Williams College Class of 2020 to Arrive on Aug. 29
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The 552 students who make up the Williams College Class of 2020 will arrive on campus on Aug. 29 for First Days, their official orientation to the college.
The tradition of First Days introduces first-year students to the college through meetings with academic advisers and opportunities to learn about academic departments and get to know the campus. Students will also take placement exams and the college's mandatory swimming test. In between the scheduled events, students will settle into their dorms and get to know their classmates.
During the second half of the week, first-year students will participate in EphVentures, a program designed to enhance students' orientation experience, provide them with opportunities to build lasting friendships, and help them develop an appreciation for the campus and community. Students choose from among one of several programs that help develop leadership skills, give them the chance to learn about the Berkshires, experience arts and culture in the region, or explore intersections among environmental sustainability, identity, and social justice.
On Sunday, Sept. 4, students will return from EphVentures for a picnic dinner on Chapin Lawn. On Monday, they will participate in Williams Reads, for which each student received over the summer a copy of "The Sixth Extinction" by Elizabeth Kolbert, Class of 1946 Environmental Fellow-in-Residence. Facilitated conversations about the book provide an introduction to the intellectual life at Williams.
"I'm thrilled to welcome the class of 2020 to Williams," says Marlene Sandstrom, dean of the college and professor of psychology. "My goal is to make sure that students have all of the support, guidance, and resources they need to make the very most of their time here. That begins with welcoming the first-year students at First Days, when they will start shaping the community that will be theirs for the next four years."
By all standard measures of academic talent, including test scores and academic performance, the Class of 2020 is impressive, selected from among 6,984 applicants. SATs for the cohort averaged 715 on critical reading, 712 on math, and 714 on writing; the ACT average was 33.
The class is also incredibly diverse. Thirty-seven percent of students in the incoming class are U.S. students of color, and another 7 percent are international students. Of the 552 incoming students, 267 identify as men, 251 as women, two as trans or transgender and one as non-binary. Thirty-one students did not respond to an optional question about gender identity (but did answer a required binary question that appears on the Common Application). The students come from 42 states, represent 52 foreign countries, and two of them are military veterans. Fifty percent of students will receive financial aid, with an average aid package of $53,194.
The full schedule of First Days is available online.
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