Williams Welcome Parties

Depending on venue and attendance, send-offs in the past have offered hors d’oeuvres, desserts, light supper/ BBQ fare, etc.

*** Be inclusive of dietary restrictions (i.e. make sure to have vegetarian options)

*** We will send purple and yellow M&M’s

• Invitees will consist of:
  • Area first-years and their families
  • Current Williams students
  • Parents of current Williams students
  • Young Alumni (traditionally the three to five most recent graduating classes)
  • Older Alumni--including the local volunteer regional officers*

*Older Alumni are most often invited on a space-available basis. In smaller regions, this usually means that everyone is invited; in larger regions, typically only some may be invited. Please let us know how many people you can comfortably host so we can pull invitation lists appropriately!

• The Alumni Engagement staff will use an event management system to publicize the party and track RSVPs. Each party will be listed on a consolidated Williams Welcome web page on the Williams website. 
• The AE staff will design and send invitations directly by email. 
• Prior to pressing “send,” a member of the AE team will contact you to confirm your location/ host information as it appears on the registration page. Use the link in the invitation text to find your party and make sure everything looks correct.
• RSVPs are handled automatically by the Williams College event management system. AE staff will provide a final count and attendance list prior to the event.

• Invitations are targeted to be sent via email four weeks prior to the event
• Additionally, we like to emphasize: 
  • Everyone is welcome to come even if they haven't RSVP’d because the goal is inclusion, warmth, comfort level, knowledge, and feeling a part of the Williams Community. 

• Venue:
  • Often at an alumni, parent or student home
  • Other possible venues: local park, pool, restaurant
• Date:  Late July through third week of August. (Move-In Day 2024 is Thursday, Aug. 29.)
• Time:  Usually a two-hour party in the evening on weekdays, or in the afternoon on weekends
• Attire: Casual!

While new students and their families are eager to join the Eph community, many come from backgrounds and communities with no prior exposure to Williams or even to the concept of a small, liberal arts, college.

An easy way to ensure everyone feels truly comfortable and welcomed is to begin conversations with open-ended questions that avoid making people worry that they won’t fit in.

What to ask:
“Tell me about your family?”
“What are you most excited about?”
“What questions/concerns about Williams are on your mind?”

What not to ask:
“Where do you live?”
“What do you do?”
“Where did you go to college?”