Williamstown,MA: Although I was a little anxious about my first college visit, I soon felt atease in this friendly small town.

Williams College, this year ranked thethird best liberal arts school in the country by U.S. News and World Report islocated in the small western Massachusetts town of Williamstown. The collegemakes up most of the town, whose population is just below 9,000. I visitedWilliams at the perfect time of year, October, when the leaves were in fullcolor. Williamstown is absolutely beautiful; it could not be mistaken foranywhere but New England because of its architecture and landscape. The town isclustered between many hills that make Williams its own world.

Studentsat Williams spoke highly of its non-competitive atmosphere and emphasis on tryingnew things. They also praised Williams's student-to-faculty ratio, which at 9:1is one of the lowest in the country. The student body is small, approximately2,000, and admissions are very selective. Professors are said to be veryapproachable, and the average class size is about 20 students.

With manysports and groups on campus, the only complaint our guide had was that she didnot have enough time to do everything.

Williams is definitely not theright college for those seeking exciting city life. But, for those who don't minda long ride on back roads and the rural setting, Williams has a lot to offer.


Reviewed in 2001