News

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., December 11, 2015—Williams College has offered admission to 246 

students under its Early Decision plan. The 121 women and 125 men will make up 44.7 percent of the incoming Class of 2020, whose ultimate target size is 550.

Richard Nesbitt, director of admission, said 585 students applied under Early Decision. “The 

academic quality, depth and diversity of the early applicant pool was as robust as it’s ever 

been,” he says. “We’re off to a terrific start on the Class of 2020.”

The admitted students represent 200 secondary schools around the world. Thirty-five states are represented, with the largest numbers coming from New York (41), Massachusetts (34), California (28), New Jersey (22), Connecticut (21), Ohio (8), Pennsylvania (7), North Carolina (6), and   Michigan (6). Five students come from each of the states of Florida, Virginia, Washington, and  Maryland. The 10 international students admitted represent eight countries: Canada, China, Ecuador, Kenya, South Korea, South Sudan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

American students of color are 26 percent of the Early Decision group, including

20 African Americans, 27 Asian Americans, 16 Latinos, and one Native American. Sixteen are     first-generation college students (that is, neither parent has a four-year college degree), and      nearly 20 percent of Early Decision admits come from low-income families. Thirteen students    admitted through Early Decision participated in Windows on Williams, a Williams-sponsored      program that provides talented, high-achieving high schools seniors from low-income                backgrounds the opportunity to visit campus during the fall of their senior year.

Standardized test score averages are in line with previous Early Decision cohorts: SAT              averages of 713 critical reading, 716 math, and 710 writing, and an ACT average of 33. Of         those admitted who reported class rank, 92 percent were among the top 10 percent of their high school classes.

Highly rated musicians, actors, artists, and athletes are well-represented in the group. “This is a multi-faceted group, whose extra-curricular accomplishments are as impressive as their              demonstrated academic prowess,” Nesbitt says. “I’m eager to see the impact that they have on our stages, playing fields, and the community at large, as well as in the classroom.”

Early Decision applicants commit to attend Williams if admitted. Early Decision letters were         released the evening of Thursday, December 10. The Regular Decision application deadline is  January 1, with notification in late March. Students admitted via the Regular Decision plan     have until May 1 to decide whether they will attend.

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Media contact: Noelle Lemoine, communications assistant; tele: (413) 597-4277;                        email: Noelle.Lemoine@williams.edu