Williams College Admits 1,150 Students for Class of 2018
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams College has extended offers of admission to 1,150 applicants for the Class of 2018. They were selected from a total applicant pool of 6,316, for an overall acceptance rate of 18 percent.
“The astounding quality of this year’s applicant pool made the committee’s work especially difficult, but we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome,” said Richard Nesbitt, director of admission. “By any measure, the Class of 2018 projects to be among the most academically powerful, talented, and socioeconomically diverse in the college’s history.”
Of the admitted students, 566 are women and 584 are men. Ninety-nine students are non-U.S. citizens, representing 46 different nationalities. Among American students, 49 percent are students of color: 165 students are African American, 218 Asian American, 166 Latino, and 10 Native American. Sixteen percent (179) would be among the first generation in their families to attend college.
Among the admitted students living in the United States: 29 percent hail from the Mid-Atlantic; 19 percent from the West; 18 percent from the Northeast; 11 percent from the South; 8 percent from the Midwest; 6 percent from the Southwest. Six students are from Puerto Rico and one student is from Guam.
The admitted students’ academic profile is outstanding, with average SAT scores of 735 in critical reading, 727 in math, and 735 in writing. The average super-scored ACT is a 33. Eighty-two percent of the students who submitted high school rank are projected to graduate in the top 10 percent of their class. Fourteen students were offered Tyng Scholarships, a need-based scholarship awarded to a select group of exceptionally promising applicants that provides funding for up to three years of graduate study.
The students possess a wide diversity of interests - academic, artistic, athletic, and more. Eleven percent of admitted students are highly rated musicians, studio artists, thespians, or dancers. Ninety-nine students demonstrated extraordinary commitment to serving the needs of others, and 51 were noted as “bridge builders,” showing a longstanding commitment to activities that span racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. And 265 students were noted for “intellectual vitality,” meaning that they showed signs of “extraordinary academic depth/talent” or promise as a “classroom catalyst who would have a significant impact in labs or class discussions.”
The college has long been committed to admitting the most qualified and compelling students without regard for their ability to pay. In the Class of 2018, 12 percent of the admitted class (139 students) are affiliated with QuestBridge, an organization with which Williams has partnered since 2006 to identify talented, high-achieving high school students from low-income backgrounds. Additionally, 81 students admitted to the Class of 2018 participated in Windows on Williams, a college-sponsored program that provides high-achieving high schools seniors from low-income backgrounds the opportunity to visit the Williams campus during the fall of their senior year.
Williams’ strong financial aid program is critically important in encouraging outstanding students to apply. Admissions decisions are need-blind for U.S. students, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet 100 percent of the demonstrated financial need of every student for four years. Williams students graduate with debt levels that are among the lowest in the country.
Students who choose to come to Williams say they were attracted by its academic reputation, size, academic facilities, and the attractiveness of the campus, in addition to the personal attention and extracurricular opportunities it offers.
The target size for the Class of 2018 is 550 students, as it was last year. Two-hundred thirty-six applicants were admitted to the class through the college’s early decision process, making up 43 percent of the class. The remaining admitted students received their acceptances by March 26 and have until May 1 to decide whether to enroll. All accepted students are invited to attend the Williams Previews program April 17-18 to explore the college and meet many of their future classmates.
