Williams College is an Ivy-caliber small liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. If you daydream about what it looks like to go to a small liberal arts college in the northeast of the United States, you’re probably thinking of a place like Williams. The college offers outstanding academics in a close-knit environment surrounded by the mountains. So, if you’re looking for a city experience, this isn’t it. If you want an outstanding education and college experience nestled in the Berkshire mountains of New England, “learning with others who are dedicated to becoming deeper thinkers and more effective leaders,” it may be a perfect fit.
The college has a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, one of the lowest anywhere in the United States, and all classes are taught by professors, not teaching assistants or graduates students. They are deeply committed to the liberal arts and to creating intellectually impressive individuals, and offer 65+ Oxford-style tutorials annually. These tutorials offer a truly unique college experience in the US, combining an American liberal arts small-college experience with one of the most iconic forms of learning as adapted from Oxford University. After graduating, students have access to an astonishingly strong alumni network, opening doors to jobs, graduate school, and more, that is grounded in the oldest alumni association in the world — it was founded in 1821.
It's no surprise, then, that Williams is extremely popular for international students and equally hard to get into. There are students from more than 90 countries, and international students make up 9% of the student body.
Getting into Williams is hard. The overall acceptance rate is below 10%, putting it among a small cohort of exceptionally selective colleges. When reviewing applications, they are looking for something super specific. We’ll break it down below so you can write an exceptional application.
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What is Williams looking for in International Students?
The application process for international students interested in Williams is the same as for all other applicants. There are no additional forms or tests required, which is awesome because it keeps things simple. There are, though, some things that you do need to keep in mind if you want to put together the strongest application possible (which, of course, you want to do). So, this is how to make your application stand out.
Courses + Grades
Williams expects competitive applicants to be achieving the best grades they can in the hardest classes they have access to. They don’t require any particular classes, but they do recommend pursuing a fully-distributed course load. They want to see you taking science, math, history, language, and every other core subject.
Remember, Williams is a liberal arts school. They expect students to be well-rounded, because they work really hard to develop even more well-rounded students once they arrive on campus.
While you’re taking classes in every subject, including the ones you might struggle in, they expect to see all A’s. Williams is too selective to have more than one or two ‘blips’ on your transcript and remain competitive unless there is a very good reason why you hit a roadblock. Your junior year and senior fall, in particular, need to be exceptional if you want to get into Williams.
Extracurriculars
Williams seeks out students who show “endless curiosity,” and a desire to explore. So, they don’t like ‘one-note’ students, or students who are entirely or almost entirely focused on a single activity — even if they excel at it.
It’s objectively really cool if you are an exceptional volleyball player or a violin virtuoso or a community service fanatic, but that’s not really what Williams is into. They want to see students who are exceptional, yes, and who strive for success in what they do. But they are also looking for students who strive and experiment and pursue passions, even if they don’t immediately pan out.
At the same time, Williams admissions officials know that international students may have a different level of access to activities than students in the United States, but that doesn’t really change their expectations. So, you need to try to have at least one activity that you are a leader in (either through a literal title, like Captain or club head, or that you receive recognition or awards for). Then, aim to have two or three other activities that are pure passion pursuits. If you are recognized for what you do, that’s awesome. But don’t let that alone guide you. Instead, throw yourself into things that make you feel alive. And then, of course, emphasize them in your application to show how you prioritize creativity and passion in your daily life.
Let’s be clear, too, that ‘extracurriculars’ is a huge umbrella that tons of stuff can fall under. If your school doesn’t have clubs or sports — that’s ok. There are so many other ways to be engaged outside of school, like volunteering with a local nonprofit, interning, getting a job, or even starting a community group or resource (like a student newspaper) yourself.
Standardized Tests
Once you have your extracurriculars framed out, it’s time to talk tests. Williams is test optional through the 2025-2026 application cycle (and possibly beyond). This means that you are not required to submit an SAT or ACT score to be considered for admission. That said, most successful applicants do submit scores. In the fall of 2022, 62% of new first-year students submitted scores. That tells us that you can get into Williams without submitting scores, but it’s a gamble.
We also find that submitting a test score can be a really useful tool for international applicants, in particular. The admissions officials are trained to understand transcripts and educational systems from all over the country, but showing a strong standardized test score isa great way of underlining your college readiness. Aim for a SAT score at or above 1540, or an ACT score of 35 or 36. These are hard scores to get, so you may have to invest time — and even, possibly, finances — in order to reach these thresholds. From years of experience, we know these investments to be worth it.
Williams doesn’t require English proficiency testing, but you can submit a score if you feel it would strengthen your application. If you go to school in English, we don’t find it necessary. If you don’t, it’s highly advised.
Final Thoughts
There’s something else you really need to know about Williams. In the winter of 2023, and for the class of 2028, Williams admitted 23.3% of early decision applicants. That’s more than double the overall acceptance rate, which signals that the regular decision acceptance rate is actually significantly below the 10%. This means that Early Decision is an extraordinarily powerful tool when applying to Williams. If you want to get in, you really need to apply ED.
Williams is a top small liberal arts college, and entry is highly coveted. If you have Williams on your list, you need to take a long-term approach, crafting an application and narrative that will resonate with them far beyond simply a high GPA.
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