Local Williams Students Find Location Just Right
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Of those Berkshires students contacted, a few were willing to answer the question, "Did proximity to home influence your decision to pursue a higher education at Williams?
"I always liked the idea of going away to college, so being close to home might have been a negative," said Alice Murphy, a graduate of Pittsfield High School whose older sister is a student at Northeastern University in Boston.
"I had not actually been that interested in Williams before my senior year in high school," she said. But on a school field trip to explore Williams, Murphy "really liked the environment and the people there."
"And one day someone on the Williams staff, who worked [part time] in the same restaurant in Pittsfield as I did, told me about programs that are unique to Williams. I was especially interested in their tutorial courses. When I realized what an amazing school Williams is, I stopped letting where it is located affect my decision."
 Aaron Taylor was taking courses at Williams while still a student at Mount Greylock. |
Parting goodbyes were not very emotional when her parents dropped her off at Williams, where freshmen are required to live on campus.
"They knew I would be nearby," said Murphy. "I was excited. I was looking forward to it."
Aaron Taylor, 17, a Mount Greylock Regional High School graduate who lives in Williamstown, said when he was investigating colleges, it did not matter to him if they were near or far from home.
"I am content to be on my own. Every summer I go on a trip with Overland, and last year I went to Japan by myself and stayed three weeks," he said. "Lots of my friends wanted to go to a college out of Williamstown. I looked at other schools, too, but it always circled back to Williams."
As a senior in good standing at Mount Greylock, Taylor was able to take advantage of the college's courses.
"I took two courses at Williams: multi-value calculus in the fall and introductory computer science in the spring. The professors were wonderful," he recalled. "It was the first time I enjoyed a lecture. Computer science was a new subject to me, and I went to see the professor a few times in his office. I was surprised at how accessible the professors were, and I wanted that to be part of my college experience."
Taylor already has found it convenient to be close to home. When he wanted to participate in Ephventure, a First Days activity, he went home to get the equipment he needed. "I was with a group that drove to Vermont and hiked the Appalachian trail," he said.
Taylor had started his college search with the "big names" but said he realized the people you would meet, which college offered what and being happy were more important. Now, he is "loving every moment" at Williams.
"It's wonderful meeting new people. The custodian of Mission [where Taylor has a single room] is very friendly," the former Mountie said "The professors are wonderful, and the students are interested in your story."
First-year student Joshua Harrington was initially reluctant to go to Williams because it is so close to his home in Lanesborough.
"My mom and dad encouraged me to go to the college I liked," said the Mount Greylock graduate. "I looked at other options and discovered what Williams offers in academics and athletics was what I wanted."
 Christopher Bravo of Lenox feels he's far enough away from home to be part of the student body. |
Some people suggested that Harrington go on a guided tour of Williams. "But visiting Williams is very different from being inside the student body — it is very diversified," he said. "I like meeting different types of people. It's a great experience, and I'm looking forward to it and making friends at college."
Christopher Bravo of Lenox was the valedictorian of Lenox High School class of 2012, yet when he was deciding on a college, he was not swayed by Williams consistently ranking among the nation's top liberal arts colleges.
"I didn't put much stock in ranking. I don't think it is a good judge of a college," he said. "I looked at whether a college offered good overall academic programs."
Athletics he participates in at Williams "will be a bonus, academics come first," and he definitely likes living on campus.
"I'm not far from home — if I forgot anything at home, my parents could bring it to me — but I am still away from home and part of the student body," he said, adding. "I'm really happy I came to Williams."
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