williams college application essays

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College Essays

Williams is among the most selective colleges in the country. In 2022 , its acceptance rate was only 8.5%. As part of your Williams application, you’ll need to respond to the Williams writing supplement.

In this article, we’ll cover the question that makes up the Williams writing supplement, offer suggestions for what to write about in your essay, and give you tips for crafting the best essay possible.

The Williams Writing Supplement

The Williams writing supplement includes one required “long answer” question (150-300 words). You’ll need to respond to it as part of your application!

Williams believes that in a residential learning community, some of the most important experiences happen while living and learning alongside those different from oneself. Please describe a time when you learned or grew through the process of interacting with someone whose background, identity, lived experience or perspective differs from your own.

As we mentioned, Williams instructs applicants to respond to this question in 150-300 words. Writing this essay is not optional , so you’ll need to make sure you write a thoughtful response before you submit your application!

What Should I Write About in My Williams College Supplement?

Let’s take a look at the Williams College supplement question and discuss what you could write about in it. To recap, here’s how the prompt reads on the application: 

Let’s take a look at the Williams College supplement question and discuss what you could write about in it. To recap, here’s how the prompt reads on the application : 

Williams believes that in a residential learning community, some of the most important experiences happen while living and learning alongside those different from oneself. Please describe a time when you learned or grew through the process of interacting with someone whose background, identity, lived experience or perspective differs from your own. 

The residential learning community program at Williams is designed to help students plug into the Williams community and give you the support you'll need to be successful during your first year. Knowing that, it makes sense that admissions counselors would want to know more about how you'll fit into both your residential community and the Williams student body! Especially since you’ll likely be living among people who are different from you. 

The first step to answering this prompt is choosing a person/community and experience to focus on in your essay. You should pick an experience that has both impacted your personal growth in a meaningful way and taught you how to have positive interactions with people who are different from you. 

Most of us have had multiple learning experiences with people who are different from us. For instance, you may have had experiences in school, church, clubs or extracurriculars, or even in your family or friend group that brought you in contact with people and perspectives that differed from yours. Try to pick out the experience where you learned something really important–and that taught you something that’s stuck with you over time. 

From there, it's time to tell a story . Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you have to help others understand your values and experiences. That's why we recommend that you tell a story that helps illustrate how the experience you've chosen impacted your life and perspective!

For example, let's say you immigrated to the U.S. as a kid and just recently became a U.S. citizen. Telling the story of what you learned by coming into contact with people who are different from you during that experience will help admissions counselors a) get to know you better, and b) understand your values. 

In telling that story, make sure you don't forget to explain how the experience changed your perspective or impacted who you are . This prompt is designed to help admissions counselors get to know you better, so don't be afraid to be authentic and honest! 

UPDATE for 2022-2023 Williams Applicants

For students applying to Williams during the 2022/2023 school year, there’s an additional optional writing supplement. This essay is separate from the required long answer question we mentioned above. It appears at the end of the Williams application, and you must submit all required parts of the Common App (including the required long answer response!) before you can upload an optional essay. 

On their website , Williams states:

Some students feel they do their best writing in an academic context rather than through narrative pieces like admission applications. If you are interested in submitting an example of your academic writing from the last year, you may share a 3-5 page paper. The paper may be creative or analytical, can cover any topic, and need not be graded. We ask that you include a description of the assignment or prompt. Please do not submit lab reports. Students can apply and submit this optional writing supplement using the Common Application or QuestBridge Application.

As this supplement is optional, you can choose whether or not you want to submit something for it. If you choose not to, it won't negatively affect your application. If you do decide to submit a paper, don't write something new just for this prompt. Choose a school paper you think is a great example of your writing skills, and submit that. You may want to choose a paper that relates to the subject you want to major in at Williams, but that isn't required. Remember to include a description of the assignment, as Williams requests.

Should I Write an Essay for the Optional Williams Writing Supplement?

When you’re working on your Williams College application, you’ll notice that the Williams Academic Writing Supplement is entirely optional. So should you write an essay? Or skip it altogether?

It would be a huge mistake to not write the Williams College supplement. While the instructions do say optional, the statement isn’t really optional. Choosing not to write an essay will make you look like you don’t care that much about being accepted to Williams.

Along the same lines, your Williams writing supplement is a great way to show the admissions committee aspects of your personality that aren’t highlighted in the rest of your application. Take that opportunity! Show the admissions committee why you belong on Williams’ campus.

What Should I Write About in the Optional Williams Writing Supplement?

If you do choose this prompt, there are a few things to consider. First, your paper needs to be A+ level excellent (though it doesn’t necessarily have to be a graded paper!). If there's a paper you have in mind, we recommend talking to your teacher about it before you decide it's the paper you want to submit. They will be able to give you honest feedback and encouragement about your paper and help you ensure it’s in tip top shape before you send it in.

Second, make sure you edit your paper before you send it to Williams. That doesn't mean you need to completely rewrite your paper, but you should make the revisions your teacher mentions on your essay. Also, make sure you proofread, proofread, proofread. Williams will expect your paper to be free of typos and grammatical errors! 

Tips for Writing a Strong Williams College Supplement Essay

To write a strong Williams College long answer and optional supplemental essay, you need to make sure your essays are the best possible example of your work. Follow these three tips for writing amazing Williams essays to wow the admissions committee!

#1: Be Authentic

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person.

You should, then, make sure that the person you’re presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don’t try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you’re not.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Williams wants you to be.

#2: Play With Form

The Williams College supplement essays leave a lot of room open for creative expression - use that! You don’t need to stick to a five paragraph essay structure here. You can play with the length and style of your sentences — you could even dabble in poetry if that makes sense!

Whichever form you pick, make sure it fits with the story you’re trying to tell and how you want to express yourself.

#3: Proofread and Polish Your Essay

Your Williams essay should be the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays.

Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit.

It’s a good idea to have someone else read your Williams College supplement essay, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven’t missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it can possibly be.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re writing the required long answer response or the optional academic supplement, there are a few rules of thumb that apply if you want your responses to be the best they can be. 

When writing your Williams College supplement response,

• Be authentic and true to yourself.
• Tell stories that are meaningful to your identity and experience.
• Lie or exaggerate to seem more important.
• Forget to proofread or polish your essay.

What’s Next?

Wondering how to ace the Common Application? No problem! We’ve got you covered with tips and tricks to make your application stand out from the crowd .

Starting your essay is often the hardest part.  If you're unsure where to begin, check out this guide to starting a college essay perfectly , and don't be afraid to just dive right in!

If you're applying to Williams College, you're likely applying to other colleges on the East Coast, too. Check out our expert guides to the Duke essay , the Tufts essays , and the Harvard essay .

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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How to Respond to the 2023-2024 Williams College Supplemental Essay Prompts

Varonika Ware is a content writer at Scholarships360. Varonika earned her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at Louisiana State University. During her time at LSU, she worked with the Center of Academic Success to create the weekly Success Sunday newsletter. Varonika also interned at the Louisiana Department of Insurance in the Public Affairs office with some of her graphics appearing in local news articles.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Williams College is a private liberal arts college with a 9% acceptance rate . This means that it’s important to set your application apart and you can do that by completing the Williams supplements in a stellar way. Keep reading to learn more about the prompts and get tips on how to write your essay. 

The Williams prompt

Williams College offers students the opportunity to submit an optional “paper of choice.” For this option, we go over how to choose an essay that’s a reflection of your best self. For a small selective college like Williams, it is always in your best interest to submit any optional materials. It is just one more opportunity to share about who you are as a person. For a deeper dive into the Williams supplemental essay prompt, keep reading!

“ Optional: Williams does not require a writing supplement. However, some students feel they do their best writing in an academic context rather than through narrative pieces like admission applications. If you are interested in submitting an example of your academic writing, you may share a 3-5 page paper written in the last year. The paper may be creative or analytical, can cover any topic, and need not be graded. Please include a description of the assignment or prompt. Please do not submit lab reports.”

Williams advises their applicants to submit essays that are from the humanities or social sciences, which can include psychology, economics, history, English, and more. Ideally, you should choose an essay that you’re proud of that’s on an interesting topic or has a unique thesis. 

Students can work with a guidance counselor or teacher to fine tune their essays before submitting them, especially if they weren’t happy with the grade received.  Three to five pages double-spaced is about 1500-2500 words. Keep that in mind just in case you have to add or take off a paragraph or two.

Questions to consider:

• How is this paper a representation of you?
• Does this paper enhance your application?
• What makes this particular essay stand out?

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Next steps for applicants

Once you’re done writing your Williams supplement, you should complete your FAFSA and CSS Profile . These two applications can come in handy and play a major part in colleges deciding your financial aid package. Williams also offers their applicants a chance to connect with current students to talk about their experiences and answer any questions. Don’t forget to schedule a campus tour as well to get a feel of the campus before you decide to enroll.

Also see: How to write an essay about yourself

Additional resources

Congratulations on finishing up your Williams College supplements! Since this might not be the only school you’re applying to, check out some of these Scholarships360 resources to help out as you prepare for college.

• Compare your financial aid award letters
• Learn more about writing supplemental essays
• Figure out your future major

Frequently asked questions about the Williams College supplemental essays

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Williams College Essay Guide 2020-2021

In this Williams College essay guide, we’ll focus on how to tackle all of the Williams College supplemental essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

Williams College is a small liberal arts college in the western Massachusetts mountains with a purple cow mascot named Ephelia. The Williams writing supplement is optional, but if you have your heart set on the Purple Valley, take some time to infuse your application with further personality.

General Advice on Writing Supplements

Be specific.

I always tell my students that if you can replace the university name in your supplement with any other and it reads just as well, you haven’t done enough research into the specifics of the school. Which courses are you invested in? Who are the professors that you’d want to work with? What are the programs that the university offers that you can’t find anywhere else?

Take this as an opportunity to truly figure out if you’d like to attend the school – speak to some alums or current students, take an in-person or virtual tour of campus, or even reach out to the faculty. The admissions office can generally tell if your essay is a copy-pasted supplement for every other college. Avoid vague statements and ideas. Bottomline: do your research!

Treat it as an opportunity rather than a task.

The supplement is not typically an essay where you need to prove your academic credentials or worth to the college: instead, admissions officers are giving you another opportunity to share a few more of your values, personality traits, and interests . Have fun with it! What are some of of your core qualities or activities that you simply could not fit into the Common Application? What is something that your friends love about you that a resume cannot communicate?

And write it in your own voice: don’t try to be hilarious and quirky if you do not feel those are fundamental parts of your personality. Be honest with yourself and try not to perform a version of you that you think might be more appealing to the school. You are more than enough.

Write More, then Edit.

Typically, when beginning to tackle the supplements, students find that the word limit constraints of the essay restrict their writing abilities. Often capped at 150 to 300 words, supplements feel too short for any major ideas or revelations, yet too vital for generic thoughts.

My advice? Read the prompt, then set a timer for yourself (5 – 10 minute intervals) and simply free-write whatever comes to mind. Eventually, you will have enough material to begin cutting down, selecting content based on what feels fundamental to your answer. The essay you end up with will be short and concise, with each sentence communicating the details most significant to you.

Show, Don’t Tell.

You may have heard this statement before — the rule that all college advisors swear by, and one piece of advice you will certainly continue to receive throughout the application process. Basically, impactful essays will show the reader the story — a bead of sweat rolled down my cheek — rather than tell the reader the story — I was anxious . The first is a narrative, the second is an analysis. Show us the story in anecdotes and specifics as much as possible so that the reader can do the analysis. This concept is a bit difficult to grasp at first, but is by far the most vital in college applications (and in all applications as a whole).

The first-year Entry–a thoughtfully constructed residential microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience–brings together students from around the world with different perspectives, interests and backgrounds. Imagine having a late-night conversation with your Entrymates about a community that you value. Describe that community and why it’s important to you. (300 words)

Williams College deeply values community: after all, there are approximately 2000 students on campus, surrounded by a town that contains a single main street. In particular, this question focuses on the experience and background that you will bring as a community member and a student.

The admissions team crafts the campus community as a whole and puts care in each entry. An entry is a group of thirty to fifty first-year students living together with three or more “JAs” — Junior Advisors — that are there to guide their entry through potential questions about navigating Williams College and facilitating community-building among the group.

When considering which community to discuss, remember that it doesn’t always need to be something large or what is typically considered “community.” It can be quite specific to you and insular as well. For instance, a community could be your third period pottery class, your extended family, your origami-making lunch group, your ice-skating team, or your co-workers. It truly doesn’t need to be something impressive or something that sets you apart — the most vital part of the question is how you speak about the community and why it’s vital to shaping your identity . Remember, details and specificity is key here: illustrate anecdotes that have created this microcosm in your life. The more specific you are in describing your community and its importance, the more information the reader can learn about you.

All-Campus Entertainment (ACE), a student organization, hosts events called “Stressbusters”–an opportunity for students to focus on self-care by stepping away from their typical routine and enjoying some unscheduled time (and snacks!) with friends. Weekly Stressbuster activities might include a concert, playing with a therapy dog, painting pumpkins, building with Legos, etc. What’s your version of a “stressbuster,” and how does it help you rejuvenate in the midst of a hectic week? (300 words)

Williams College is a rather intense school, both in education and extracurricular life. Stressbusters are a chance for students to avoid burnout by hanging out with friends and doing an assortment of oddly satisfying activities. Let yourself be creative with this one: Williams appreciates divergent thinking, so a touch of quirk never hurts an application. What kind of activities do you already do to allow yourself to de-stress, and what are the small pleasures you want to have more time for? What are the ones you’d like to share with a larger community? An Avatar: The Last Airbender night? Finger-puppet making? Poetry and hot chocolate campfire? One of my personal favorite Stressbusters was succulent planting.

As to the second part of the question, how does this particular activity allow you to leave a constant work-study mindset to carve out time for personal fun and exercise for the brain? The Admissions Office is asking not only how you take care of yourself and avoid burn-out, but also, what are your interests and passions that don’t fit into what is seen as “valuable” in school or workplace? What do you value when you step outside of resume activities?

Remember to always orient your essay back towards the school in the end! Why are you thrilled about creating a grilled-cheese festival at Williams College? Be sure to explain how you’d like to share your experiences and ideas with the Williams campus community.

At Williams we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 pre-determined tutorials are offered across the curriculum each year. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. What topic would you be most excited to study in that setting and why? (300 words)

For this prompt, reference our previous advice — research, research, research. Look through the Williams College course catalog and find a specific professor and tutorial they teach that you’d be thrilled to take. It is always impressive to an Admissions Office for a student to spend the extra hours investigating Williams and what it has to offer. This is also an opportunity to peruse Williams’ academic offerings and figure out exactly what appeals to you in the departments you look forward to working with.

In supplemental essays, especially the ones that feel most “objective,” it is necessary to continue to make it personal. Why do you want to take this tutorial? What in your life connects you to this topic? Show us. The reader is not interested in being convinced why a particular area of study is fascinating — they are invested in the reasons that you feel the subject shapes your perception of the world . They do not need a dissertation on why neuroscience is vital to understanding the human existence, but rather how and why you are drawn to neuroscience and how it shapes the way you operate in the world.

And of course, don’t forget to answer the second part of the question: why are you seeking an intimate experience with this area of study? In a tutorial, you have a partner to bounce ideas off of, disagree with, and learn alongside. Why would delving intensely into this topic with a professor help you open up your understanding?

On that note, why not reach out to that professor to have a conversation about their specialty if you’re feeling adventurous? The best-case scenario is that you learn more about the faculty at Williams and their particular interests. Worst-case scenario, the email simply is lost in their inbox. Go out on a limb! More likely than not, you’ll come away with even more insight to the Williams College experience.

As part of your application, you’ll have the option of uploading an essay from a humanities or social science course.

This question in particular is rather straightforward: if you have a paper you are particularly proud of from your last year of high school, the admissions committee would like to investigate your academic writing. This can be a piece of writing from any humanities or social studies course that you feel accurately represents your best writing.

Try not to submit essays that you are not confident about or essays that you and your teacher disagreed upon — even if you believe you wrote an incredible essay on Moby Dick , but your English teacher did not appreciate your analysis of Ahab’s anti-religious fervor, you might want to try submitting a differing piece of writing.

Make sure that the essay is an appropriate length — two pages is likely too short and ten likely too long. Attempt to give the admissions team a thorough, but not indulgent, look into your work as an academic writer.

Final Thoughts

– Be specific.

– Always relate the question back to you.

– Take a risk and let your personality and voice take center in these essays.

– Do your research into the school: know why you want to go.

– Let yourself free-write and then cut to word count.

– Show, don’t tell.

The college applications process is certainly one that invokes quite a bit of stress for any high school senior. Just remember that Williams College is grateful that you are applying, and your readers are simply looking for your story. Write with honesty, confidence, and invention: you don’t have to be a world-class champion or even know exactly what you want to major in.

Finally, remember to take care of your mental health, and see you on Spring Street next year!

This Williams College essay guide was written by Nadiya Atkinson, Williams College ‘21. If you want to get help writing your Williams application essays from CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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One of the best non-Ivy league schools in the nation, Williams College is considered among CollegeVine’s 15 best liberal arts colleges in the U.S. Located in western Massachusetts, Williams offers between 60 to 70 tutorials across its curriculum. Tutorials are a style of curriculum adopted from Oxford University that allows two students to develop and critique independent work under the guidance of a professor—providing a remarkable and unique educational experience and forming tight bonds between students and professors.   

Getting into Williams College is difficult. Williams received 8,745 applications for its Class of 2025, of which it accepted 1,322 students—giving the college an overall acceptance rate of 15% . Williams accepted 249 of 634 applicants who applied through its early decision program, for an early decision acceptance rate of 39% .

Williams College’s acceptance rate is incredibly low, but your personal chances of acceptance depends on the strength of your profile. To better understand your odds at Williams, we recommend using our free admissions calculator , which uses your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars to estimate your odds of acceptance. It can even provide insight into your profile and highlight areas for improvement! 

Williams College didn’t publish the average high school GPA of its Class of 2025, but know that nearly every student is academically outstanding. 

The middle 50% SAT and ACT scores of Williams Class of 2025 are 1430-1540 and 33-35 .

An impressive 95% of Williams’ Class of 2025 graduated in the top tenth of their high school classes; 99% of the Class of 2025 graduated in the top quarter of their high school. 

There is no cookie-cutter Williams College student and, when fielding a class, the college thinks about “the range of talents, interests, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds that will make this a dynamic place to call home.” Williams values students who are creative thinkers and welcome intellectual challenges. They also look for smart, ambitious, and caring applicants who will have a lasting impact on the college.

Williams fields diverse classes and places an emphasis on well-rounded students. Compared to its peer institutions, Williams looks more favorably on extracurricular profiles that demonstrate a depth of interest, rather than the level of accomplishment.

How Williams College Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set, Williams College considers the following factors “very important” :

• Course rigor
• Test scores
• Recommendation letters

These factors are “important” :

• Extracurricular activities
• First generation 
• Racial/ethnic status 
• Volunteer work 
• Work experience 

These are “considered” :

• Geographical residence 
• Religious affiliation

And these are “not considered” :

• State residence 
• Application interest 

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Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

1. Achieve the best possible GPA while taking the most challenging classes available

Williams views GPA, class rank, and course rigor as “very important” to admissions. A staggering 95% of Williams College’s Class of 2025 graduated in the top tenth of their high school class. To submit a competitive application to Williams, you’ll need exceptional grades in the most challenging coursework available. It’s common for applicants to top-tier schools like Williams to have taken upward of 12 AP classes . 

Colleges like Williams commonly use a tool known as the “ Academic Index ” to aid in the admissions process. The Academic Index is the representation of your entire academic performance by a single number—and if your academic index falls beneath a school’s standard, you risk not having your application given serious consideration. 

If your GPA is in need of improvement and you’re early on in your high school career, check out our tips for increasing your GPA . Juniors and seniors will find it more challenging to increase their GPA, making high test scores the most effective way to increase their Academic Index.

2. Aim for a 1540 SAT and 35 ACT (use the 75th percentile)

Standardized test scores are “very important” to admissions at Williams. The middle 50% SAT range of Williams College’s Class of 2025 is 1430-1540 and the middle 50% ACT range is 33-35 .  Anything in the middle 50% is acceptable, but the higher you score in the range, the more you’ll stand out as an applicant. Williams superscores the SAT and ACT and students should plan on sitting for one of the exams between two and three times to maximize their score. 

To improve your SAT/ACT score, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

Williams College adopted a test-optional policy for students applying during the 2020-2021 admission cycle and has extended that policy to the 2022-2023 cycle. If you can take either the SAT or ACT safely, however, you should. Students who submit test scores are accepted at higher rates than those who do not. CollegeVine recommends submitting scores at or above the 25th percentile. You can get further recommendations on whether or not to apply test-optional using our free chancing engine . 

3. Secure strong recommendations 

Recommendations are a “very important” aspect of Williams admissions. Williams requires a counselor recommendation, as well as two teacher recommendations. A standout letter of recommendation will separate you from other candidates and highlight your “character,” another quality Williams views as “very important” to admissions. 

Getting a great recommendation involves more than merely asking your favorite teacher, it’s imperative to ask the “right” teacher, leave them enough time to write a compelling letter, and provide them with the supporting material needed to put you in the best light possible. The nine rules for requesting letters of recommendation from teachers provide a good outline for ensuring a persuasive letter of recommendation.  

4. Cultivate at least one or two Tier 1-2 extracurriculars 

Extracurriculars are “important” to Williams admissions and they view them a little differently than its peer colleges. Williams focuses on finding well-rounded students, placing more weight on your depth of interests, as opposed to the prestige of your activities outside of the classroom. That said, the more distinguished an extracurricular, the more likely an admissions officer will take notice. 

The four tiers of extracurriculars are a good guideline to understanding how colleges value your activities outside of class.

• Tier 1 extracurriculars are the most impressive and uncommon activities, these include winning a renowned national award or attending a selective merit-based summer program. 
• Tier 2 activities highlight achievement and leadership but don’t wow in the way that those in Tier 1 do. These activities include winning a state-level recognition competition or serving as student body president. 
• Tier 3 activities are more common and less attention-grabbing than those in the higher tiers and include activities like holding a leadership position in a club or captaining a varsity athletic team. 
• Tier 4 extracurriculars are the most common and least impressive; for example, general club participation, volunteer work, or playing a sport.  

A healthy mix of activities will serve you well at Williams, but the more you have in the higher tiers, the better. 

5. Write engaging essays

Like other LACs, Williams places a lot of weight on your essay; the college considers it an “important” part of your application. The application essay at Williams is optional, but seeing how Williams values essays, serious applicants should strongly consider submitting one. 

Williams College’s writing supplement is different from that of many other colleges. Rather than an essay about themselves or their views on a college, Williams encourages students to submit a three- to five-page academic paper completed within the past academic year, along with a description of the assignment or prompt. For advice on how to handle Williams’ unique essay requirement, check out our article, “ How to Write the Williams College Essays 2021-2022 .”

6. Apply Early Decision

Williams has two admissions tracks: early decision (ED) and regular decision (RD). Applying ED can give your application a considerable boost—Williams’ 39% ED acceptance rate is substantially larger than its 15% overall acceptance rate . 

Early decision isn’t for everyone. ED is binding and students who apply through it commit to attending Willaims if accepted. ED is best suited to students who are positive that Williams is where they want to attend college and are sure they can afford it.  

How to Apply to Williams College

Application requirements.

Williams College accepts the Common Application, Coalition Application, or QuestBridge Application. Other requirements include:

• School report 
• Counselor recommendation
• Two teacher recommendations 
• Mid-year report 

Optional materials include:

• SAT/ACT scores
• Writing supplement 
• Studio/Performing Arts portfolio
• Scientific Research Abstracts

Learn more about Williams College

Interested in learning more about Williams College? Check out these other informative articles: 

• The Ultimate Guide to Williams College
• What Does it Really Cost to Attend Williams College?
• Amherst vs. Williams: Which College is Right for You?
• 20 Top Non-Ivy League Schools You Should Consider

Want to know your chances at Williams? Calculate your chances for free right now .

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Williams College 2019-20 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Williams College 2019-20 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 300 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why

*Note: The Williams Writing Supplement is entirely optional. 

Please respond to one of the prompts below in a short essay of 300 words or fewer.

At williams we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. our distinctive oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum, with titles like aesthetic outrage, financial crises: causes and cures, and genome sciences: at the cutting edge. imagine yourself in a tutorial at williams. of anyone in the world, whom would you choose to be your partner in the class, and why.

This is a thinly veiled version of “who would you have over as a dinner guest, alive or dead?” However, there is a big difference: rather than choosing someone who would be entertaining or make a great party guest, you’re going to choose someone who will challenge and enlighten you academically. Who has expertise in what you want to learn? And sure, there are obvious choices, like Van Gogh for an art major, or RBG if you’re pre-law. But what about someone who can enrich your learning from a different field? Could an English major choose Einstein? Yes. Could a Physics major choose Edgar Allen Poe? Yup. Try to come at this question from a new angle and show them that you’ve thought this through–do some research and give them receipts by proving why your person would be the best partner.

Each Sunday night, in a tradition called Storytime, students, faculty and staff gather to hear a fellow community member relate a brief story from their life (and to munch on the storyteller’s favorite homemade cookies). What story would you share? What lessons have you drawn from that story, and how would those lessons inform your time at Williams?

This one is fun. It’s a chance for you to grab the mic at The Moth Story Hour. Details, details, details. Even though we don’t normally think of these essays as being “entertaining” per se, this one is an opportunity to flex your writing muscles and get creative with your delivery. Clocking in at 300 words, you don’t have much room to write, so one option is to start in the middle of things (or in medias res, for those who love Homer). Something has just happened and you are going to regale us with the fallout: bad news just hit and you can’t believe that things are about to get worse; your family has arrived at the campsite, but you forgot to bring the tent. What happens next? We don’t need a lot of preamble; we want action, reaction, and lessons learned. 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers?

Upon first glance, this reads like a community essay, but it’s actually a bit more specific. They want to know less about what you do and more about who you are. Sure, you teach kids piano, but why do you do it? What do you love about the act of teaching, or why do you think music has healing power? What do you bring to the conversation that will open the minds of your peers? Maybe you grew up with seven brothers and sisters and conflict mediation fascinates you. Maybe you helped out on your family’s farm and learned how much water a cow consumes in its lifetime, leading you to become a vegetarian. Or, if you’re like us, you love to read and can recite Shakespeare’s “ Sonnet 42 ” by heart. Your collective life experiences have made you who you are, and you will add a unique facet to the community of your Entry. Dig deep, and maybe even ask your family and friends for their opinions to find out what you contribute to those around you.

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How to write the williams college essays, updated for 2023-2024, optional essay prompt:.

Williams does not require a writing supplement. However, some students feel they do their best writing in an academic context rather than through narrative pieces like admission applications. If you are interested in submitting an example of your academic writing from the last year, you may share a 3-5 page paper here. The paper may be creative or analytical, can cover any topic, and need not be graded. We ask that you include a description of the assignment or prompt. Please do not submit lab reports.

Explanation:

Williams provides some guidelines for their optional writing supplement, it must be an academic paper completed in the last year, ideally 3-5 pages long, and cannot be a lab report. These guidelines are still very open ended, so how do you choose which paper is best?

Williams does not require that you submit a graded paper, but selecting an essay on which you received positive feedback can help assure you’re putting your best foot forward. While you should select a paper you did well on, small grade fluctuations shouldn’t be the final deciding factor for the paper you choose to send. Instead, consider whether paper best demonstrates your writing skills and showcases engaging, well-organized content. This content should also be highly original, so avoid papers that contain large quotations of other texts or rely heavily on outside sources, as these won’t be the most thorough examples of your writing abilities!

At Williams, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary learning, taking control over one’s own education, and deeply exploring topics of interest. When selecting your academic paper, try to find essays that reflect at least one or more of these values. Did you write an English essay that also demonstrates a nuanced understanding of history or science? Did you design your own creative writing project that allowed you to engage with one of your passions? Or maybe you explored a niche subject in great detail, writing a paper that demonstrates your ability to dive into an unfamiliar topic. Take time to go through the papers you’ve written in the last year, and see which align best with Williams’ academic values.

In summary, your Williams essay should

• Be well-written and organized
• Demonstrate original thinking
• Address at least one of Williams key academic values such as interdisciplinary learning, taking control over one’s own education, or deeply exploring a topic of interest.

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Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Travel and Tourism Industry — The History of Moscow City

The History of Moscow City

• Categories: Russia Travel and Tourism Industry

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Published: Feb 12, 2019

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