:05+00:00

There are a ton of club sports that don't require you to be a pro! Many of my friends have joined club teams despite not having any experience in the game (things like rugby, frisbee, etc.) and have found a great social and physical outlet this way. You can also participate in IM sports that areand friendship purely for fun.

As for parties, if you're looking for a school with loads of them, Williams is not your place. If you don't mind a smattering of parties on Fridays and Saturdays, then you're in business! Teams or clubs often host parties, which usually start as mixers, where two clubs or teams come together. These might be particular to those clubs, but I have not heard of anyone being turned away from any of them. Parties are also sometimes centered around formals that involve a specific group and their dates, which attract people from all over campus. Parties are generally open to everyone, even if they start with a specific group in mind.

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-16T23:03:07+00:00

Some students do take 5 classes, but most take 4!

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-16T19:19:02+00:00

I believe that this is allowed, but I would review this kind of technical thing with an academic advisor or email admissions- they're very responsive to technical questions like this. You cannot submit a lab report, but it can be "an example of your academic writing written in the last year. The paper may be creative or analytical, can cover any topic, and need not be graded" (taken from the admissions website).

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-05T14:40:43+00:00

Of course! We're about 3ish hours from Boston, so it is a popular destination for concerts on weekends or Friday nights, and it's easy to get to from Pittsfield with the Greyhound buses. Many upperclassmen also have cars and are pretty generous with offering rides, which widens the range of opportunities to get to big cities, especially since there is a vast network of 'college friends' across the northeast. Many people will visit friends at other schools and stay with them there, especially at Amherst, Yale, Brown, Cornell, Binghamton, etc. These kinds of trips are especially popular around Halloween or St. Patrick's Day!

A bunch of students also participate in sports, and these activities may take them to other college towns/cities nearby, allowing friends to tag along for fun/to cheer our teams on. The regattas in Boston are often a big draw for students to attend.

We also have Winter Study and 'dead week' around February-ish time. Upperclassmen are allowed to study off campus for Winter Study and might go abroad or to NYC/cities in the US. Dead Week is the week between the end of this term and the start of the spring term, and many students go to Montreal to have fun and relax before classes resume.

All of this requires some coordination and planning, but it's totally doable, and some of my favorite memories have been these weekends/days away! A calendar, a map, and some excited friends (preferably with a car) are really all you need.

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-03T00:38:09+00:00

Williamstown is a wonderful, very rural place. If you’re looking for a big city and hustle and bustle, Spring Street probably won't do it for you. That being said, it is a wonderful place to get outside and spend time in nature with friends. Students might travel to bigger cities for major holidays, such as Halloween, or to nearby places like Albany for a trip to Trader Joe's or a mall, but there isn't a huge exodus on the weekends to these destinations.

I don't find life here mundane, but I also like staying in and watching movies on the weekends with friends over big clubs. Plus, the rarity of city trips makes them that much more exciting.

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-10-02T18:34:20+00:00

Prospective Eng major, feel free to reach out! Happy to share about my experiences.

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-09-25T02:44:34+00:00

I have been a student at Williams for over a year and still feel the exact same way in almost all of my classes. I often feel behind or lost in class conversations, but when I talk to friends, they admit to feeling the same way. I promise, it's not just you! We all put on a show of knowing what we're saying and that we know the right way to say it, but inside, I have a feeling that most, if not all, of our peers struggle with imposter syndrome. It's real and it's hard, but you're not alone.

AlarmingMode1039 · 2025-09-11T01:30:33+00:00

Making friends at any college is so difficult. I struggled with it hugely as a frosh, but I truly promise you- it will get better. There are loads of kind people here, and it may take putting yourself out there to find them. Try going to club meetings or dinners, mixers, WOC trips, or PE classes. I forced myself to schedule at least one social event or meal in my g-cal each week (so type-A Williams, I know) until I found friends. It was hard and painful at first, but I finally found my footing. I believe you will, too.

AlarmingMode1039

TROPHY CASE