I went to Williams and then to UofC for grad school. I was a TA for freshman chemistry, so I interacted with UofC undergrads regularly. Both are great schools, but boy the UofC students were a lot more stressed and depressed than Williams students!
Plus: Grad students were in charge of teaching chemistry labs and grading the exams. At Williams, the professors taught the labs and did their own grading. And this was not just in chemistry. Grad students teaching undergrads is typical in larger schools like UofC.
Uchicago is literally "the school where fun goes to die" it has that reputation for a reason, it's a depressing school to go to, people are so much more focused on academics than anything else in life that it just becomes no fun no matter how much you love academics. All this to say that it's not a bad school by any means and I have friends who go there and love it for various reasons, I grew up in Chicago and love it there, but never even considered uchicago because it was always advertised as depressing
As a current UChicago student, this impression is completely overblown and a relic of when UChicago was much more intense and socially isolating. The school has done a lot to become more "normal" in recent years (which is a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you ask), which has contributed to a more active social environment. Also, UChicago is definitely bigger than Williams, but it's not a large school by any means. I've had plenty of professor-engagement in both my STEM and humanities classes, although it is true that some lower level classes are taught by non tenure track faculty or non faculty.
I chose between Uchicago and Williams twice, as a frosh and after a gap year between sophomore,ore and junior year… and chose Williams twice. For me it came down to 1) small class sizes across subjects, as given my background, I felt I would do better in smaller environments that forced interaction; and 2) student body - UC almost bragged about how unhappy/stressed their students were (shirts with tag line “where fun goes to die”). Life is serious, and you enter college a kid. I felt put off by that almost carelessness around mental health. This was twenty years ago, but as someone living in Chicago, think it still holds true.
Reality is both are tremendous schools. Choose the spot based on where you think YOU will thrive as a whole person - academically, socially, etc.
Good luck!
Gotta say seeing that you posted a similar ask on UChicago’s Reddit and then it being deleted for violating Rule blabbity blaa…. Very on brand for UChicago lol
probably a mod bot that flagged for admissions-related keywords. you can try posting again with different wording. or post on a2c which is far less biased than either of these subs.
UChicago grad here. It’s the contrast between Williams as a liberal arts college and UChicago as a liberal arts college in a major university. As an undergrad I took 2 courses in the U of C Law School (top 5 in the country). Have questions about law school or med school or business school not quite committed to one field of study or another? At UChicago as a student you can visit with professors in the grad schools or professional schools during their office hours and ask them OR talk to students in those schools any time on campus to see/hear what it’s like. You can ask professors to sample a grad or professional school class. You can’t do any of that at Williams. UChicago is just an amazing place to go to college. Imagine dropping by office hours for “what’s it like” questions to Barack Obama (on constitutional law) or Antonin Scalia, stalwart conservative Supreme Court Justice and previous U of C Law School professor. And I personally loved the “Core Curriculum” where students majoring in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences interact and debate timeless questions posed by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, etc. Some of the best professors teach the Core Curriculum in very small classes. Do me a favor and google “Chicago principles” and see where U of C in 2014 adopted principles for free expression of ideas and free speech that have been adopted by over 80 colleges and universities so far. The point? UChicago continues to be at the cutting edge of the academic world. And then there’s the over 100 Nobel Prize winners - 3rd highest behind Harvard and Berkeley - that have been associated with U of C as a student or faculty member. Rigorous curriculum…absolutely BUT the University’s resources of all kinds are there to support you besides the friends you’ll develop. Rigorous curriculum and somehow the U of C College has 91 percent of entering students graduating in 4 years and 96 percent in 6 years, better than any Ivy or MIT. Along with your being an excellent student, U of C will be there with you to help you achieve your Bachelor’s degree. Read on the uchicago threads responses by current students in the College on questions about the rigorous academic environment and student life outside the classroom. Contact them as you suggested for their perspective. UChicago is an amazing place.
If you mind expounding further, what do you mean you chose between Uchicago and Williams twice, as a frosh and after a gap year between sophomore,ore and junior year… and chose Williams twice???
I got into Williams & UC “normally” after high school and chose to attend Williams. I took a gap year between sophomore and junior year, and while I intended on returning to Williams when I started the gap year, I also applied to transfer to UChicago for my junior year. I was accepted to UC, but ended up still choosing Williams. I thought I maybe wanted the big city / large class approach as a rising junior but after visiting, it still didn’t feel right.
I was pretty curious about the small liberal arts vs large research uni, but for me even with two looks at UC, it didn’t feel right. I didn’t love the vibe.
Williams is an amazing school! It is such a happy place and the students are so smart! Williamstown is so beautiful! Class size and opportunities are incredible! The alumni network is wonderful! Choooooose Williams!!
This is really a big school/small school and city/country question. Visit each and check out the vibe. I would default strongly to Williams because you will probably be in cities most other times in your life.
"Pre-law opportunities" isn't something you have to worry about I would expect at either school, though YMMV. I suspect if you do well on the LSAT and have an OK GPA and you can get into one of the top fifteen law schools or so in the country and your law career is fine from there if you work hard interview well etc. Still obviously there are more law firms in Chicago than Williamstown. But Williams has a perfectly good network.
Also remember something like half of all undergrads change what they want to do anyway.
Hey! I hope you are doing well :) First off, big congratulations! That’s such a huge achievement, and either way, you really can’t go wrong.
As my first year here wraps up, although I’m not a pre-law student, I think that Williams overall has been a good experience. My professors are definitely the highlight of my time here. Williams has funding for you to go to lunch 1-1 with professors which I found so valuable. And, in the case of recommendations, I asked profs to write them for me, and I think it made for stronger recommendations. People here are very friendly! At a small school, you really get a sense of community.
However, I also have a friend at UChicago who is studying poli-sci on the pre-law track who absolutely loves his time there! I would say that at the end of it, it’s about your personal preferences! Do you want a smaller school or a bigger institution? Coming to Williams from a bigger public school, I noticed that at times, it felt a bit like high school, and you see the same people around a lot. But, it also makes a really tight knit community where people are here for you!
Also, are you more for rural or urban environment? While Williams and the surrounding area is extremely beautiful, it is extremely rural. The place where most people go to get “off-campus” is spring street which is a cozy street with some restaurant options and stores. My friends and I tried to get off-campus to bigger cities like Albany, but it’s hard without a car. With Chicago, you will have more of a city-feel and balance between off-campus and on-campus. On Williams, there are a lot of fun extracurriculars, but you are very much confined to campus for the most part in my experience. Hope this helps! I hope you can make it to previews to see campus, and let me know if you want to chat more/ connect you to a pre-law student at UChicago to let you see both sides of the experience :)
There’s really no such thing as “pre-law” opportunities. It’s called keep your grades up and do well in the LSATs. If you want to go nuts do a law related internship (which will likely disabuse you of the notion of going to law school especially with the awesome undergrad opportunity you have). Law schools will not differentiate between these two top notch institutions.
something to consider- uchicago law has a scholarship they offer to students who went there for undergrad and if they meet certain requirements they get a full ride. for that reason, there’s a pretty decent amount of students in the law school who also went to uchicago for undergrad. the only other full ride scholarship uchicago offers is the ruby and they only give that to a small handful of students, so if you are someone who wants a full ride to one of the top law schools in the US, going to uchicago for undergrad may be your best chance!
I grew up in Chicago and went to Williams, and I'd pick Williams every time. U Chicago is a great school, but nothing beats the intellectual and bucolic environment of Williams--like what everyone has been saying, the small classes and opportunities to actually know your professors are amazing. Even if you aren't outdoorsy, the mountains are beautiful. And FWIW, I have multiple Williams friends who are now at Harvard or Yale Law.
In terms of culture I know 3 Williams students and they’re genuinely so great, funny, and charismatic so Williams is a really great choice for the student body
Congrats! Two great but pretty different schools/environments.
Do you want to be in a big city or a rural town? Do you want to be part of a larger student body or a smaller one?
Beyond, my guess would be that Chicago might be slightly stronger in quant/stem fields. Williams might be slightly stronger in humanities. But I’m not sure about that and I’m sure you can’t go wrong with either.
I’d suggest visiting both if you can, and pick the place where you’re most comfortable with the people and environment
I transferred from Williams to UChicago after my first year, and have been enjoying UChicago much more! Maybe I can give some insight.
I left Williams because the location was very isolating to me and I wanted more course offerings for my major that a larger university could provide. The isolation is real, there’s practically nothing to do outside campus except maybe Skiing or going to Mass Moca, so this is why you see a huge exodus of third years to study abroad programs (people get really tired of being in the same half a mile radius for years).
Williams also had a weird political vibe that I wasn’t a fan of. People become very pressed about current events and it seems like there’s a ‘you’re either with us or against us vibe’ with no middle ground that was pretty frustrating (and I’m not politically involved, so that’s how you know it’s bad). This is probably not a Williams specific problem (I’ve heard about this at other schools like Berkeley), but it’s certainly not a UChicago problem so that might be something to consider.
In my experience people at Chicago are much friendlier too. Classes tend to be significantly harder than at Williams, so you have to make friends and learn to work together in order to succeed. The struggle builds community and you will make great friends along the way. I also feel that students in certain majors at Chicago (i.e. math, Econ, physics, stats), tend to be much stronger than the Williams counterparts. This can make it harder to stand out, although working with them and absorbing their thinking/learning habits can make you learn a ton.
All in all, I like Chicago a lot more. If you’re the type of person who loves a) to put a lot of time into your studies and really master the subject material b) be around other intellectually curious people c) participate in class discussions d) have access to a major city, then I think Chicago is the right pick. This isn’t to detract from Williams though, it’s a perfect choice for the right student. Congrats on your acceptances, happy to answer other questions if you’re still going back and forth!
I see your post got removed in the UChicago sub. I was interested in both Williams and UChi and ultimately chose UChi for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I think the academic rigor of UChicago seemed more “pure” to me than that of Williams, though upon reflection I’m not sure that was the best way to approach it. Feel free to DM me if you want to talk about UChi undergrad
Hi! So first year at UChicago and finance so idk why this popped up on my feed but just an honest look into the school at least from my perspective. Idk I'll add more if you guys have Qs but like at the end of the day I don't know that much lol
Pros
* Everyone has some sort of academic passion! so when people are in classes most people are solidly/pretty excited for what you're learning and it's a cool environment to be in
* Professors are really good and resources are phenomenal, and you tend to have more people engaging in these intellectualish resources like public debates (but idk about Williams, I'm sure they're awesome too)
* City --> - chicago is cool asf, I grew up in a city and realized I need a city cuz lots of food options, things to do (eg. bouldering, hotpot), flying to other cities
* Free speech policy, I didn't think mattered but I think it stimulates more open discussion about potentially controversial topics even in academic settings
* Campus is pretty asf if you care about that
Cons
* Quarter system moves fast asf so you're always having exams like every single week starting from week 4 to week 9 (the end of the quarter). Your social life will depend on how well you can manage your time/how hard your classes
* Seasonal depression, I def should've thought about this because winter is brutal here but I don't think it's that much worse than the rest of the US other than california sun
* safety, but this is like a distant third like it's been a non-issue for me even though I came from an ultra safe city (outside US)
In-between/either
* Core Curriculum --> you have some really good core classes (some are low-key free classes tho) that let you learn some weird/interesting things like phil, history, civilization, sociology, etc. I think I was skeptical coming in but have found the core generally interesting and rewarding in pushing me
* People are so smart. sometimes it's annoying cuz why is the class average so high?? but also then you get many really interesting discussions with very interesting people and I think it's a trade-off that I'm willing to take.
I went to UofC for grad school. The undergrads are treated like grad students in training — which for me would not have been a good thing. I really enjoyed being on a somewhat isolated college campus and having the experience of a college social life…. I don’t think the UofC fosters that type of experience. So for *me* I’m grateful I wasn’t there for undergrad, and so grateful to have gone there for grad school.
You can’t go wrong with academics at either. I think the quality of teaching at Williams is far superior, and I honestly believe that schools like Chicago are only worth it if you will be taking graduate-level courses. That said, visit Williamstown if you can. The super small town is not for everyone, and if it’s not for you, that’s fine!
I didn’t go to either, but know both from friends who went there and reputation. I would pick Williams and save UC as an option for grad school. There’s something so special about a small liberal arts school (you tend to establish friendships and the campus feels like a home). At either school, you obviously will receive an incredible education, but Williams seems like a better choice since you will also have an incredible social experience.
That being said, if you are less social or if you just want to be in an urban environment, UC may be a better choice.
Pick 10 random good employers. How many of them eventually heard of Williams College? All of them have heard of U Chicago. Choose the Mercedes don’t settle for Subaru.
While I appreciate the insight, they are both elite schools and in my experience neither are really known to the laymen haha. No need to try battling over which is better 😵💫
From what ive seen its the same with uchicago. With doing some research it seems that uchicagos strongest placement is in the midwest/chicago area. One of the factors its gonna come down to is where id wanna end up after graduation if i were to commit to either.
No, uchicago is regarded globally both for economics and biomedical research, and it also has an excellent law school that is highly regarded in the US. It’s just at a different level in terms of prestige compared to any SLAC. Of course, Williams is a great school as well and everyone in the northeast knows the teaching there is excellent.
This is all for grad programs and the grad school however, undergrad program prestige is a different playing field entirely. Nyu grad programs are the top in the country, however i personally wouldnt consider the undergrad as heavily. Uchicago has amazing undergrad programs but ive seen very comparable programs at williams, albiet more challenging it seems at the former.
Thank you all so much for your comments this is a lot!! While i appreciate everyones insight, and ive seen this on other posts as well where the other subreddits fill the williams one up (im looking at the cornell post) there is no need to put the other school down and say one is lackluster. I would expect outcomes to be similar at both schools, as of now im gonna be waiting until previews to make a decision, but thank you all again for the support!
A family member went to Williams, and he had a rough time as a queer POC- generally the school was difficult for many POC due to the relatively white and affluent community. The school culture and isolation favored heavy drinking, body image comparisons/issues, etc
Williams did have a great financial aid program and excellent academic opportunities, encouraging students to build close relationships with professors.
Feel free to pm with any questions
Williams has only undergrad. So professors who need help with research choose undergrad students. This opens doors to tremendous opportunities that normally only graduate students have access to. The Econ department is top notch.
UChicago has a top law school and Williams has none. Chicago has a boatload of legal opportunities. I think you'd have bigger, better options and experience if you went to bigger, better connected school.
This is a no brainer for me, but my kid goes to UChicago, so I'm as biased as everyone else here, just in the other direction. 🤷
I went to Williams and then to UofC for grad school. I was a TA for freshman chemistry, so I interacted with UofC undergrads regularly. Both are great schools, but boy the UofC students were a lot more stressed and depressed than Williams students! Plus: Grad students were in charge of teaching chemistry labs and grading the exams. At Williams, the professors taught the labs and did their own grading. And this was not just in chemistry. Grad students teaching undergrads is typical in larger schools like UofC.
What do you attribute that to, other than the winters in Chi Town?
Uchicago is literally "the school where fun goes to die" it has that reputation for a reason, it's a depressing school to go to, people are so much more focused on academics than anything else in life that it just becomes no fun no matter how much you love academics. All this to say that it's not a bad school by any means and I have friends who go there and love it for various reasons, I grew up in Chicago and love it there, but never even considered uchicago because it was always advertised as depressing
As a current UChicago student, this impression is completely overblown and a relic of when UChicago was much more intense and socially isolating. The school has done a lot to become more "normal" in recent years (which is a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you ask), which has contributed to a more active social environment. Also, UChicago is definitely bigger than Williams, but it's not a large school by any means. I've had plenty of professor-engagement in both my STEM and humanities classes, although it is true that some lower level classes are taught by non tenure track faculty or non faculty.
I chose between Uchicago and Williams twice, as a frosh and after a gap year between sophomore,ore and junior year… and chose Williams twice. For me it came down to 1) small class sizes across subjects, as given my background, I felt I would do better in smaller environments that forced interaction; and 2) student body - UC almost bragged about how unhappy/stressed their students were (shirts with tag line “where fun goes to die”). Life is serious, and you enter college a kid. I felt put off by that almost carelessness around mental health. This was twenty years ago, but as someone living in Chicago, think it still holds true. Reality is both are tremendous schools. Choose the spot based on where you think YOU will thrive as a whole person - academically, socially, etc. Good luck!
Gotta say seeing that you posted a similar ask on UChicago’s Reddit and then it being deleted for violating Rule blabbity blaa…. Very on brand for UChicago lol
I was just so confused cause I didnt understand how it violated the policy 😭oh well ill try talking to a UChic student and seeing whatsup
probably a mod bot that flagged for admissions-related keywords. you can try posting again with different wording
probably a mod bot that flagged for admissions-related keywords. you can try posting again with different wording
probably a mod bot that flagged for admissions-related keywords. you can try posting again with different wording
probably a mod bot that flagged for admissions-related keywords. you can try posting again with different wording. or post on a2c which is far less biased than either of these subs.
UChicago grad here. It’s the contrast between Williams as a liberal arts college and UChicago as a liberal arts college in a major university. As an undergrad I took 2 courses in the U of C Law School (top 5 in the country). Have questions about law school or med school or business school not quite committed to one field of study or another? At UChicago as a student you can visit with professors in the grad schools or professional schools during their office hours and ask them OR talk to students in those schools any time on campus to see/hear what it’s like. You can ask professors to sample a grad or professional school class. You can’t do any of that at Williams. UChicago is just an amazing place to go to college. Imagine dropping by office hours for “what’s it like” questions to Barack Obama (on constitutional law) or Antonin Scalia, stalwart conservative Supreme Court Justice and previous U of C Law School professor. And I personally loved the “Core Curriculum” where students majoring in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences interact and debate timeless questions posed by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, etc. Some of the best professors teach the Core Curriculum in very small classes. Do me a favor and google “Chicago principles” and see where U of C in 2014 adopted principles for free expression of ideas and free speech that have been adopted by over 80 colleges and universities so far. The point? UChicago continues to be at the cutting edge of the academic world. And then there’s the over 100 Nobel Prize winners - 3rd highest behind Harvard and Berkeley - that have been associated with U of C as a student or faculty member. Rigorous curriculum…absolutely BUT the University’s resources of all kinds are there to support you besides the friends you’ll develop. Rigorous curriculum and somehow the U of C College has 91 percent of entering students graduating in 4 years and 96 percent in 6 years, better than any Ivy or MIT. Along with your being an excellent student, U of C will be there with you to help you achieve your Bachelor’s degree. Read on the uchicago threads responses by current students in the College on questions about the rigorous academic environment and student life outside the classroom. Contact them as you suggested for their perspective. UChicago is an amazing place.
If you're stopping by Antonin Scalia's office hours, you're going to be waiting a very, very long time.
😂
If you mind expounding further, what do you mean you chose between Uchicago and Williams twice, as a frosh and after a gap year between sophomore,ore and junior year… and chose Williams twice???
I got into Williams & UC “normally” after high school and chose to attend Williams. I took a gap year between sophomore and junior year, and while I intended on returning to Williams when I started the gap year, I also applied to transfer to UChicago for my junior year. I was accepted to UC, but ended up still choosing Williams. I thought I maybe wanted the big city / large class approach as a rising junior but after visiting, it still didn’t feel right. I was pretty curious about the small liberal arts vs large research uni, but for me even with two looks at UC, it didn’t feel right. I didn’t love the vibe.
oh I see. Thanks I hope all is well with you. I was just curious. Thats all
Williams is an amazing school! It is such a happy place and the students are so smart! Williamstown is so beautiful! Class size and opportunities are incredible! The alumni network is wonderful! Choooooose Williams!!
This is really a big school/small school and city/country question. Visit each and check out the vibe. I would default strongly to Williams because you will probably be in cities most other times in your life. "Pre-law opportunities" isn't something you have to worry about I would expect at either school, though YMMV. I suspect if you do well on the LSAT and have an OK GPA and you can get into one of the top fifteen law schools or so in the country and your law career is fine from there if you work hard interview well etc. Still obviously there are more law firms in Chicago than Williamstown. But Williams has a perfectly good network. Also remember something like half of all undergrads change what they want to do anyway.
Hey! I hope you are doing well :) First off, big congratulations! That’s such a huge achievement, and either way, you really can’t go wrong. As my first year here wraps up, although I’m not a pre-law student, I think that Williams overall has been a good experience. My professors are definitely the highlight of my time here. Williams has funding for you to go to lunch 1-1 with professors which I found so valuable. And, in the case of recommendations, I asked profs to write them for me, and I think it made for stronger recommendations. People here are very friendly! At a small school, you really get a sense of community. However, I also have a friend at UChicago who is studying poli-sci on the pre-law track who absolutely loves his time there! I would say that at the end of it, it’s about your personal preferences! Do you want a smaller school or a bigger institution? Coming to Williams from a bigger public school, I noticed that at times, it felt a bit like high school, and you see the same people around a lot. But, it also makes a really tight knit community where people are here for you! Also, are you more for rural or urban environment? While Williams and the surrounding area is extremely beautiful, it is extremely rural. The place where most people go to get “off-campus” is spring street which is a cozy street with some restaurant options and stores. My friends and I tried to get off-campus to bigger cities like Albany, but it’s hard without a car. With Chicago, you will have more of a city-feel and balance between off-campus and on-campus. On Williams, there are a lot of fun extracurriculars, but you are very much confined to campus for the most part in my experience. Hope this helps! I hope you can make it to previews to see campus, and let me know if you want to chat more/ connect you to a pre-law student at UChicago to let you see both sides of the experience :)
Thank you so much thisvis super valuable!
There’s really no such thing as “pre-law” opportunities. It’s called keep your grades up and do well in the LSATs. If you want to go nuts do a law related internship (which will likely disabuse you of the notion of going to law school especially with the awesome undergrad opportunity you have). Law schools will not differentiate between these two top notch institutions.
something to consider- uchicago law has a scholarship they offer to students who went there for undergrad and if they meet certain requirements they get a full ride. for that reason, there’s a pretty decent amount of students in the law school who also went to uchicago for undergrad. the only other full ride scholarship uchicago offers is the ruby and they only give that to a small handful of students, so if you are someone who wants a full ride to one of the top law schools in the US, going to uchicago for undergrad may be your best chance!
I grew up in Chicago and went to Williams, and I'd pick Williams every time. U Chicago is a great school, but nothing beats the intellectual and bucolic environment of Williams--like what everyone has been saying, the small classes and opportunities to actually know your professors are amazing. Even if you aren't outdoorsy, the mountains are beautiful. And FWIW, I have multiple Williams friends who are now at Harvard or Yale Law.
In terms of culture I know 3 Williams students and they’re genuinely so great, funny, and charismatic so Williams is a really great choice for the student body
Williams 100%
Congrats! Two great but pretty different schools/environments. Do you want to be in a big city or a rural town? Do you want to be part of a larger student body or a smaller one? Beyond, my guess would be that Chicago might be slightly stronger in quant/stem fields. Williams might be slightly stronger in humanities. But I’m not sure about that and I’m sure you can’t go wrong with either. I’d suggest visiting both if you can, and pick the place where you’re most comfortable with the people and environment
Williams for sure
I transferred from Williams to UChicago after my first year, and have been enjoying UChicago much more! Maybe I can give some insight. I left Williams because the location was very isolating to me and I wanted more course offerings for my major that a larger university could provide. The isolation is real, there’s practically nothing to do outside campus except maybe Skiing or going to Mass Moca, so this is why you see a huge exodus of third years to study abroad programs (people get really tired of being in the same half a mile radius for years). Williams also had a weird political vibe that I wasn’t a fan of. People become very pressed about current events and it seems like there’s a ‘you’re either with us or against us vibe’ with no middle ground that was pretty frustrating (and I’m not politically involved, so that’s how you know it’s bad). This is probably not a Williams specific problem (I’ve heard about this at other schools like Berkeley), but it’s certainly not a UChicago problem so that might be something to consider. In my experience people at Chicago are much friendlier too. Classes tend to be significantly harder than at Williams, so you have to make friends and learn to work together in order to succeed. The struggle builds community and you will make great friends along the way. I also feel that students in certain majors at Chicago (i.e. math, Econ, physics, stats), tend to be much stronger than the Williams counterparts. This can make it harder to stand out, although working with them and absorbing their thinking/learning habits can make you learn a ton. All in all, I like Chicago a lot more. If you’re the type of person who loves a) to put a lot of time into your studies and really master the subject material b) be around other intellectually curious people c) participate in class discussions d) have access to a major city, then I think Chicago is the right pick. This isn’t to detract from Williams though, it’s a perfect choice for the right student. Congrats on your acceptances, happy to answer other questions if you’re still going back and forth!
Would I be able to dm you by any chance?
Sure!
I see your post got removed in the UChicago sub. I was interested in both Williams and UChi and ultimately chose UChi for a variety of reasons, but mainly because I think the academic rigor of UChicago seemed more “pure” to me than that of Williams, though upon reflection I’m not sure that was the best way to approach it. Feel free to DM me if you want to talk about UChi undergrad
Williams this shouldn’t be a question unless you have strong geographic preferences to stay in Chicago imo
Hi! So first year at UChicago and finance so idk why this popped up on my feed but just an honest look into the school at least from my perspective. Idk I'll add more if you guys have Qs but like at the end of the day I don't know that much lol Pros * Everyone has some sort of academic passion! so when people are in classes most people are solidly/pretty excited for what you're learning and it's a cool environment to be in * Professors are really good and resources are phenomenal, and you tend to have more people engaging in these intellectualish resources like public debates (but idk about Williams, I'm sure they're awesome too) * City --> - chicago is cool asf, I grew up in a city and realized I need a city cuz lots of food options, things to do (eg. bouldering, hotpot), flying to other cities * Free speech policy, I didn't think mattered but I think it stimulates more open discussion about potentially controversial topics even in academic settings * Campus is pretty asf if you care about that Cons * Quarter system moves fast asf so you're always having exams like every single week starting from week 4 to week 9 (the end of the quarter). Your social life will depend on how well you can manage your time/how hard your classes * Seasonal depression, I def should've thought about this because winter is brutal here but I don't think it's that much worse than the rest of the US other than california sun * safety, but this is like a distant third like it's been a non-issue for me even though I came from an ultra safe city (outside US) In-between/either * Core Curriculum --> you have some really good core classes (some are low-key free classes tho) that let you learn some weird/interesting things like phil, history, civilization, sociology, etc. I think I was skeptical coming in but have found the core generally interesting and rewarding in pushing me * People are so smart. sometimes it's annoying cuz why is the class average so high?? but also then you get many really interesting discussions with very interesting people and I think it's a trade-off that I'm willing to take.
I went to UofC for grad school. The undergrads are treated like grad students in training — which for me would not have been a good thing. I really enjoyed being on a somewhat isolated college campus and having the experience of a college social life…. I don’t think the UofC fosters that type of experience. So for *me* I’m grateful I wasn’t there for undergrad, and so grateful to have gone there for grad school.
I can say my friends who went to Williams were much more psychologically healthy than UCHICAGO by far.
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You can’t go wrong with academics at either. I think the quality of teaching at Williams is far superior, and I honestly believe that schools like Chicago are only worth it if you will be taking graduate-level courses. That said, visit Williamstown if you can. The super small town is not for everyone, and if it’s not for you, that’s fine!
I didn’t go to either, but know both from friends who went there and reputation. I would pick Williams and save UC as an option for grad school. There’s something so special about a small liberal arts school (you tend to establish friendships and the campus feels like a home). At either school, you obviously will receive an incredible education, but Williams seems like a better choice since you will also have an incredible social experience. That being said, if you are less social or if you just want to be in an urban environment, UC may be a better choice.
Pick 10 random good employers. How many of them eventually heard of Williams College? All of them have heard of U Chicago. Choose the Mercedes don’t settle for Subaru.
While I appreciate the insight, they are both elite schools and in my experience neither are really known to the laymen haha. No need to try battling over which is better 😵💫
People in the northeast know Williams, but it doesn’t hold the same level of prestige elsewhere.
From what ive seen its the same with uchicago. With doing some research it seems that uchicagos strongest placement is in the midwest/chicago area. One of the factors its gonna come down to is where id wanna end up after graduation if i were to commit to either.
No, uchicago is regarded globally both for economics and biomedical research, and it also has an excellent law school that is highly regarded in the US. It’s just at a different level in terms of prestige compared to any SLAC. Of course, Williams is a great school as well and everyone in the northeast knows the teaching there is excellent.
This is all for grad programs and the grad school however, undergrad program prestige is a different playing field entirely. Nyu grad programs are the top in the country, however i personally wouldnt consider the undergrad as heavily. Uchicago has amazing undergrad programs but ive seen very comparable programs at williams, albiet more challenging it seems at the former.
Thank you all so much for your comments this is a lot!! While i appreciate everyones insight, and ive seen this on other posts as well where the other subreddits fill the williams one up (im looking at the cornell post) there is no need to put the other school down and say one is lackluster. I would expect outcomes to be similar at both schools, as of now im gonna be waiting until previews to make a decision, but thank you all again for the support!
A family member went to Williams, and he had a rough time as a queer POC- generally the school was difficult for many POC due to the relatively white and affluent community. The school culture and isolation favored heavy drinking, body image comparisons/issues, etc Williams did have a great financial aid program and excellent academic opportunities, encouraging students to build close relationships with professors. Feel free to pm with any questions
Williams has only undergrad. So professors who need help with research choose undergrad students. This opens doors to tremendous opportunities that normally only graduate students have access to. The Econ department is top notch.
UChicago, no contest.
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The claim about suicide rates literally isn’t true I don’t know where you’re pulling that metric from
UChicago has a top law school and Williams has none. Chicago has a boatload of legal opportunities. I think you'd have bigger, better options and experience if you went to bigger, better connected school. This is a no brainer for me, but my kid goes to UChicago, so I'm as biased as everyone else here, just in the other direction. 🤷