Admission Guidance for Alumni Children

We’re delighted that so many children of alumni express an interest in Williams.

 

Your children generally know quite a bit about the college, thanks to you, and many are exceptionally talented. As a result, we are able to offer admission to a significant number of alumni children, who make up 11 or 12 percent of Williams’ student body.

 

While this percentage has remained nearly constant over the last 30 years, the academic profile of alumni children admitted to Williams has strengthened considerably, along with the dramatic increase in the strength of all Williams applicants. In short, the college search process is much more complicated—and admission much more competitive—than when I attended Williams. I know this not only from where I sit as director of admission but also as a parent who has gone through this process very recently.

 

Though the college simply cannot offer admission to every alumni son or daughter, we are delighted to offer help in navigating the admission process, whether or not your own student is interested in Williams. We don’t use interviews in our admission decisions, but we do provide children of alumni the opportunity to meet with senior admission officers to get advice on finding the best fit for them and on the college application process generally.

 

From April 22 to Sept. 30, children of alumni who are rising high school seniors are encouraged to meet with one of us in admission. These conversations can be enormously helpful for students interested in learning more about Williams, getting a sense of their particular qualifications, and finding out what to expect from the admission process.

 

Students can contact the Office of Admission at 413-597-2214 or tmelville@williams.edu to schedule an appointment, making sure to identify themselves as alumni sons or daughters when they do so. They’ll need to fax (413-597-4052) or email tmelville@williams.edu their standardized test scores, high school transcript (including intended senior courses), and high school profile a week before we meet. 

Have you been back to campus lately? Williams is constantly evolving, and so much has changed since when we were students. If you have a few minutes, check out this new video that captures a day in the life of Williams students. You can learn a lot more by spending some time on the college website, reading our Williams Magazine, and coming back for a visit with your son or daughter.

 

Finally, I invite you to explore the admission website to learn more about the application process and get information on what we’re looking for in terms of high school preparation and academic achievements.

 

Any questions? Feel free to be in touch with me at 413-597-2211 or Richard.L.Nesbitt@williams.edu.

 

Best wishes to you and your family in this exciting time.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dick Nesbitt ’74

Director of Admission