Admission

Stephanie_Owyang_Spring_026_IMG_1117We’re thrilled that you’re interested in supporting the college as an Alumni Admission Volunteer. Office of Admission staff travel across the country and around the globe to spread the word about Williams to prospective students and families. But they can’t reach them all and they need your help! By signing up to partner with the Office of Admission on one (or many) of the initiatives below, you’ll help ensure that the college continues to attract the best and brightest to the Purple Valley.

Upon registering as an Alumni Admission Volunteer, you will receive an email with some introductory training materials. Please note, some areas of the country have a greater concentration of alumni, while other areas offer fewer opportunities for engagement with prospective students, so the amount of time you’ll be asked to commit to this work may vary depending on your place of residence. On average, Alumni Admission Volunteers can expect to be asked to devote three to five hours annually. If you are a current volunteer but no longer wish to serve, please contact Carolina Echenique to be removed from our list.

A detailed menu of volunteer opportunities is included below. If you have any questions about the Alumni Admission Volunteer program, please contact Carolina Echenique.


  • Represent Williams at a college fair in your area
    College fairs are where dozens of colleges and universities gather at a high school or convention center, so that students can learn more about them all at the same time. Williams’ admission office receives more than 500 fair invitations annually, and our staff can only make it to about 20% of them. We’re looking for eager alumni who can represent Williams at these important events and make essential connections with prospective students. Volunteers will receive training about what to expect during fairs and will be provided with materials for distribution to prospective students and families.
  • Host an information session with a Williams admission officer
    Our admission colleagues travel throughout the country and around the world to spread the word about Williams to prospective students and families. An information session at your home or office is a wonderful, informal opportunity for groups of prospective students and families eager to learn more about the college.
  • One-on-one conversations with prospective students in your area
    Though interviews are in no way factored into admission decisions, high school seniors can request to meet with an admission officer or alumnus/a as an optional, non-evaluative part of the application process. The conversation simply offers another avenue for students to learn more about Williams and the application process.
  • Talk about Williams at local civic/community organizations with which you are affiliated
    Williams employs many tools to identify and recruit high-achieving students from around the country. Despite these broad outreach efforts, there are many terrific applicants we don’t find or can’t reach. If you’re willing to conduct a Williams information session at your local YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Youth Center, place of worship, etc. we’d be most grateful. You can do this on your own, with training materials provided by Williams, or with an admission officer (when available.)
  • Talk about Williams with an admitted student
    Williams admits more than 1,000 students each spring—at which point the ball is in each student’s court. If you’d like to reach out by phone, email, or in-person to prospective members of the Williams family, we’d love your help in early April.
  • Connect with high-achieving prospective students from low-income backgrounds
    Each fall the college hosts Windows on Williams (WOW), a three-day immersion program for a select group of 150 outstanding high school seniors from low-income, first-generation, and/or underrepresented backgrounds. During their campus stay, WOW attendees enjoy many opportunities to experience life as an Eph and to gain a deeper understanding about admission and financial aid processes at Williams and other highly selective institutions. If WOW attendees are able to connect with Williams alumni when they return home—and learn more about the strength and support of the alumni community—they’re usually more eager than ever to apply to Williams.

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