Williams College
OVERVIEW
Williams College is a private liberal arts college. It was originally a men’s college, and became co-educational in 1970. Together with Wesleyan University and Amherst College, it comprises the historic Little Three colleges. Currently, there are more than 2,200 students on campus in Williams College, and the academic year follows a 4-1-4 schedule, with two semesters of four courses and one winter study term.
Founded in 1793 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Williams College got its name as it was funded from the estate of Ephraim Williams. It is situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts, with its campus containing over 100 academic, athletic, and residential buildings. On the campus of William College, you may find some land-marking buildings such as William College, Hopkins Hall, Newman Center, Chapin Library, the Williams College Museum of Art, etc.
William College offers degrees in bachelor’s and master’s programs. 2,188 students are undergraduates, with 70.5 percent classes of fewer than 20 students. The freshman retention rate of the college is 97.2 percent.
The mission of Williams College is:
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.
ACCREDITATION
Williams College received the accreditation by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of School & Colleges (NEASC) as most recently as in 2008.
ACADEMICS
Williams College contains three academic curricular divisions:
- Humanities
- Sciences
- Social Sciences
The most popular majors and course of study for students are as follows:
- Economics
- Biology
- English Language and Literature
- Political Science and Government
- Art
Williams College ranks No.1 in US News & World Report’s 2011 list of Best Liberal Arts Colleges in US, and has been ranked as the best undergranduate institution in the United States by Forbes since 2010.
Within the three academic curricular divisions, Williams College has 33 majors in 24 departments, and two master’s degree program in art history and development economics.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Either SAT or ACT score is required for applicants, and the application deadline is January 1. The application fee is USD 65, and the acceptance rate is 18.7 percent. For transfer students, the minimum required college GPA score is 3.5.
COSTS AND FINANCIAL AID
The tuitions and fees for year 2011-2012 is USD 43,190. Students pay USD 11,370 or more for room and board on average.
At Williams College, need-based financial aids and scholarships are offered. The average need-based scholarship or grant award is $39,274, with 53.8 percent of full-time undergraduates receive certain kind of need-based financial aid or award.
