Williams College vs. Princeton Undergrad
So I was accepted into both Williams College and Princeton University recently (also Amherst, Swarthmore, and Wash U but I eliminated those for various reasons). I'm going to school for economics with the intention of going into IB and I'm having a hard time selecting one of the two. Princeton seems to be the obvious choice for my career goal but Williams appeals more to me with its smaller classes and liberal arts culture. I'm visiting both later this month before college decision day but I just wanted some input before then. Thanks!
Seems like an easy choice to me. Williams will get less attention from recruiters, you will know fewer people in industry...etc. Princeton is a name that will open doors for you in more cities.
Princeton Undergrad + Harvard MBA = Ultimate Prestige
Princeton easy choice
I'd like to give you props for even bouncing between these two. Williams has been a dream of mine and it makes me feel better to have others choose this school too. With that said, if you're looking for a career in finance, consulting, top bschool, Princeton will be a better option.
If you think you can kill it at Williams, there's definitely nothing wrong with that. Just a matter of your personal preference. People make banking and consulting seem impossible, and granted I haven't gone through the process, but I'm guessing you know that a ton of people in these industries are tools. Choose the school you want to excel in. Hope this helps!
Princeton will be better in terms of prestige. Education wise they will be similar, Williams is an elite tier college so I don't think you'd be crazy to take Williams over Princeton if you think the fit of the school aligns better. I'd visit both and pick whichever you get the best feel from, there's no reason to spend the next 4 years of your life miserable just so you can say you went to Princeton instead of Williams. At the end of the day both schools will place you into pretty much whatever you'll want to do whether it be banking, consulting, etc.
It's a little late, but I figured I could offer some insight from Williams for future prospective students making similar decisions. Williams, while not having the same "street prestige" as Princeton, has incredible sway with recruiters, employers, grad schools, etc. The College punches way above its weight in pretty much every recruiting measure, and anecdotally speaking, I knew dozens of kids who were straight kooks get offers from top BB's for IB / S&T. The College was once known as the West Point of Wall Street, and with respect to recruiting from top firms, Williams gets the same action as Princeton and Dartmouth (all of the top firms recruit on campus as well as midsized hedge funds, PE shops, MM banks, etc.). Williams, like Princeton and Dartmouth, also has one of the most fanatically loyal alumni networks which will be very accessible to you in your career building process.
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